E-Newsletters

Dear Friends and Neighbors, One of the Legislature’s most important jobs is passing a budget for Washington state. Every year, the Senate and House agree on a single version of three different budgets: operating, capital and transportation. Each directs funding to the programs, projects, and construction required to move Washington forward year after year. This all might sound complicated, but really it boils down to talking to members of our communities to hear what they need funded and working with partners to ...

Dear Friends and Neighbors, The children learning in Washington’s public schools are the future of our state; we need to make sure each and every one receives a top-quality education. Education is the foundation of a successful economy, a healthy society, and a thriving democracy. Every session, we need to be thinking about how we can best serve our school system. It takes years of work and focus for students to reach their potential; the same is true of creating policies ...

Friends and neighbors, Unfortunately, we’ve had to reschedule our upcoming Virtual Town Hall. We will now be hosting the event on Tuesday, Feb. 20^th at 6:30 PM. The event has been updated on Facebook and YouTube so if you’ve already signed up there’s no need to sign up again. Just make sure you’ve marked your calendar! We’re looking forward to hearing your questions and input on the big issues we’re working on this session! Democracy works best when we all come together ...

Climate change threatens us all. In the past decades, we’ve seen increased flooding, catastrophic wildfires, droughts, habitat destruction, salmon depletion, and other existential threats to our way of life in Washington. These are not abstract problems to be dealt with in a far-off future. We are seeing the damage of climate change right now in our communities. The Quinault Indian Nation village of Taholah, a low-lying community near the Pacific Coast, has had to plan for complete relocation due to rising ...

Dear neighbors, Our behavioral health crisis is one of the most widespread and personal issues now facing Washington state. So many families have had to grapple with the reality of serious mental health conditions. Few communities are unaffected by the housing instability and addiction epidemics that result from untreated behavioral health issues. We’ve learned a lot in the last few years. As Democrats, we’ve come together to build a new, stronger behavioral health system. By using innovative approaches, support for our workforce, ...

Dear neighbors, I spend a lot of time working on ensuring we have more affordable housing in our communities. Last week, a public hearing was held on a bill I introduced, SB 5901, and its House companion, HB 1998. This bill will make it possible to build co-living housing – high quality apartments that share a communal kitchen. The testimony I heard during the hearing was truly eye-opening. AARP testified that, according to census data, senior homelessness is rising ...

Saving our Salmon! I am excited to announce that a bill I introduced, SB 5931, had its public hearing today. This bill will protect salmon from a toxic chemical known as 6ppd. Although few are aware, 6ppd is a chemical found in vehicle tires and it’s the second deadliest aquatic toxin ever studied! The substance makes its way into our waterways through road runoff and can kill our coho salmon after only a few hours of exposure. This is ...

Dear friends and neighbors, As we embrace the arrival of fall and draw closer to the 2024 legislative session, I'm excited to provide an update on the activities of this busy interim, particularly from my recent visit to the Yakama Nation earlier this month. As a member of the Local Government, Land Use, & Tribal Affairs Committee in the Washington State Senate, this visit offered me insights into tribal governance and the significant role of local government in our beautiful state. During ...