Dear friends and neighbors,

The 2023 legislative session has begun and I am officially sworn in and ready to roll my sleeves up and get to work for our community. I am deeply honored to serve you as state senator for the 46th legislative district.

This is the first fully in-person legislative session since the pandemic, and we have a full agenda. As we begin the 2023 session, I want to provide an update on some of my priorities and provide some resources to help you stay involved.

My Priorities & Bills

As your state senator in the 46th, I stand committed to fighting for a Washington state that prioritizes the needs of our neighbors and communities.  These are some of my priorities for this session:

  • Gun safety
  • Addressing hate crimes in our community
  • Affordable housing

In my first week, I have already introduced and co-sponsored key bills that will benefit not only our community but also constituents across the state.

  • SB 5265 bans the sale of assault weapons in Washington
  • SB 5427 establishes a hate crime hotline.
  • SB 5321 protects Washingtonians from doxing – the unauthorized publication of their personal identifying information.
  • SB 5203 ensures that Washington State adequately plans for addressing the climate crisis.

Another bill of particular interest is SB 5190, which would increase middle housing in areas traditionally dedicated to single-family detached housing.

To stay informed about more bills to come, keep an eye out for my email updates!

My staff in 2023

I’m very grateful for everyone who has joined my amazing team that works hard behind the scenes to make sure your voices are being heard by the Legislature. They’ll be answering your calls, tracking my bills, helping resolve case work, communicating my legislative priorities, and much more. For more information on how to contact my office click here.

Committee Assignments

This 2023 session, it is my pleasure to serve on several committees and in several caucus roles. Here are my assignments for this session:

  • State Government & Elections – vice chair
    • Working for open and accessible elections. Protecting the public’s right to vote.
  • Members of Color Caucus (MOCC) – vice chair
    • Advocating for policies that advance the priorities of communities of color across Washington, a state that is committed to creating equal opportunities for all.
  • Law & Justice – member
    • Considering a wide variety of subjects relating to civil and criminal law. Looking out for public safety.
  • Transportation – member
    • Addressing issues relating to transportation policies and the transportation budget. Advocating for safe and efficient transportation in our state.

Get involved! Be engaged! Make your voice heard!

To make a difference for our community on the issues you care about, here’s how you can get involved:

  • Learn how a bill becomes a law.
  • Find legislation on the issues important to you.
  • Watch broadcasts and archived videos of your democracy in action at tvw.org.
  • Testify before legislative committees remotely or in person. If you do not want to testify in a committee hearing, you can still submit written testimony on a bill for the archived legislative record.
  • Reach out using the contact information on my website.
  • Stay in touch.

As always, please feel free to reach out to my office directly with any questions or concerns. Let’s talk about how to best meet the needs of our communities. It is an honor to represent you.

Sincerely yours,

Javier Valdez