Dear neighbors,

Together with the vast majority of Americans, I condemn the hateful violence and intimidation we saw this week in our nation’s capital and in our state capital. I am appalled that so many prominent Republicans, including the president, fed the flames of extremism that led to an armed insurrection in our nation’s capital. We must unite, as Americans and as Washingtonians, to renounce political violence and to peacefully uphold the will of the voters.

A New Session

In this Washington, we will begin a new legislative session on January 11, focusing on the most important issues facing our state. At the top of the agenda are getting the pandemic under control through public health measures and vaccination, supporting the families and small businesses hurt by this pandemic, and jump-starting our economic recovery.

I am glad that my colleagues entrusted me with two crucial roles in those efforts. This session, I will serve as the Leadership Liaison to Tribal Communities, as well as the vice chair for commerce and tribal affairs on the Labor, Commerce & Tribal Affairs Committee.

This session is unlike any we have previously held. Due to the pandemic, we will be holding most hearings and meetings remotely. Legislators and staff have been working for months to ensure that the session is still as transparent and accessible as possible. Here are some ways you can get involved:

  • Learn—How a bill becomes a law, from start to finish, is explained here.
  • Find—You can look up legislation on the issues important to you here.
  • Watch—Visit TVW.org for broadcasts and archived videos of your democracy in action.
  • Testify—Register to testify remotely before legislative committees here.
  • Reach out—You can find and contact your legislators here.

Vaccine Distribution

The state Department of Health is working quickly to distribute COVID-19 vaccines. We are currently in Phase 1A of their plan—vaccinating frontline health care workers, first responders, and residents and staff of nursing homes. After Phase 1A, vaccines will be made available to Washingtonians by age and level of vulnerability. You can see more detail about the plan in the graphic above and on the Department of Health website here. You can also use their online tool to check your vaccine eligibility by answering a few questions here: findyourphasewa.com.

Stay in Touch

If you’d like to follow my work on your behalf in Olympia, you can find my official legislative Facebook page here.

Please don’t hesitate to stay in touch. Stay safe and take care.

Sincerely yours,

Senator Derek Stanford
Leadership Liaison to Tribal Communities
Vice Chair, Senate Labor, Commerce & Tribal Affairs Committee