Latest from Lekanoff | How your stories shape my work

||| FROM THE OFFICE OF REP. DEBRA LEKANOFF |||

I want to be clear and transparent with you.

At House Policy Cutoff, every Tribal-focused bill I sponsored or led has died. These bills addressed public safety, salmon recovery, emergency response, data sovereignty, justice system coordination, housing, and infrastructure—issues that directly impact Tribal Nations and our shared future as a state.

One of the most troubling moments this session came during discussions involving the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. WDFW confirmed that federally recognized Tribes are included partners in salmon management, yet the agency received more than 800 emails opposing Tribal inclusion. That opposition did not come from Tribal communities. It reflects a broader resistance to honoring Tribal sovereignty and treaty responsibilities—despite those responsibilities being foundational to Washington state law.

Why I serve

I did not come to the Legislature by accident.

I came because I knew our Native voice was missing in state lawmaking. I could complain. I could disagree from the outside. Or I could step into responsibility—becoming a lawmaker and helping shape policy with a Native voice at the table.

That choice was about accountability. About making sure Tribal perspectives are not treated as optional or added after the fact, but embedded in statute, policy, and decision-making where they belong.

A legacy we must honor

This moment brings me back to the words and work of John McCoy, who spent decades reminding the Legislature that Tribal Nations are not an interest group—they are sovereign governments.

Senator McCoy worked tirelessly to ensure Tribal voices were included in state policy decisions that impact:

• Tribal lifeways and cultural survival
• Treaty and non-treaty rights
• Government services and jurisdiction
• Judicial systems and public safety
• Housing, infrastructure, and environmental stewardship
• Healthcare, Behavioral and Mental Health 
• Education for All

I am walking in his footsteps today. For me he understood and taillight me that inclusion is not symbolic—it is structural. And that representation matters, not only in who sits at the table, but in whether the system is willing to act on what is heard.

Bills that did not advance include:

• HB 2435 – Creating the Legislative Office of Indian Affairs
  Establishes a dedicated office within the Legislature to strengthen coordination, consultation, and accountability in state–tribal relations.
• HB 2578 – Tribal Representation on the Fish & Wildlife Commission
  Adds four tribal seats to the WDFW Commission, ensuring tribes have a formal role in decisions affecting treaty-reserved resources.
• HB 1982 – Vacating Convictions Involving the Exercise of Treaty Rights
  Allows individuals to vacate convictions related to lawful treaty fishing practices.
• HB 2435 – Creating the Legislative Office of Indian Affairs
  Establishes a dedicated office within the Legislature to strengthen coordination, consultation, and accountability in state–tribal relations.
• HB 2555 – Concerning Medicaid Coverage for Traditional Health Care Practices
  Expands Medicaid to cover traditional tribal health care practices, improving access to culturally appropriate care for Indigenous communities.
• HB 2578 – Tribal Representation on the Fish & Wildlife Commission
  Adds four tribal seats to the WDFW Commission, ensuring tribes have a formal role in decisions affecting treaty-reserved resources.

Once again, legislative actions did not align with the stated priorities of either the Legislature or the Executive Branch. 

While partnership, sovereignty , and government-to-government relationships are often spoken about, Tribal priorities continue to be sidelined at cutoff—even when they involve core state responsibilities.

What comes next

This work does not stop here.

I will continue to partner with Tribal Nations, reintroduce these bills, and push for structural changes so Tribal priorities are addressed before cutoff—not after.

We cannot claim to honor treaties while failing to act on them.

See you this weekend!

Reminder that we have a town hall in Mount Vernon tomorrow! 

What: 40th LD Town Hall

Who: Senator Liz Lovelett, Representative Alex Ramel, and Rep. Debra Lekanoff (me!)

When: Saturday, February 21, from 11:00 a.m. to noon

Where: Mount Vernon Commons

If you can’t join in-person, I hope you’ll join for our telephone town hall on Wednesday! 

What: 40th LD Telephone Town Hall

Who: Senator Liz Lovelett, Representative Alex Ramel, and Rep. Debra Lekanoff (me!)

When: Wednesday, February 25, 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Where: We’ll dial out to phone numbers in-district, or, you can dial in at (855)-756-7520, pin 130179#

Looking forward to connecting soon! 

Community Corner: Your Stories

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete my Community Check-In Survey. Your honesty, your stories, and your care for one another are what guide my work in Olympia.

Again and again, I heard concerns about the rising cost of living: especially the cost of food, utilities, housing, and healthcare. Families shared what it feels like to stretch every dollar, to worry about property taxes on a fixed income, or to face job loss and economic uncertainty after decades in our community. One neighbor shared that they’ve lived here for over 40 years and, for the first time, are considering leaving because wages have dropped and opportunities have dried up. That breaks my heart, and it strengthens my resolve to fight for working families.

Affordable housing remains one of the most urgent issues across our district. Many of you spoke about the need for stable homes, support for seniors who rely on community services like meal programs, and compassionate solutions to homelessness that don’t leave anyone behind. I firmly believe we can care for our elders, support struggling families, and address housing insecurity at the same time: these are not competing priorities, they are shared responsibilities.

I also heard deep concern about the state of our democracy and the impact of immigration enforcement actions on our neighbors. Several of you shared that friends, coworkers, and community members are living in fear — some even going into hiding. Others expressed anxiety about civil rights and protections. I want you to know: I will always stand for dignity, fairness, and the protection of constitutional rights. Our communities are strongest when everyone feels safe, respected, and valued.

