Rep. Ramel | Your survey results are in! What the 40th LD cares about…

||| FROM REP. ALEX RAMEL |||

Last month, I sent a survey asking about your legislative priorities. I appreciate everyone who participated. The results are in and your top priorities are affordable and accessible housing, K-12 education, tax reform, and climate action.

I also asked you what specific policies, programs, or budget items would make the biggest impact in your household. Here is some of what I heard:

For those whose primary concern was affordable housing, I encourage you to sign-up for my email updates focusing on supporting renters, stabilizing housing prices, and increasing the supply of affordable homes. In my last email update, I shared a survey asking you to tell me about your experiences as a renter. Below are the results which highlight the urgent need for affordable housing:

Addressing the rising cost of housing requires creative and targeted policy solutions. In addition to supporting rent stabilization, I’m proud to have introduced the following bills in this spirit:

• HB 1353 introduces a careful pilot program allowing architects to self-certify simple permits, reducing permit times—an approach with precedent in other states.
• HB 1494 implements recommendations from the Department of Commerce to enhance affordable housing programs for new and rehabilitated multi-unit dwellings.
• HB 1867 gives municipalities, with voter approval, the option to allocate real estate excise taxes to affordable housing, addressing costs from land acquisition to maintenance.

The Threat of Climate Change

As a member of the House Environment and Energy Committee, tackling the climate crisis is a top priority. We must act now to expand our electrical transmission infrastructure and transition to a green economy—not just to meet state energy targets, but to save lives, reduce disaster costs, and build climate-resilient communities.

• HB 1514 brings thermal energy companies under the Utilities and Transportation Commission, ensuring regulatory certainty while expanding clean energy production with economic benefits for communities.
• HB 1673 improves grid reliability, affordability, and transmission capacity to accelerate the transition to clean energy.
• HB 1960 will increase renewable energy deployment by adjusting taxation to ensure that these valuable projects invest in the communities where they are built.

Supporting All Communities

These are troubling times and our most vulnerable populations don’t feel safe. My friend and colleague, Representative Nicole Macri and I shot a quick video with a message of solidarity to Washington’s LGBTQ+ community to ensure their rights will be protected. Learn more about our work to support vulnerable communities in these recent statements from Speaker Jinkins (D-Tacoma) and Chair Ortiz-Self (D-Mukilteo) of the Latino Democratic Caucus.

Staying Engaged

Almost every day, I have the pleasure of meeting with constituents who take the time to share their perspective with me. I need these conversations to do this job well. One recent example is a group from the Whatcom Educational Credit Union (WECU) that met with me. WECU is a non-profit credit union investing in families and small businesses in our community. Visits like this only strengthen my resolve to advocate for the diverse needs of our community.

I hope you’ll consider coming to Olympia for a visit, sharing your thoughts over email, and reading my latest updates on Facebook. Thank you for staying engaged!