Latest from Lekanoff | Welcoming Juneteenth, facing our history, reopening, dying deer

Juneteenth is this weekend!

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

Today is Juneteenth! You may have heard the word “Juneteenth” before, maybe even you remember learning about it in school. But for many, Juneteenth is more than just a word. It’s the date, June 19th, 1865, when slaves in Galveston, Texas were finally freed, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.  This session, I proudly voted for House Bill 1016, sponsored by Rep. Melanie Morgan, which makes Juneteenth a state holiday! Starting in 2022, Washington will honor Juneteenth as an official state holiday. Juneteenth is an acknowledgement of the atrocity of chattel slavery and recognition of its impacts, which can still be felt today. It is also celebration of the strength and resilience of the Black community. It is a clear and official way we can all join together and remember when Black/African American people were finally freed, and one small way we can bring healing and reconciliation to our communities. Black Lives Matter.

Facing our History: Indian Boarding Schools

In the same vein of bringing healing and reconciliation to our communities, I wanted to take a moment to honor the lives of the 215 Native American children found in a mass grave on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia.

“We absolutely know we have that here in the United States too, because the [National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition] has been doing our own research. And we know that a lot of schools had cemeteries. We know some of the graves are unmarked. And we know that when we talk to people — Native people in tribal communities, urban Native communities — that yes … almost everyone has a boarding school history in their family.” – Christine Diindissi McCleave, a member of the Turtle Mountain Ojibwe Nation and CEO of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, via the Seattle Times.

Here in Washington, we know the importance of acknowledging and confronting this trauma and how it’s affected Native people in this country. In 2020, then Sen. John McCoy passed a resolution to acknowledge the damage done by the Indian Civilization Fund Act of 1819 and to honor the lives, resiliency, and descendants of those subjected to the atrocities of Indian Boarding Schools.

Learn more in this recent column in the Seattle Times.

INVEST in America Act: Funding Infrastructure

Last week, the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee completed consideration of the INVEST in America Act, a surface transportation bill that will invest nearly $5B over the next five years in Washington state’s transportation network. 

“In Washington state and across the country, transportation means jobs and is key to economic recovery. The INVEST in America Act includes bold, FDR-like investment in roads, bridges, highways, waterways, rail infrastructure and transit to create jobs, drive economic recovery and build a cleaner, greener and safer transportation network. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this bill and keep Washingtonians and the economy moving forward.” – Rep. Rick Larson (WA-02)

Priorities within the bill include: 

• The Green Buses Act to electrify local transit and pull carbon emissions out of transportation;
• The Green Ferries Act to pull carbon emissions out of state ferry fleets;
• Increased investment in bike and pedestrian infrastructure; and
• Increased investment in bridge safety.

The Washington state delegation has communicated that they are also continuing to work on spending flexibility so the state can use federal transportation and infrastructure dollars for culvert replacement.

Congress is also considering the Surface Transportation Investment Act (STIA), introduced by Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chair Sen. Maria Cantwell. The legislation provides $78 billion over 5 years for multimodal surface transportation, rail, freight, and safety programs. It creates new programs and updates existing programs to ensure that the U.S. Department of Transportation, states, local governments, and transportation providers can comprehensively solve the biggest transportation challenges. Learn more about the STIA.

Reopening: Staying the Course

Earlier this week, Governor Inslee issued a statement on the numbers used to determine when Washington state will fully reopen.

“Many people, myself included, are eager for our state to fully reopen. I have said repeatedly we are going to do this on June 30 or when we hit 70% of people 16 and up initiating vaccinations – whichever happens first…I am hopeful Washingtonians will get vaccinated for their own health and that of their loved ones, and to help move our state closer to a full reopening.

“Our state uses data for people age 16 and up; the federal government uses data for ages 18 and up. We use the most recent Census data from 2020; the federal government uses older data…Washington state has been calculating data the same way throughout this process. This provides the most complete, accurate and transparent data on vaccination rates.

