Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This week, we began a legislative session unlike any other. Due to the historic nature of this session, the constantly changing landscape, and the heightened need for communication, I’m planning to send a weekly newsletter keeping you updated with the day-to-day major activities of the Senate.

On Monday, we convened on the Capitol campus in Olympia for the only in-person floor session of the year. As I started the drive from Mercer Island, I had a pit in my stomach. The reports of potential violence and intimidation put all of us on edge. Thankfully, the hard work of the Washington State Patrol and National Guard service members kept us safe and secure. I became emotional when greeted by name by the security guards and cannot thank them enough for their service. With a multitude of safety protocols in place, we re-elected Senate leadership and officers and passed a joint resolution enabling us to hold the session virtually.

On Tuesday, we held our first virtual committees, and I returned to the Energy, Environment & Technology (ENET) Committee and attended my first meeting of the Ways & Means Committee.

Wednesday saw the first meeting of my committee, Early Learning & K-12 Education. We heard testimony on SB 5044, which would provide school staff with equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism training and SB 5030, which would increase the amount of counseling students receive. We intentionally prioritized these bills due to their relevance to the ongoing pandemic and racial justice issues. We then entered a joint session for Governor Inslee’s third inaugural address and voted to codify and extend the Governor’s emergency orders until the state of emergency is declared over. We also held our first virtual floor session where the state officers were sworn in and our new Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck took his place at the rostrum as the President of the Senate

On Thursday, the Labor, Commerce & Tribal Affairs Committee began hearing bills on police accountability, and the Ways & Means Committee held public testimony on SB 5096, the Governor’s proposed capital gains tax. Today, the Education Committee considered my bill SB 5128, concerning school transportation funding in a state of emergency. This bill is integral to the continuation of school districts’ transportation budgets, which will decrease under the current model due to the reduced number of riders. I have been talking with school districts almost weekly and even though the ridership is not there with students, new types of school transportation services have proven vital. School buses have been bringing meals to students, providing a crucial service. I’ve heard of buses transporting students to community-based organizations, especially when their parents are essential workers. Buses also transformed into makeshift hotspots for students who don’t have strong broadband in their area so that they can attend classes virtually. They have even been delivering materials to students to meet them where they are. School transportation needs to be maintained because while the busses aren’t bringing students to their place of education, they are certainly bringing education and beyond to them.

Though we may not be physically in the same space, I’ve felt more connected to my fellow legislators and Washingtonians than ever. With hundreds of constituents from around the state able to participate in remote testimony, we’re hearing from more diverse and passionate groups than ever before. While we recognize and work to address the digital divide across the state, removing the physical barrier of needing to be present in Olympia to gain access to the legislative process has allowed a more open and robust dialogue.

If you’d like to participate in this mostly remote session, here are some helpful links:

  • Universal remote testimony: The Legislature has expanded remote testimony capabilities so people can testify on any bill from anywhere up to an hour prior to a committee meeting.
  • Submit written testimony: People can also submit written testimony on any bill scheduled for a public hearing. People have long been able to submit written comment on a bill, but prior to this year, those comments were sent directly to the constituent’s own legislators. The new written testimony system allows committee members and staff to read it more easily, and maintains it as part of the permanent public record.
    • Written testimony can be submitted at the same links used to sign-in for public testimony above.
  • Set up a Zoom with your legislator: Due to Covid-19 protocols, legislators won’t be meeting in person with constituents, but people are encouraged to schedule Zoom meetings with their senators and representatives.
  • It’s all on TVW: As always, every committee meeting, floor session, press conference and special event will be broadcast at org.

As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office should you have any questions or concerns.

Best,

Lisa