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Legislative Cutoff: an update on my bills that survived!
March 15, 2019
Dear Friends, Greetings from Olympia! Wednesday marked the “house of origin” cutoff for this session. That meant the deadline for the full Senate to approve any bill originating in the Senate – and by doing so, to keep that bill “alive” for the House to consider this session. The exceptions... Read More...
Creating and expanding jobs in our mental healthcare system
March 08, 2019
Dear Friends, Greetings from Olympia! We have reached the halfway point of the legislative session and have been busy all week in the Senate chamber, voting on bills. While the Senate bills that have been sent over to the House of Representatives this session address a wide variety of issues,... Read More...
STEM Education – preparing students NOW for their future
March 01, 2019
Dear Friends, Greetings from Olympia! Today is the deadline for any bill with a fiscal impact to pass at the fiscal-committee level in order to keep moving during this 2019 legislative session. The exceptions to this rule are bills necessary to implement state government’s capital, transportation or operating budgets. In... Read More...
Implementing a tip line for mental health resources in Washington
February 22, 2019
Dear Friends, Greetings from Olympia! We have reached the policy “cutoff,” meaning all Senate bills that are policy-related and don’t affect the budget need to be passed out of committee today in order to still be considered “alive” or moving in the legislative process. I wanted to tell you about... Read More...
Keeping clean energy jobs in Washington state
February 15, 2019
Dear Friends, Greetings from Olympia! We are almost one-third of the way through the 2019 legislative session. This week our Capitol campus saw lots of snow and ice – more than Olympia is used to seeing. These snowy conditions did not stop me from making it to my office, and... Read More...
February 08, 2019
Dear Friends, Greetings from Olympia! This week has been busy with meetings and hearings. I have been very hard at work for the 8th Legislative District during this 105-day session. I want to share information on a bill I’ve introduced that would give local governments the ability to build “business... Read More...
Brown bill on building business ecosystems heard in Senate committee
January 31, 2019
The Senate Financial Institutions, Economic Development and Trade Committee today heard a bill sponsored by Sen. Sharon Brown that would give local governments the ability to create business ecosystem areas to stimulate economic development. Senate Bill 5564 would create and finance local public improvement projects aimed at encouraging economic development... Read More...
Career Connected Learning
January 25, 2019
Dear Friends, The second week of the 2018 legislative session is drawing to a close. This 105-day session is off to a fast start, and I have been very busy meeting with constituents, attending committee hearings and reading bills. I spent a lot of time this week with my colleagues... Read More...
2019 Session is underway!
January 18, 2019
Dear Friends, Greetings from Olympia! The 2019 legislative session got under way Monday, and things are already moving along quickly at the Capitol. This is a budget year, meaning the Legislature is tasked with approving a budget for the 2019-21 biennium. We will also be working on a variety of... Read More...