Dear neighbors,
Washington may have a part-time legislature, but my role as your state senator is a full-time, year-round job — and it’s one I’m honored to have every day.
The months between legislative sessions are just as important as the weeks I spend in Olympia. This time allows me to learn about emerging issues in our district and understand how the laws we passed are working. As the chair of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee, the interim months are also a chance to connect more with education leaders statewide, visit schools, and get ideas for new bills to improve public education in Washington.
Highlights of my summer work include engaging with high school students who attended the University of Washington’s week-long nursing camp, attending the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region’s annual summit to explore how Washington can stabilize and strengthen our economic relationship with Canada, and discussing the future of remote medical sensing technology — and the privacy concerns that come with it — on a panel at Seattle Worldcon.
Sen. Lisa Wellman observing students in the University of Washington’s School of Nursing Learning and Simulation Lab during a week-long nursing camp for high schoolers.
I’ve also been focused on defending my 2019 bipartisan law, the Keep Washington Working Act, which prohibits state and local enforcement from collaborating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This law is critical for protecting our state’s immigrants and economy. It ensures your tax dollars aren’t diverted to help masked federal agents terrorize people of color and lets law enforcement focus on community safety.
Because we continue to uphold this law, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi threatened to withhold federal funding from our state and potentially prosecute democratically elected officials who refuse to comply with the Trump administration’s unlawful immigration actions. But in this Washington, the last thing we’re going to do is compromise our values in the face of federal intimidation. That’s why I was proud to stand with Gov. Bob Ferguson and other leaders last month in defense of our laws and people. This won’t be the last time the federal government threatens our state, and we’ll continue to use every avenue we can to protect our values and way of life.
Sen. Lisa Wellman delivering remarks at an August press conference in defense of the Keep Washington Working Act.
In fact, since Senate Democrats regained the majority in 2018, we’ve been laying the groundwork to protect Washington from the lawlessness, chaos, and confusion of the Trump administration. We recently created a page on our website listing all the policies we’ve passed in recent years to safeguard our progress and values from federal overreach. It also includes links to the attorney general’s litigation tracker, relevant news coverage, and other information about what’s happening in Washington, D.C. and how it’s affecting our state.
We’re only eight months into a second Trump administration, but our state is well positioned to protect Washingtonians from the recklessness and cruelty coming from our federal government. There’s much to do going forward, including addressing the harmful effects of the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” but I’m committed to fighting for everyone who calls our state home.
Preserving access to vaccines for Washingtonians
It’s clear that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is using his role as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to undermine science and limit vaccine access. It’s shameful and dangerous that the federal government has abdicated its responsibility to protect public health, but I’m so proud Washington has stepped up to keep our state healthy and informed.
This April, we passed legislation preserving the ability of public health officials to share accurate, evidence-based information with the public about vaccines and communicable diseases. And just this month, our state joined California, Hawaii, and Oregon in the West Coast Health Alliance. This new partnership ensures people across the West Coast receive immunization guidance that’s based on scientific evidence and public health best practices.
As we enter respiratory virus season, Washingtonians will still be able to get the vaccines they want and need to stay healthy. Thanks to a standing order from our state health officer, pharmacists, nurses, and other health care providers can administer the COVID-19 vaccine to everyone six months or older unless there’s a specific, individual reason not to. Vaccines remain affordable — people enrolled in Medicaid, or Apple Health, can get a COVID-19 vaccine at no cost, and our insurance commissioner has ensured the same for anyone enrolled in individual and small employer health insurance plans.
Don’t take the bait: How to spot a phishing attempt
Digital technologies make our lives easier and help us stay connected with friends and family, but they’re also an easy way for scammers to trick us into giving them our personal or financial information. This tactic, called phishing, is often perpetrated through email, but it’s also becoming more common through text messaging and social media.
Scammers love using fake emails or text messages to steal anything from your passwords and bank account numbers to Social Security Numbers and health care information. We’re constantly inundated by these attacks, and it’s important to stay vigilant so you can keep your personal information and financial resources safe and secure.
Not sure how to spot a phishing attempt? Here are some suspicious characteristics to look for in the messages you get every day:
- A generic greeting, such as “Dear Customer.”
- The appearance of coming from a trusted source, such as a co-worker, friend or family member, your bank, etc.
- A sense of urgency and a threat of bad things happening if you don’t take immediate action by clicking a link to “verify your account,” “confirm your information,” or “login to your account.”
- Prompts to reveal personal, login, or financial information.
- An appeal to fear or curiosity, such as sending notice of an order you didn’t place for a significant amount of money.
It’s easy to let your guard down, but it’s so important to keep your skepticism high so you don’t fall victim to a phishing attempt. Remind yourself to slow down and be suspicious of the messages you get, and refrain from clicking on links or opening attachments for unknown sources.
For more information on phishing and other kinds of cyber scams, visit the cybersecurity resources page on Washington Technology Solutions’ website.
Stay in touch
The 2026 legislative session is only a few months away, and I hope to hear from you about your ideas and concerns. My email inbox is always open, and my phone is always on. You can contact me via email at Lisa.Wellman@leg.wa.gov or phone at 360-786-7641.
Yours in service,
