 Gov. Jay Inslee honored the contributions of the Latinx community Thursday in Seattle when he spoke at the grand opening of the only Latinx history museum in the state.
The first-of-its-kind Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture chronicles the history and voice of the Latino/a and Chicano/a culture, starting in Washington with a post-World War II timeline.
“Today, we hear the often silenced voices of the past sound out in a place dedicated to who they are and what they contributed," Inslee said. "As we hear these voices rise up in these hallowed halls, we know we will never be the same."
He shared stories about farm workers in the Yakima Valley and the five judges he has appointed to the Superior Court, illustrating that the Latinx experience is not a single story and that each story is unique.
The governor recently signed bills that honor and celebrate contributions from labor and civil rights leaders Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta.
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 Gov. Jay Inslee told a group of older adults, and those who advocate for them, at the Washington Senior Citizens’ Foundation’s conference in Tacoma that he will keep fighting for choices that foster their independence.
"We will not push older adults to the margins," Inslee said at the Thursday event. "You are not on your own. We will fight with you for your independence and dignity.”
The governor recently signed a first-in-the-nation long-term care trust act, as well as a first-in-the-nation public option (called Cascade Care). Another bill from the last session requires medical professionals to be up to date and share information on the latest hearing aid technology (benefits, uses) so individuals know their options.
The annual conference covers a variety of senior issues and is typically attended by legislators, policy makers, civic leaders, state, county and city employees, and senior activists.
 While protecting Southern Resident orcas will require a variety of tools and approaches, Washington State Ferries plans to contribute by bringing tech out on the water.
One of the newest tools is an online system through WSF that exchanges real-time information about whales in the Salish Sea.
Kevin Bartoy, environmental stewardship and sustainability program manager at WSF, said the agency can feed data from a public whale sighting app (Whale Report App) into the Whale Report Alert System. This alert and reporting system will give commercial mariners alerts about a whale’s location in real time. Then, marine operators can either minimize the vessel’s noise or avoid collision with marine mammals by changing course.
“It’s something that will become more robust over time as we get more of that commercial maritime sector reporting in,” Bartoy said. “The more information we have coming in that’s verified, the better situational awareness we have on the water. We can be a leader that other people will follow.”
You can read the rest of the story on the governor's Medium page.
Read: The Columbian – Washington strives to address noise pollution
 Gov. Jay Inslee visited a homeless shelter site in Tacoma Thursday to take a deeper look at the shortage of temporary shelters for Washington’s homeless population.
The Tacoma Stability Site, operated by the city, currently houses around 80 individuals. One large tent houses smaller, individual tents for residents. There are also showers, laundry and office facilities.
"This is a doorway to connect people with employment services and a better place to live," Inslee said. "This site moves people from a place of despair to a place that may give them a sense of hope."
Employees help about 75 percent of the individuals with a housing stability plan and employee opportunities. More than 15 percent of former residents have found permanent housing solutions.
Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards talked with the governor and first lady Trudi Inslee at the site. Since 2017, the site has served more than 300 people.
Read: The News Tribune – The governor, anyway, thinks Tacoma is handling homelessness in a constructive way
 Visitors will see 100 more trees on Capitol Campus in the coming months as part of a national challenge around celebrating trees and forests. The Department of Enterprise Services planted the Washington state tree — a Western Hemlock — during the kickoff event on Capitol Campus last Friday with local leaders and Evergreen State College students standing nearby.
Ten other trees were planted this week through a partnership between DES (in charge of planting and maintaining the trees) and the Department of Natural Resources (in charge of purchasing many of the trees). The project should be completed by next April.
Inslee recently proclaimed October as Urban and Community Forestry Month.
“It’s our obligation to be better stewards of the natural world,” Inslee said. “And what better way to do that in our urban spaces than to beautify small plots of earth. Trees stand as a poignant reminder of why we fight climate change.”
Read the rest of the story on the governor's Medium page.
 Gov. Jay Inslee stopped by the Washington State Women's Commission meeting in Seattle last Tuesday to celebrate their work and discuss ways to collaborate in the future.
"Gender shouldn’t determine your opportunities, your health or your safety," Inslee said. "We’ve made great progress in Washington, but we’re far from done. I’m grateful to the Washington Women’s Commission for their advocacy, leadership and hard work as we continue on the march toward equality."
The Commission talked about ways to increase child care affordability and access, prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, and develop strategies to increase women on corporate boards. Sens. Lisa Wellman, Ann Rivers, and Reps. Beth Doglio, and Mary Dye also attended.
 Gov. Jay Inslee welcomed a group of Paid Family Medical Leave administrators, advocates and community partners from multiple states to Olympia Tuesday. The group gathered to kick off a three-day conference around paid leave policies and programs, and toured the new facility in Lacey that will house the agency.
Washington is the first state to build a holistic family and medical leave program from the ground up.
"When a parent falls, a new baby is born or we get an unexpected diagnosis, Paid Family and Medical Leave helps keep working families afloat during life’s biggest moments," Inslee said. "Stability for working families means greater stability for our economy."
The governor signed the bipartisan bill that implements the PFML program during the recent Legislative session.
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