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Dear friends and neighbors,
With everything going on in our country and around the world, it’s easy to get discouraged or feel disheartened. I feel that way sometimes, too. When that happens, I’ve found that it’s helpful to focus on where I can have the greatest impact to make the biggest difference in the lives of Washingtonians. For me, that’s improving college affordability, creating workforce training programs that lead to living-wage jobs, and bringing together local and regional officials to improve the behavioral health outcomes in our region.
COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY
This is one of our most pressing challenges. While I can’t control what national leaders do—or what happens in the Middle East—I can impact college affordability here at home. Washington has one of the best financial aid programs in the country, and I’ve worked hard to expand the Washington College Grant and keep tuition low despite cuts to higher education in our state. In fact, now is a great time to take advantage of the funding available by filling out the FAFSA and WASFA. Follow this link to learn more.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Our state must double its efforts to ensure that all Washingtonians have career pathways to living-wage jobs. I am committed to strengthening workforce training programs in our K12 schools, as well as for high school graduates and working adults. This summer and fall, I’ll be collaborating with my colleagues, labor leaders, and the business community to develop a major jobs training bill for the 2027 session.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Ensuring that all our community members are connected to the resources they need is key to public safety. I've heard from many of you about the failures of the designated crisis responders (DCR) system in our area. I’m collaborating with behavioral health specialists, county officials, and public safety leaders to identify and address the issues. I'll be continuing that work over the summer and into the fall.
2026 SESSION REPORT
Every year, once the legislative session adjourns, I prepare a report to update constituents on the work we completed in Olympia. It includes highlights on bills passed to address pressing issues in our district and throughout the state, as well as key investments in our three state budgets: operating, capital and transportation.
My end of session mailer went out earlier this week so it should have reached mailboxes across the 10th district already. If you didn’t receive a hard copy or you would prefer to read it online, please click here or on the image below.
COMMUNICATIONS FREEZE
During an election year, there are certain restrictions on my communications to prevent the use of state resources for election purposes. One of these restrictions is a freeze on social media posts and e-newsletters like this one. Beginning May 4, 2026, you won’t receive another newsletter until after the general election in November. Watch my video below for more information on the Election Year Activity freeze.
Keep in mind that I am still working on your behalf through the freeze, so if you have questions or comments about legislative issues, please don’t hesitate to reach out through this web form. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
As always, it’s an honor to serve as your state representative.
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