Washington State’s 2021 legislative session kicked off on January 11 and it will go for 105 days, until April 25.
Between now and then, State senators and representatives will introduce bills to the legislature, refer them to their applicable committees, and consider the bills multiple times and at various stages before a bill is potentially passed into law. This year’s session is entirely virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes many legislators think that fewer bills will be passed, but important legislation is still in the works.
The Emerald contacted each senator and representative from the state’s 11th, 34th, and 37th legislative districts and asked them what their top priority is during this session and why it’s important to them. To find contact information for any elected official, you can visit the Washington Senate Democrats website and the state’s House of Representatives’ website.
Senator Bob Hasegawa, who represents Washington’s 11th District (Renton, Tukwila, part of Kent, SoDo, the Industrial District, Georgetown, and South Park), introduced a bill that would create a healthcare trust allowing everyone in the state to access affordable healthcare, vision care, dental, and mental health care.
Hasegawa’s bill, SB 5204, has six co-sponsors so far.
With ballots dropping soon we asked Emerald readers and contributors to give us their reason for backing their preferred mayoral candidate.
Laura Loe, Voting for Cary Moon
Cary Moon has been a mentor to me for the last few years. When my fellow members elected me to the Executive Committee of Sierra Club Washington State Chapter, I expressed concerns about how historically white-led environmental movements had long harmed communities of color. Moon recommended an upcoming anti-racism workshop “Exploring Race & Class Intersections” that had helped her to begin to recognize her power and privilege. As the City of Seattle’s next Mayor, Cary Moon will confront institutional racism and systemic oppression within city government while doing the important work to find holistic solutions to Seattle’s housing crisis. It is not an accident my second choice for mayor, Nikkita Oliver, often cites Cary Moon as someone she admires in this complex mayoral landscape.Continue reading Emerald Readers Give Their Picks For Mayor→
Flanked by family as he stood in front of downtown’s towering Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday afternoon, State Senator Bob Hasegawa publicly announced his candidacy for mayor of Seattle.