At the same time, many of you told me you feel safe and supported here, and that sense of community resilience gives me hope. One neighbor even wrote to say they appreciate these newsletters and the effort to stay connected. That means more to me than you know.

As your state representative, I remain committed to advancing policies that lower everyday costs, expand access to healthcare and mental health services, strengthen public safety in ways that are equitable and community-centered, protect our environment, and defend our democratic institutions. I will continue to listen, especially when the stories are hard,  because that is how we build a government that reflects the people it serves.

Here’s what we’re doing to protect democracy and prioritize affordability: 

How your stories impact our policy:

Protecting Democracy 

Many of you have shared your concerns about rising costs of groceries, utilities, healthcare, housing. I hear you. And right now, families across Washington are feeling squeezed from multiple directions.

With new federal tariffs projected to cost our state more than $2 billion, and recent federal legislation threatening Medicaid coverage for an estimated 180,000 Washingtonians while putting food assistance for hundreds of thousands at risk, the uncertainty coming out of Washington, D.C. is very real. These decisions have consequences — and working families are too often the ones who pay the price.

While we cannot control every federal action, we can act here at home.

That’s why House Democrats are prioritizing affordability and stability in our state budget — working to reduce harm, protect essential services, and keep costs manageable for Washington families.

This session, we’ve advanced policies that:

• Lower everyday household costs — including relief for high energy bills and protecting families from unfair utility cost shifts caused by large energy users like data centers.
• Strengthen workers’ rights — cracking down on wage theft, ensuring construction workers are paid what they’re owed, and banning noncompete agreements so workers can pursue better opportunities.
• Keep healthcare affordable — capping fees for electronic medical records, preserving access to preventive care without out-of-pocket costs, and limiting interest rates on medical debt.
• Address housing affordability — expanding land banking tools, streamlining supportive housing development, and building homes more efficiently to lower costs.
• Protect consumers — restoring fair competition for grocery stores in vacant spaces, incentivizing grocery access in underserved communities, and combatting insurance fraud to keep premiums manageable.
• Invest in our children — expanding access to early learning through the PreK Promise program.

Affordability is not just about numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s about whether seniors can stay in their homes. Whether working parents can afford childcare. Whether a family can see a doctor without fearing the bill. Whether a worker can change jobs to improve their life.

In moments of national uncertainty, Washington must remain a place where people can thrive: where we protect one another, defend access to healthcare and food, uphold workers’ rights, and build strong local economies.

Follow our affordability bills here!

Bills On the Move!

HB 2436 and HB 2554 are moving to the Senate for consideration!

Community Corner: Protecting Higher Education

I recently met with public employees and university staff to discuss the impact of state funding reductions on our public higher education institutions, including at Western Washington University.

What I heard was deeply concerning.

Western has already absorbed a 1.5% across-the-board reduction. An additional 1.5% cut has been proposed. Over time, the state’s share of funding for university staff positions has steadily declined from fully state-funded decades ago, to a 70/30 split between state funds and tuition, and now closer to a 51/49 split. That means students and families are shouldering nearly half the cost of staffing our public universities.

Higher education institutions do not have alternative revenue streams to make up these losses. Tuition is capped by the state. When funding is reduced, universities are forced to cut people.

At Western alone, roughly 100 jobs, the vast majority family-wage union positions, were eliminated in 2025. These are not abstract numbers. These are librarians, tutoring specialists, archives staff, student success professionals, and campus workers who support research, writing, compliance, instruction, and retention.

I was particularly moved by an open letter from faculty and staff within Western Libraries. Despite absorbing additional responsibilities over the years, staffing has declined dramatically since 2008. After recent cuts, only 49 full-time employees remain to sustain services that are central to student success.

The impacts are already visible:

• The main library buildings will close on Saturdays beginning spring quarter.

• The Graduate Studio is reducing services.

• The Tutoring Center, which supported more than 3,300 student visits in one fall quarter, faces further reductions if additional cuts occur.

• Archives and records management services that ensure legal compliance and preserve our region’s history are stretched thin.

When we cut higher education funding, we are not trimming around the edges. We are cutting into the core academic mission of our universities: student retention, research excellence, writing instruction, community engagement, and access to opportunity.

Public higher education is an economic engine, a workforce pipeline, and a pathway to mobility for Washington families. Disinvestment today means fewer supports for first-generation students, fewer tutoring resources for struggling learners, reduced access to research materials, and less stability for the workers who make our campuses function.

We must be honest about what these funding choices mean. Every percentage cut translates into real consequences: for workers, for students, and for the long-term vitality of our communities.

I remain committed to advocating for strong public higher education funding and protecting the essential services that help students succeed. Our universities are not expenses to be minimized, they are investments in Washington’s future.

Community corner: photo with the Low Income Housing Alliance!

We’ve wrapped up House of Origin cutoff, the work keeps moving: bills we passed now head to the Senate, Senate bills continue their journey in the House, and budget talks are heating up as we shape our state’s operating and transportation priorities.

There’s still a lot ahead – committee hearings, thoughtful amendments, negotiations, and votes in both chambers – but every step brings us closer to meaningful progress. My commitment remains steady: to protect families, support communities, and build a Washington where everyone can thrive.

Hope to see you this weekend!