Dear neighbors,
The 2021 legislative session started this week, and opening day was unlike any other. COVID-19 still poses a very real threat to public health, so we cannot take the risks involved in holding an entirely in-person session this year. Legislative staff worked hard over the interim to develop effective methods to hold a mostly remote legislative session, and their hard work has paid off.
Even though it’s mostly remote, the session is running smoothly, and the legislative process is actually more accessible than ever. Universal remote testimony now allows people to testify on bills who otherwise could not travel to Olympia to testify. Plus, there several ways you can engage with your legislators this session!
Ways to participate in the Legislature this session
Testify remotely in hearings on bills you care about.
- To testify remotely in the Senate: https://app.leg.wa.gov/CSIRemote/Senate
- To testify remotely in the House: https://app.leg.wa.gov/CSIRemote/House
Submit written testimony on bills you care about.
You can submit written testimony on any bill scheduled for a public hearing. This system was improved this year, and written testimony is now directed to committee members and staff, rather than just to your district’s legislators, which was how it was directed in the past.
- To submit written testimony in the Senate, visit https://app.leg.wa.gov/CSIRemote/Senate
- To submit written testimony in the House: https://app.leg.wa.gov/CSIRemote/House
Set up a Zoom meeting with your legislator: Due to Covid-19 protocols, legislators won’t be meeting in person with constituents, but you’re encouraged to schedule Zoom meetings with your legislators. You can reach my office at Claire.Wilson@leg.wa.gov.
Watch it all on TVW. As always, every committee meeting, floor session, press conference and special event will be broadcast at TVW.org.
A look at solutions to the childcare crisis
I look forward to sharing more information about my other bills in future email updates, but today I’m eager to tell you about the efforts I’m making this session to bring real relief and solutions to the childcare crisis our communities are facing.
Childcare was in crisis before the COVID-19 pandemic, and now it’s on the brink of collapse. According to a report published by the Association of Washington Business, the child care crisis already costs Washington businesses $2.08 billion a year. Working parents in Washington forgo $14 billion a year in lost wages due to the lack of childcare access. In the wake of the pandemic, the problem has worsened, with huge numbers of parents leaving the workforce or reducing hours, losing access to economic stability due to reduced access to childcare as well as due to school closures and the new remote learning environment. For many families school was the care setting for their children while they were at work.
Yesterday, Rep. Tana Senn and I introduced the Fair Start for Kids Act, Senate Bill 5237 and House Bill 1213. It takes a multi-faceted approach to solving the childcare crisis, addressing racial equity and helping the economy. The bill aims to make childcare more affordable for families, stabilize and expand the diverse childcare workforce, support the expansion of childcare, and strengthen prevention and intervention services. Through measures such as increasing childcare subsidy rates, reducing families’ copays, and offering business and mental health supports, the Fair Start for Kids Act will aid in getting parents back to work, our economy up and running, and more kids a fair start in life.
My staff and I welcome your input on the issues that are important to you and your community. You can reach us at Claire.Wilson@leg.wa.gov. We hope to hear from you soon!
Sincerely,
Claire Wilson
