Latest from Lekanoff | Vaccines, masks, credit history, cops, wildfires, and the arts

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

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is concerned about a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations being seen in every county across the state due to the spread of the delta variant. The highly contagious delta variant, which is a more transmissible strain of the virus, is the dominant strain in Washington making up roughly 76% of sequenced cases. While no vaccines are 100% effective, it is proven COVID-19 vaccines provide strong protection against variants, prevent severe illness and hospitalization, and lower your risk of death. More than 94% of all cases, deaths, and hospitalizations in Washingtonians 12 years of age and older can be attributed to people who have not been fully vaccinated.

“Higher vaccination rates across the state are needed to protect our communities. If there was ever a time to get vaccinated, it is now in the race against this variant.” – Secretary of Health Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH. 

Vaccine mandate for some state employees, health care workers, and educators

Over the last couple of weeks, Gov. Inslee has announced requirements for many state workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. The first announcement included most state workers, on-site contractors, and volunteers, as well as workers in private health care and long-term care settings. The requirement applies to state workers, regardless of teleworking status, and to executive cabinet agencies, but the governor encouraged all others such as local governments, the legislative branch, other statewide elected officials and organizations in the private sector to do the same.

This week, the governor made an additional announcement that the vaccine mandate extends to teachers and staff in K-12 education, higher education, and most early learning and child care facilities. The deadline for required staff to be fully vaccinated is October 18.

Learn more about the vaccine requirements for some state employees in this FAQ from the governor’s office, as well as K-12 staff in this FAQ from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

For help finding an appointment, use the Washington State Department of Health Vaccine Locator or call 1-800-525-0127, then press #. Language assistance is available.

Statewide mask mandate

Governor Inslee’s most recent announcement also includes an expansion of the existing statewide mask mandate to once again include vaccinated individuals in indoor settings effective Monday, August 23. The mask mandate will apply to most all public places across the state, including restaurants, grocery stores, malls and public-facing offices, regardless of vaccination status. There will be limited exceptions when face coverings won’t be required, such as office spaces not easily accessible to the public where individuals are vaccinated, and when working alone indoors or in a vehicle with no public face-to-face interaction. Small, private indoor gatherings where all attendees are vaccinated are also exempt. While not required, the Department of Health strongly recommends individuals also wear masks in crowded outdoor settings, such as outdoor concerts, fairs and farmers markets. COVID-19 and Back to School Last week, DOH published an updated report on K-12 COVID-19 requirements for the 2021-2022 school year. Schools are fundamental to child and adolescent development and well-being. They provide academic instruction, support for developing social and emotional skills, safety, reliable nutrition, physical/speech and mental health therapy, and opportunities for physical activity. The published guidance includes the feasible actions schools are required to take to reduce risks to students and staff from COVID-19 while schools resume in-person instruction. Learn more about the updates and what preventative measures that will be taken in Washington schools.

Constituent Corner: Temporary prohibition on use of credit history

I’ve heard from many of you about the emergency rule that took effect on June 20th and temporarily prohibits the use of credit history to determine premiums and eligibility for coverage in private automobile, homeowners, and renter’s insurance products. Legislators recently received an update on this issue from the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC), which is summarized below.

Many insurance companies have shared to their consumers nearly identical messages of alarming rate increases due to the emergency rule and urge the consumers to contact their legislators. What companies are not saying is why this emergency rule was issued or that many people will receive significant rate decreases. Insurers are not telling their customers that rates will also go down for individuals by the same amount that they will increase for others. They should be transparent with their policyholders.

It’s unfortunate that so many companies relied as heavily on credit scores as they did to determine rates. The insurers should be open and transparent about the degree to which they relied on these scores compared to other typical rating factors. Consumers deserve to have the facts from companies and if they don’t get this information, they should shop around.

By design, the emergency rule requires insurers to remove credit without changing their rates, on aggregate, across the state. Consumers that have been buoyed by good credit may see price increases, just as some anchored down by poor credit will see a decrease. Removing the use of credit requires that other factors – like driving record and claims history – be more pronounced. OIC is letting the public know that if a consumer gets a rate increase, they should contact their company and let them know they’ll be shopping around for a better deal.

