Director's Corner
It seems like on a daily basis we ask ourselves in complete incredulousness how it’s already so far into the year. So in our daily tradition: How is it ALREADY April??
Session comes to a close (hopefully!) by the end of the month. We’ve watched the House of Representatives pass an unprecedented amount of legislation out of their chamber and we wait to see how much goes through the Senate. Take a look at our legislative tracker to see what we’re hoping passes out of this legislative process!
As session comes to a wrap, we’re anxiously awaiting the final budget. On Thursday we learned that the Senate did not fund us fully. However, we are not weary. Will we have successfully doubled our budget and staffing? We’ll see; tune in next month for an update. And remember to keep your fingers crossed!
María Sigüenza
Rep. Ramos currently serves as chair of the State Government & Tribal Relations Committee, on the Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry Committee and on the Transportation Committee. He fought for local transportation fixes, including reconstruction of the I-90 interchange and the widening of State Route 18.
Rep. Ramos has also championed bipartisan legislation on urban forestry and carbon sequestration to protecting our environment and working to reduce light pollution on Lake Sammamish to protect our early life stage and kokanee salmon.
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Rep. Simmons will fight for everyone in our community, because she knows that each and every one of us has immense potential. Having survived poverty, violence, trauma, substance use disorder and incarceration, she knows that sometimes all it takes is a helping hand and a second chance for someone to flourish.
As a member of the Public Safety, Civil Rights & Judiciary, and Healthcare & Wellness committees, Tarra brings that lived experience to Olympia where she fights to reduce incarceration, increase access to behavioral and mental health, and ease re-entry of formerly incarcerated people back into society.
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Rep. Reeves is a working mom who understands the balance between working hard to succeed and raising a family. That’s why she is a strong advocate for working families, raising the middle class, and providing opportunities for those who sacrifice for their communities.
She is the Director of Economic Development for the Military and Defense sector for the state of Washington.
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Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, has made her life in the Mid-Columbia region, and is proud to represent the people of the 15th Legislative District.
Elected to the state Senate in 2022, Torres is a longtime community leader dedicated to the progress of agriculture, economic development, education, the leading-edge technologies under development at Hanford, and the advancement of the diverse communities and populations of the Yakima Valley and the greater Tri-Cities area.
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Sen. Javier Valdez is the proud son and grandson of farmworkers and laborers. A product of public education, Javier holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Washington and a master’s degree in public administration from Baruch College, the City University of New York, as a participant in the National Urban Fellows program.
A longtime leader in Washington’s Democratic Party, Javier serves on the Washington State Democratic Party Executive Board. Javier is also former chair of both the 43rd and 46th District Democratic Party organizations. He is vice chair of the State Government & Elections Committee and also serves on the Law & Justice and Transportation committees.
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Masking requirements in healthcare, long-term care, and correctional facilities to end April 3
COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continue downward trend nationwide
Effective April 3, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) will end the Secretary of Health Mask Order, which currently requires universal masking in healthcare, long-term care, and adult correctional facilities for people age 5 and older.
In Washington, COVID-19, RSV, and influenza disease rates and hospitalizations have continued to decline since the end of last year. The end of Washington’s universal masking requirements aligns with similar announcement made today by the state of Oregon.
“Masks have been – and will continue to be – an important tool, along with vaccinations, to keep people healthy and safe,” said Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, Secretary of Health. “We are thankful for our health and long-term care providers, staff members, patients, and all Washingtonians, for following the important public health measures put in place during the pandemic to protect one another.”
 Financial Aid Awareness Initiatives
Innovative Initiatives Aim to Increase Financial Aid Awareness and Access for Washington Students
The state of Washington has some of the strongest financial aid programs in the country. Yet Washington historically ranks near the bottom in rates of financial aid application completion nationally. The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) is leading efforts to address this challenge by increasing awareness of financial aid and improving access to postsecondary attainment in Washington.
As outlined in the agency’s recent brief Knowledge is Power: Ongoing Efforts to Increase Financial Aid Awareness and Access for Washington Students, WSAC leads a variety of initiatives to engage students, families and educators across the state, with a particular focus on increasing equity by reaching communities of color and students from low-income families.
“It’s an exciting time to be involved in this work and to be connecting with so many committed partners,” said Sarah Weiss, Director of College Access Initiatives at WSAC. “We’re able to innovate and try new things while building on the strong foundation of our existing programs.”
For example, the OtterBot texting tool is designed to help Washington high school students in the College Bound Scholarship program navigate the financial aid and college application processes. OtterBot was first launched in 2019 and will soon begin engaging with parents, who are instrumental in supporting students as they apply.
