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Happy Fantastic Friday!
This week, the People’s House began full-time floor action, which will continue until Tuesday, March 9. This means for the next week and a half, each day we will be working remotely to debate and pass legislation. Although we’ll be voting on the floor all day, please continue to reach out to my office with questions, ideas, or concerns. You can reach my office by emailing Debra.Lekanoff@leg.wa.gov.
Remote floor action, and my remote office set up for all-day floor
An Update on My Bills
Since this week was spent on the virtual floor of the People’s House debating and passing bills, I want to update you on some of my bills that have moved forward in the legislative process.
On Tuesday, we passed House Bill 1356 off the floor of the People’s House with strong bipartisanship! I am honored to provide a bill that heals our communities and tribes and no longer allows the derogatory use of Native Americans as mascots in public schools. Native Americans are not animals, we are not symbols, we are people, communities, and nations who deserve respect and dignity. Watch my remarks on the floor of the People’s House. The bill now goes to the Senate for further consideration.
House Bill 1172, repeals a part of Washington law in direct conflict with the judicially-affirmed and treaty-reserved fishing rights of Northwest tribes. By repealing this section, we can avoid any legal confusion with state-tribal cooperative agreements in the management of salmon, trout, and steelhead resources. The bill was passed off the floor of the People’s House yesterday on a unanimous vote!
House Bill 1117, which would integrate salmon recovery into the Growth Management Act (GMA), which guides land management and planning in our state, was voted out of the House Appropriations Committee on Monday and is ready to be voted on by the full House.
House Bill 1372, which authorizes putting a statue of Billy Frank Jr. — who was a dedicated advocate for equality, justice, and environmental protections — in the National Statuary Hall collection in Washington D.C., is ready to be voted on by the full House.
Banning private prisons in Washington
This week, the House passed a bill to ban private detention facilities in Washington state.
It will always be wrong to profit off of prisoners, and there is no justice in making money from the misfortune of others.
The Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma is the only private prison in our state, and it’s had numerous accounts of abuse and poor conditions. We must stand up for the rights of people detained here. Families belong together, and every person in our state—no matter their immigration status—deserves safety, adequate nutrition, and access to health care.
To learn more, click here for the press release (also available in Spanish).
House Bill 1090, sponsored by Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self (D-Mukilteo), will now go to the Senate for consideration.
Photo by Amanda Cowan for The Columbian.
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Restoring voting rights to those who’ve served their time
This week, House Bill 1078, which restores voting rights to formerly incarcerated people, was passed off the floor of the People’s House.
I believe in honoring second chances and treating our neighbors with dignity so they can become whole again. After someone is released back into their community, they deserve to fully participate in democracy without further punishment. When they return to our communities, they deserve to look to a brighter future and share their experience in our criminal justice system to improve our shared laws. Withholding this right to vote is an injustice that has continued for too long, and we will no longer stand in the way of redemption.
This bill was introduced by Rep. Tarra Simmons (D-East Bremerton), an attorney and registered nurse who was incarcerated at one time.
Ending Period Poverty
Students who menstruate should never have to choose between their health and their education. They should never have to worry about accessing medically necessary hygiene products, and no student should have to go without a pad or tampon simply because they can’t afford it.
House Bill 1273, sponsored by Rep. April Berg (D-Mill Creek), would make menstrual products available for free in all Washington schools. I was proud to vote yes for the bill yesterday, when it passed off the floor of the People’s House. We need this legislation to uplift our students and to bring menstrual and educational equity to our schools.
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COVID-19 Vaccine Updates
Whatcom County
Skagit County
Skagit County Public Health is currently providing COVID-19 vaccine to those eligible, dependent on adequate supply at the Skagit County Fairgrounds. Vaccine availability will depend on adequate supply provided by the federal and state government. Vaccine roll-out will take time. We appreciate your patience.
Please check the website for next week’s appointment
availability on Saturday, February 27th at 9:00 a.m.
If Public Health does not currently have availability, please check here for other vaccine locations near you. Appointments with Public Health can now be made online for those eligible. Although vaccine supply is limited, the county is not behind in the distribution timeline for this phase. In fact, Skagit County has one of the highest percentages of eligible people vaccinated, ahead of most other regions.
If you have questions, call the Public Health COVID-19 vaccine hotline at 360-416-1500. The hotline operates Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. English and Spanish language call takers available.
Learn more about vaccine distribution in Skagit County.