OIC has heard from people upset about this change, which is understandable given the messaging campaign by the insurers. Many believe they are now paying more to subsidize lower rates for people with low credit scores. But that’s not what’s happening. Removing credit as a rating factor eliminates the unfair discount they have been receiving for decades
while people with low credit have been paying significantly more to subsidize this discount. It’s not giving a subsidy, it’s removing one.

Consumers are benefiting from the emergency rule but insurers are telling only one side of the story. They are working to turn consumers against the regulators instead of the companies that willfully charge them more. The complete story includes the punitive and discriminatory impact of using credit scores as a rating tool.

OIC is asking for your help in countering the insurers’ messaging. If you or someone you know are benefiting from this rule, they want to hear from you!

Learn more about the emergency rule in this recent article from the OIC.

Your 40th District delegation were recently published in the Salish Current, [as well as on theOrcasonian} commenting on the new police accountability laws in our state. This last year, the Washington State Legislature heard a clear call from communities around Washington insisting on real reform to our criminal legal system and action on police accountability. We responded with several bills designed with community advocates, local governments and law enforcement representatives at the table. As these bills have begun to go into effect, we have heard concerns, and even misinformation, from some local police departments that the legislation limits their ability to help in a behavioral health crisis… We believe there has been some misinterpretation of the new laws, and we hope our law enforcement agencies will continue to work with us to implement them in good faith. The vast majority of agencies will continue to show up to calls for service as it is their ethical and professional responsibility. We commend these departments for working to effectively implement the new laws… Once these laws are fully implemented, the result will be less discriminatory uses of force by law enforcement. In turn this will help rebuild trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. By prioritizing de-escalation and ensuring that protecting human life is law enforcement’s highest priority, we can create a safer and more equitable Washington for every one of our neighbors.    Read the full opinion editorial.

Wildfire Update

Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz recently sent an update to state legislators on this year’s wildfire season and the efforts the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are making to protect Washingtonians, our communities and lands. We’re only approximately halfway through this fire season, but already almost 450,000 acres have burned, caused by more than 1,500 wildfires. We’ve still got a long way to go, with fires projected to continue into October. 

Forecast: Looking ahead, projections indicate we won’t see additional thunderstorms in the coming weeks. This is particularly positive as from August 3 to August 6, more than 1,800 lightning strikes touched down in Washington, primarily on the eastern side of the state. Those strikes sparked more than 70 wildfires, stretching firefighting resources thin as we raced to contain and suppress them. Eight of the 10 large wildfires currently burning across the state were caused by lightning, including five that began during that three-day span.

Although lightning strikes will be less likely in the coming weeks, that doesn’t mean we’re in the clear – fire weather watch warnings are in place for the Okanagan Valley and the west slopes of the Cascades due to very dry, critical conditions and wind potential coming off the mountains. Around the state we continue to see below-average moisture and above-average temperatures, which continues to be the recipe for wildfire danger.

Learn more about what you can do to help prevent wildfires.

Supporting the Arts

The Allied Arts Education Project received a 2020-21 grant from the Washington State Arts Commission to provide quality arts to the schools in Whatcom County. They recently reached out to let me know about some of the great work they’ve been doing with those state investment dollars in our area despite the challenges of this past year! While it’s only a fraction of the number of students they’d serve in a regular year, approximately 1,000 students were provided workshops in dance, theatre and the visual arts. Their teaching artists are also planning a terrific roster of programs for the 2021-22 school year that will be available virtually, recorded and in-person in the schools. There lessons will be focused on social emotional learning and celebrating the diversity and inclusivity of our community. I applaud them for the work they do, and am proud to be a part of connecting students in our communities with arts learning programs! Photo: Teaching artist Lori VanEtta, Courtesy of Allied Arts of Whatcom County

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. Now that we’re into the summer months, I will be sending out an official Fantastic Friday twice a month, with two weeks on and two weeks off. 

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!