As in other states, Washington’s financial aid application rates got even worse during the COVID-19 pandemic, as fewer students enrolled in postsecondary education and training.
 What Is Autism?
Autism Spectrum Disorders are a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant challenges in communication, behavior and social interactions. Typically appearing within the first three years of life, autism affects each individual differently. Early screening, diagnosis, and services are essential to get the best results for children with autism.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that on average 1 in every 44 children has an autism spectrum disorder.
- It is estimated that between 23,000 and 48,000 children in Washington State have some form of autism
Hispanic Children Less Often Diagnosed With Autism, CDC Says
Hispanic children are diagnosed with autism less often than white non-Hispanic children, in part because of language barriers, cultural differences and lack of awareness in the Latino community, according to experts in behavioral health.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said autism is 1.6 times less likely to be diagnosed among Hispanic children compared with their white counterparts, and 1.9 times less likely than black kids.
Read More.
Information on Autism Spectrum Disorder for Families
If you think your child might have an ASD or you think there could be a problem with the way your child plays, learns, speaks, or acts, contact your child’s doctor as soon as possible, and share your concerns.
Initiative will fund health-related projects in three Washington communities
OLYMPIA – Where you live can directly impact your health. Some Washington communities have lower life expectancies, struggle with air pollution and other environmental concerns, or have fewer doctors or medical facilities. To help people facing health barriers, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is proud to announce nominations are now open for the state’s new Health Equity Zones (HEZ) initiative. HEZ gives people an opportunity to share their ideas and create a model for collaborative solutions.
“This is an exciting new opportunity to create health programs led by community from the very beginning,” said Lacy Fehrenbach, Chief of Prevention, Safety, and Health. “People who live in under-resourced communities know best what is needed to improve health in their area. Health Equity Zones are a way to tap into that local knowledge and design lasting solutions.”
The HEZ initiative, created by the Washington legislature in 2021, will pilot community-led projects in three different “zones” – rural, urban, and Native communities – aiming to address each area’s most pressing health issues.
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Outdoor workers would gain increased protection from heat exposure in proposed rule update
A new proposal this week to update Washington’s permanent heat rules would increase protections for agricultural, construction, and other workers exposed to dangerous outdoor temperatures on the job.
The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) filed the proposed update to the permanent heat rule on Tuesday, officially kicking off the formal process for public input.
Washington’s existing rules already require employers to have an outdoor heat exposure safety program with training, make sure each worker has ready access to at least one quart of suitable drinking water per hour, and provide an appropriate response to workers who are experiencing heat-related illness symptoms. The proposed changes address the need for more preventative measures in the rules. Preventing workers from overheating reduces the risk of heat-related illness and also traumatic injuries like falling from ladders.
Eye issues in the Hispanic/Latinx communities in the United States are among the highest in the country, with most people experiencing glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy as they get older.
Eye diseases are becoming more common in this demographic, outpacing the development of the same conditions in the general population. Many people with these conditions do not seek help, which is often a result of many socioeconomic factors.
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The Needs of Farmworkers
“The Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) is a non-partisan agency that conducts public policy research at the request of the state legislature.
As part of the 2022 Supplemental Session, WSIPP directed to carry out a statewide survey of farmworkers working in all types of farm employment to assess the needs of the community. The survey will focus on topics such as health and safety in the workplace, payment of wages, access to government services, wage and hour laws, and harassment and discrimination for asserting rights. Additionally, we will be examining state-provided services to the farmworker community and assessing whether greater collaboration between state agencies would be beneficial.
We are currently meeting with Latino/community-led non-profit organizations throughout the state to learn about farm work and farmworker experiences. We want to partner with many similar organizations for both the survey design and the eventual rollout of the survey in farmworker communities. Ultimately, we plan to contract with many of these organizations to go into their communities and conduct the survey interviews, with compensation for time and travel provided to both surveyors and respondents. We know that this study will benefit from including the contributions of as many voices as possible and hope to continue outreach throughout the entire study process.
We will be continuing to lay the groundwork for the study throughout 2023, reaching out to organizations, reviewing existing studies of farmworkers, and drafting the survey itself. We plan to administer the survey during March through October of 2024 to cover most of the major growing and harvesting period in Washington. The final report will be released in June of 2025.
Those interested in additional information or participating in the study design and implementation process are encouraged to reach out to Cory Briar at cory.briar@wsipp.wa.gov”
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