San Juan County
There are no first dose vaccine slots currently available. Check this page for information on future registration openings. At this time, vaccine eligibility is limited to individuals in the Phase 1a or Phase 1b Tier 1 groups. This includes healthcare workers, first responders, those over 65, and those over 50 and caring for a grandchild or elder. Full details are available here.
Please keep in mind that demand for the vaccine is far exceeding supply. To date, on average, San Juan County is receiving 200 doses per week, while around 5,000 islanders are currently eligible. On Monday each week, San Juan County places an order with WA DOH for vaccine. Those doses are received at the end of the week ordered. To date only a fraction of the requested amount are received. All doses received are delivered to islanders the following week. San Juan county has the capacity to deliver 1000 doses per week, but at this time is limited by vaccine availability.
New hours for state COVID-19 information hotline
The Washington State Department of Health is optimizing the hours for the state COVID-19 information hotline to better serve the public.
Starting on February 22, the hotline will be open from:
Hotline specialists can answer questions on a variety of COVID-19 topics, including symptoms and testing, exposure to the virus, recommended isolation and quarantine periods, and WA Notify (the state’s exposure notification app).
Additionally, hotline specialists may be able to make COVID-19 vaccination appointments for eligible Washingtonians who do not have internet access, or need help using Phase Finder and online appointment scheduling tools.
To reach the state COVID-19 information hotline, dial 1-800-525-0127, then press #. Language assistance is available.
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Utilities moratorium extended to July 31
The state Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) announced it is extending protections for electric and natural gas customers who are unable to pay their bills due to the pandemic.
An executive order to keep utilities connected was set to expire after one year, on April 30, but the pandemic is still going and working families who are struggling to make ends meet now will not have to worry about being left without power and heat for another five months.
Other welcome news is that UTC will continue to waive late fees and deposits through Jan. 27, 2022. However, customers may begin receiving disconnection reminders in June, along with information about payment options and customer assistance programs.
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New emergency funds on the way for rent and business assistance
The state’s pandemic response efforts are getting a much-needed infusion of funding. Gov. Inslee signed House Bill 1368, the early action COVID-19 relief legislation, last week which appropriates $2.2 billion in federal funding for numerous statewide and community needs, including $365 million for emergency eviction, rental and utility assistance; and $240 million for business assistance grants.
The Department of Commerce is working quickly to deliver eviction and rent assistance funds to their local providers who assist Washingtonians in need of help. People seeking help with rent can contact 2-1-1 or visit our directory of county rent assistance providers.
Commerce is also creating a new application process and portal for business grants, which will fund the fourth – and largest – round of the Working Washington grant program. They anticipate the portal will open in late March. Keep an eye on Commerce’s business resource page for information.
Notable Meetings
Terrific Tuesday Roundtable on Early Learning and Child Care
This week it was an honor to focus my Terrific Tuesday roundtable on early learning and child care, where we heard updates on current legislation from Rep. Tana Senn, Chair of the Children, Youth & Families Committee. We discussed the child care crisis that has grown worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are losing child care providers and slots every day the pandemic continues, reducing needed child care access and working parents’ ability to work. There were 72 child care programs in our region alone who permanently closed in 2020.
Rep. Senn’s bill, the Fair Start for Kids Act, is a multi-faceted approach to solving the child care crisis, addressing racial equity and helping the economy. The bill aims to make child care more affordable for families, stabilize and expand the diverse child care workforce, support the expansion of child care, and strengthen prevention and intervention services. Through measures such as increasing child care 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.
Thank you to the child care and early learning leaders and providers from Whatcom, Skagit, and San Juan counties who participated!
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Thank you to everyone who participated in yesterday’s Constituent Coffee! These events are an opportunity for you to hear from me about what’s going on in the Legislature and to ask questions or make comments on current legislation. I’ll be hosting these events each week throughout session, so pre-register today for next week and check back in for more details on future events.
Please also note that due to the ever evolving nature of legislative session, we may need to cancel or reschedule this meeting. If you have any questions, please contact my Legislative Assistant, Kaylee, at kaylee.galloway@leg.wa.gov.
Today is my 50th birthday!
I celebrate every moment and am blessed to have reached a half century of life.
I am honored to be where I am today, serving the people of the 40th District, and I will continue to lead on the issues that matter to our communities. The work we do now will help ensure Washington state is still a great place to live and work 50 years from now, and for generations to come!
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Thank you all for taking to the time to read this week’s Fantastic Friday, and for taking an interest in our progress at the House of Representatives. I will be sending out a Fantastic Friday letter each week throughout the legislative session.
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