||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. DEBRA LEKANOFF |||
The Washington State legislative session starts on January 10. It has never been more important for us to work together to improve the lives of people in Washington. In the 2021 session, we made historic progress by enacting laws and budget investments that address the unprecedented public health crisis, economic recession, racial justice and climate change. Now, we will continue to work together to recover from the pandemic and build a better future for us all.
In even-numbered years, legislative sessions are 60 days, as opposed to 105 days in odd-numbered years. They go by quickly, and I know many of you are waiting to hear how the House will conduct business this year. I expect the final session operations plan for the House to be made public before the Thanksgiving holiday, and it will be posted to the House website.
If you have ever been to the Capitol campus, you may have been to the John L. O’Brien Building – also known as JLOB – where many House members have their legislative offices. The corridors in JLOB are tight and member offices cannot safely hold more than one person in most cases. The House also has twice as many members as the Senate, so while it is possible for our colleagues in the other chamber to gather in person on the Senate floor while maintaining proper social distancing, for the 98 members in the House this is not possible. Committee hearings also pose a social distancing challenge.
At the same time, all members of the House Democratic Caucus are fully vaccinated, and there is a strong desire among legislators to do more in person this coming session. The final plan will most likely be some version of a hybrid session, with the goals of keeping the safety of the public, members, and staff paramount while operating transparently and safely.
Nonetheless, my office will still be easy to reach. You can contact us anytime by e-mailing Debra.Lekanoff@leg.wa.gov.
Committee Assembly Days
A lot of legislative activity happened this week, with Committee Assembly Days in both the House and Senate. Senate committees met on Monday and Tuesday, and House committees convened yesterday and today.
Committee Assembly Days is when committees gather for work sessions on policies and issues likely to come before the Legislature in the next session. With the 2022 session convening on January 10, we are only a few weeks away from the start of another legislative session!
All the meetings are public and are being conducted remotely in order to adhere to local and state public health guidance. The House of Representatives website has details like dates, times, agendas and documents for these meetings, as well as links to live video. If you were unable to tune in live, the meetings will also be available for later viewing in the TVW archives.
My 2022 Session Priorities
This session, I will continue to serve on three committees: State Government & Tribal Relations, Appropriations, and Rural Development, Agriculture & Natural Resources. My priorities for this session include:
- House Bill 1117, introduced last session, integrates salmon recovery into the Growth Management Act (GMA) and sets a standard for net ecological gain in community development. We’ve been working hard on this policy for the last few years, and it has remained one of my top priorities.
- House Bill 1172, also introduced last session, repeals a part of Washington law in direct conflict with the judicially-affirmed and treaty-reserved fishing rights of Northwest tribes.
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The Washington Green Amendment, which was also introduced in 2021, amends Article I of the Washington State Constitution to recognize the rights of every Washingtonian to a clean and healthy environment, including pure water, clean air, healthy ecosystems, and a stable climate, for both present and future generations. As an amendment to the state constitution, the Washington Green Amendment requires two-thirds vote in each house of the Legislature. Once through the Legislature, the amendment would be on the ballot during the next general election. That means every Washingtonian would have the opportunity to vote on whether environmental rights should be protected by the state constitution.
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A new bill that recognizes the cultural, economic, recreational, and legal importance of salmon in Washington. The intent is to ensure all pertinent state agencies share in and support the mission of recovering salmon. This policy will incorporate the goal of salmon recovery into pertinent state agencies’ missions and create a Salmon Cabinet, which is a venue for state agencies and tribes to convene and review progress towards salmon recovery.
- Creating a joint legislative tribal-state relations committee to enhance the government-to-government relationship between the Washington State Legislature and sovereign tribal nations and facilitate resolution on issues of shared interest. The policy will also designate a non-partisan legislative staff position for someone with expertise in tribal-state relations, and tribal treaties and law.
- The Safe Child Act, which aims to improve the safety of children involved in child custody cases. This includes ensuring that professionals with substantial training and experience about domestic violence and child abuse provides advice or recommendations to the court. The priority is making sure the child is protected.
As some of these policies are still being worked on and drafted, we will be sure to keep you up to date on their development.
Flooding in NW Washington: Updates and Resources
Our region saw historic flooding this week, and conditions will remain challenging for a few more days. Please do not drive through standing water or ignore road closed signs. Both the Governor’s office and local elected officials have been working to make sure that relief can get to everyone as quickly as possible. We are also supporting our emergency responders and are already working to secure resources from all levels of government, especially for repairing, rebuilding and preventing future disasters. Make sure to document any damage, record actions you’ve taken, and save your receipts for expenses because that information may help you apply for local, state and federal disaster aid.