“I encourage all Washingtonians to get vaccinated. Not only is it the right thing to do, but the Shot of a Lifetime vaccine lottery is ongoing and those who initiate vaccination are automatically entered.”

Read the full statement.

Vaccine Update

San Juan County

All remaining vaccine clinics will be listed on the county website. All clinics are no cost. Please note that there are age requirements for each clinic. Walk-ups welcome, but please register in advance if possible. Thank you!

Skagit County

The Skagit Fairgrounds Clinic is winding down vaccine services in order to focus on community outreach and pop-up clinics. Individuals may still access a Pfizer first-dose, second-dose, or single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the Fairgrounds until June 26, when the site will close permanently. Those who receive a Pfizer first-dose at the Fairgrounds after June 6 will be required to receive their second dose at another location. Staff will assist in finding a second dose. Find more information on pop-up vaccine clinics this summer. In addition, the Community Health Worker Coalition for Migrants and Refugees is partnering with Uber to provide FREE rides to and from COVID-19 vaccination appointments. Contact the CHWCMR for more details and to find out if you qualify.

Whatcom County

Whatcom County is making great progress in reaching the state’s vaccination goals of 70% for reopening.  As of this week, 67.9% of Whatcom County residents 16+ have received at least one dose of vaccine.

There are a number of pop-up vaccination clinics around the county each week. All of these clinics welcome walk-ins, and the vaccine is still 100% free of charge. If you’re already vaccinated, share the list with someone who isn’t! 

In addition, Chuckanut Health Foundation, Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Health Department have teamed up to hold a drawing for people initiating the vaccine between June 1 and July 31. The hope is to incentivize people who have delayed the vaccine to get their shot!

Constituent Corner: LTSSTA and WA Cares

I’ve heard from many of you in recent days about WA Cares and the impacts of our legislative work this session that will impact the Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Act, which was passed in 2019. Through this law, the state enacted a long-term care insurance benefit for all eligible Washingtonians, funded by worker contributions into a trust fund. The WA Cares Fund is the first of its kind in the United States and is the latest example of the state’s standing as a national leader in long-term care policy. The WA Cares Fund both protects workers against the economic and social risks of needing long-term care as they age and better positions the state to cope with the fiscal and economic costs of the coming age wave and long-term care challenge.

This session, the Legislature passed House Bill 1323, enacting many of the recommendations of the Long-Term Services and Supports Trust Commission, including removing the exclusion of adults with disabilities that manifested prior to 18 years of age and establishing a pathway for federally recognized tribes to opt-into the trust. Learn more in this handout created by the Department of Social and Health Services.

To find out more about the WA Cares Fund and how it affects you, visit the WA Cares Fund website.

WDFW confirms AHD in San Juan Islands deer

Wildlife managers confirmed a viral infection known as adenovirus hemorrhagic disease (AHD) is affecting deer on the San Juan Islands this month. The disease is behind an increase in reports of sick and dead deer across San Juan and Orcas Islands and suspect additional cases on Lopez Island.

The disease is specific to members of the deer family and is not uncommon in other states, including Oregon where outbreaks occur every year. The disease does not pose a risk to livestock, pets, or people – either from contact or by consuming the meat. Yet, in general WDFW staff recommend using disposable gloves for handling any wildlife carcass and to avoid harvesting or consuming animals that are visibly ill.

Signs of deer with AHD include rapid or open-mouth breathing, foaming or drooling from the mouth, diarrhea, weakness, and emaciation. Cases of AHD typically peak in midsummer and taper off in the fall. There is no known cure or treatment for the virus. AHD is transmitted by direct contact between deer, making it more likely for the virus to spread in areas with high deer concentrations. For that reason, please do not concentrate deer by providing feed or water for them. That is the best way we can help minimize the spread of this disease.

People in the San Juan Islands who see live or dead deer with signs of AHD are asked to report their sightings online through the reporting link on WDFW’s Wildlife Diseases webpage. For more information on AHD, go to WDFW’s AHD webpage.

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 headed into the summer months, I will be sending out an official Fantastic Friday the last two Fridays of each month. 

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!