Liz’s Loveletter: Connecting with community & session recap

||| FROM THE OFFICE OF SENATOR LIZ LOVELETT |||

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the chance to visit with folks all over the 40^th Legislative District and hear about the issues that really matter to you. It’s so nice to be back home after a productive session in Olympia. I enjoyed meeting up with folks on Orcas, Lopez and San Juan last week and attending the Procession of Species in Anacortes is always a great reminder about our community’s commitment to protecting our environment! I also had the chance to attend a public safety roundtable with local law enforcement in Mt. Vernon and discuss the legislative session at a chamber event in Burlington.

This will be my last newsletter until December because of election-year ethics rules, but my office will remain open, and please feel free to contact me at Liz.Lovelett@leg.wa.gov. For scheduling and general questions, please contact my Legislative Assistant Ivy Ndambuki at Ivy.Ndambuki@leg.wa.gov or call our office at 360-786-7678.

Session recap

The 2024 legislative session wrapped up in March with some big wins for our community. Click here to read a session recap I put together with my seatmates, Rep. Alex Ramel and Rep. Debra Lekanoff.

Geothermal bill signed into law

My legislation to advance the development of geothermal energy sources in Washington was signed into law a few weeks ago, and since then, I have received questions about how geothermal energy production works and how it could help Washington’s transition to a clean energy future. The state Department of Natural Resources has a wealth of information on its website, including a brief fact sheet and detailed geologic maps of the Mount Baker area.

Ferries update

Last month ferry officials held community meetings to provide updates on sailing schedules and service improvements. You can find links to watch those meetings here and learn more about current schedules and service alerts here. You can read more about our work this session to improve our ferry system here.

Clean energy community meeting

The state Department of Commerce is holding a meeting in Mt. Vernon for people interested in how clean energy projects may affect rural communities. These could be either large-scale or community-scale solar, wind, and other types of energy development. Your feedback will help inform the Rural Clean Energy Economics and Community Engagement Study and Report, a document that will help guide our state’s transition to renewable energy.

• Where: WSU Mount Vernon, 16650 State Route 536, Mount Vernon, WA 98273
• When: Thursday, May 16, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Onward!

Even though the legislative session has wrapped up, the work continues throughout the year. I’m looking forward to working with you as we prepare for next year’s legislative session. The committee I chair, the Senate Local Government, Land Use and Tribal Affairs Committee, will be meeting at Bellingham City Hall on Wednesday, May 8, at 11 a.m. We’ll be discussing a range of issues, including rural housing and adjustments to the urban growth area boundaries. The public is welcome to attend!

Thanks for taking the time to read this newsletter. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions at Liz.Lovelett@leg.wa.gov.