In the meantime, please continue to follow guidance from your respective county and our first responders.
Whatcom County
- Call 911 for flood-related emergencies. Do not call 911 for non-emergencies.
- All individuals in the area needing shelter and services as a result of flood and power outages are encouraged to go to the Mount Baker Rotary Building on the Northwest Washington Fair & Event Center (1775 Front Street) in Lynden for help.
- Do you have flood damage? Report your impacts to (360) 788-5311. Leave a message with a description of the damage, your name, and phone number.
- To report non-emergency road impacts, call (360) 778-6400.
- County roads closed due to storm flooding are being posted at this link.
- State highway roads and impacts are posted at this link.
San Juan County
- Active life-threatening emergencies should be reported to 911.
- Impacts to San Juan County roadways that have not previously been reported should be reported by email to pubwks@sanjuanco.com. Please include exact location, details of impacts, and photos if available.
- Impacts in the Town of Friday Harbor may be reported by calling 360-378-2810.
- Road washouts are complex engineering responses and are not repaired overnight. Extended disruptions should be anticipated. County emergency responders and Public Works staff are actively working to assess the current situation and formulate plans for ensuring seamless provision of Fire, EMS, and Sheriff services.
Check in with the San Juan County WA Department of Emergency Management via their Facebook page.
Skagit County
- For general questions, call the Department of Emergency management at 360-416-1850.
- For flood level updates, call the Flood Hotline at 360-416-1404.
- For home safety, waste water, and septic info, contact Skagit County Health at 360-416-1500 or EH@co.skagit.wa.us.
- Returning home after a flood can potentially pose health risks. Learn how to keep yourself and your family safe.
40th District Ferry Briefing
Last week, your 40th District delegation held a briefing to discuss ongoing efforts to address ferry service disruptions, cancelled sailings, and the reduced Washington State Ferries (WSF) schedule. We were joined by representatives from WSF, the Governor’s office, and other crucial transportation voices to discuss immediate short-term fixes and also chart the best path forward in the lead up to the 2022 session.
Thank you to everyone who took time out of their day to join us for a powerful sharing of stories and struggles experienced by residents and businesses in the San Juan Islands! The testimony of our island residents is impactful, and is sure to be shared in future discussions.
If you missed out on participating in the webinar or if you would like to watch again and share, you can find a recording of the event on my official Facebook page.
10M Milestone and COVID Vaccines for Kids
We reached a big COVID-19 vaccine milestone this month as the state Department of Health announced that more than 10 million doses have been given out across our state. But that’s not all! If you’re a parent like me, you may have also heard that kids ages 5-11 can now get the vaccine. For help finding a pediatric vaccine appointment near you, enter your zip code online at vaccinelocator.
Tax Survey: How can Washington state balance & modernize our tax code?
Over the past two years, the Tax Structure Work Group conducted robust economic analysis and held initial listening sessions to find out how the Legislature can create a more equitable, transparent, and stable tax code for working families and small businesses across the state. Throughout the fall, the work group invited taxpayers to explore several scenarios to change the state’s tax structure at Tax Town Halls held virtually across the state.
If you missed out on participating, there is still time to provide your feedback to the Tax Structure Work Group! Respond to their Tax Survey to weigh in on the different tax scenarios and let them know how you think the state can better provide vital state services through an improved tax code. You can find a short, 5-minute survey and a longer, in-depth survey at taxworkgroup.org/survey. Both are available in multiple languages. Respond today to ensure your voice is heard!
Learn more about the proposed tax scenarios in the presentation provided at the Tax Town Halls, and see how the ideas of the Tax Structure Work Group might affect the taxes that you may pay by using their tax calculators. You can also watch the recording of one of the Tax Town Halls for our community.
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.
Please feel free to reach out to me using the information below, with any questions, inquiries, or concerns you may have.
I am here for you!
Thank you, Debra for keeping us informed. I urge everyone reading this to heed her advice and add your voice to the discussion about changing the WA state tax code by taking the survey(s) mentioned.
“Respond to their Tax Survey to weigh in on the different tax scenarios and let them know how you think the state can better provide vital state services through an improved tax code. You can find a short, 5-minute survey and a longer, in-depth survey at taxworkgroup.org/survey. Both are available in multiple languages. Respond today to ensure your voice is heard!”
The links are live in the body of the article.