The simple act of voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. While Americans universally celebrate the right to vote in principle, our nation’s history has been marked by intense struggles to expand access to voting for groups that have been excluded from this basic feature of citizenship: women, African-Americans, young people, and immigrants. We should never take the right to vote for granted, when so many have fought so hard to make sure that it is a right that is protected for all Americans.

Voters in the November 2024 election will choose our nation’s congressional representatives, state legislators, and local elected officials and vote on several important state propositions.

The winning presidential candidate will have enormous power to affect our nation’s domestic and international policies, and will be in charge of running the federal government. This includes the power to appoint cabinet members and to nominate judges for the United States Supreme Court, and judges to the lower federal courts, all of which require Senate approval.

While most people are focused on the upcoming presidential election, your vote is also very important in deciding who will run your state and local government. Voters will be choosing members of the U.S. Congress and the WA State Legislature to represent our state and national legislatures. Decisions concerning essential everyday government services – including our schools, police, fire departments, and parks & recreation – will be made by our city councils, mayors, and school boards in local elections. These elections are nonpartisan and often are decided by a few hundred votes.

Watch video Why is My Vote Important 

Since October 2023, I've focused my outreach efforts primarily on five of the eight counties in Southeastern Washington: Adams, Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, and Whitman. These counties have larger Latino populations compared to Asotin, Columbia, and Garfield.

Recently, I traveled to Asotin County, which has a population of just over 22,000, including about 1,000 Latinos. During a day trip to Clarkston, WA, I visited several locations to understand where Latinos might gather. My stops included the Asotin County Food Bank, Asotin County Library, a couple of Mexican restaurants, and and local Catholic Church and School.

During my visit it was clear that there weren’t obvious spaces for Latino community members to congregate; that is, there weren’t community organizations, spaces, or even stores. The public library had a bulletin board listing upcoming events, and I plan to follow up with them. I also intend to visit Columbia and Garfield counties later this month.

The following week, I participated in a listening session in Othello, WA, in Adams County, organized by Unidos Nueva Alianza. The session focused on the community's concerns regarding COVID-19 and health. I surveyed the attendees, who expressed worries about rising costs of rent, food, and gasoline. Although they appreciated the available work, many felt that their farm labor wages weren't sufficient to keep up with inflation. These stories are so important and will help the Commission inform state policy.

You might already know the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides free, confidential support to people having thoughts of suicide or another mental health crisis.

But did you know the 988 Lifeline offers a specialized support line for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and two-spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) teens and young adults?

This line is called the LGBTQI+ Subnetwork. It connects LGBTQIA2S+ people to crisis counselors who provide compassionate and affirming care tailored to their needs.

The Subnetwork provides a human connection to someone who understands LGBTQIA2S+ identity and offers a safe place to share distress. Youth who have used this line say it really makes a difference. Read more.

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) wants everyone to live their healthiest lives. This week DOH, alongside several partners from across the state, launched "Be Well WA," an initiative that empowers everyone to take simple steps to achieve their optimal health and well-being.

“We want individuals to reimagine what wellness looks like,” said Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, Secretary of Health. “Often health and wellness can feel overwhelming, especially keeping up with societies’ demands. However, we know small, everyday actions can lead to big improvements in the long-term when it comes to health.” 

As we move past the pandemic, many still struggle with health and well-being challenges that may have amplified over the last several years. As a direct response to feedback heard by the communities in the state, “Be Well WA” was born. “Be Well WA” promotes four holistic pillars of health: Read more.

The Department of Commerce today announced the Washington Families Clean Energy Credits grant program. This program provides a $200 energy bill credit to eligible electricity customers across Washington and is funded by the state’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA).

“We are committed to ensuring that the benefits of the state’s clean energy transition reach everyone, especially those most burdened by energy costs,” said Gov. Jay Inslee, who joined Commerce Director Mike Fong and others today for the announcement in Seattle. “The Climate Commitment Act is helping thousands of low-income families and communities reduce their home energy costs through things like weatherization, heat pumps and solar installations. While we continue to make those tools available for more people, this credit offers an immediate benefit. ”More than 675,000 low- to moderate-income electric utility customers throughout Washington state, or approximately 20% of all residential customers, are eligible for this program.

How it works

Utilities across the state will distribute a one-time $200 bill credit directly into eligible customer accounts by September 15, 2024. Credits will be applied automatically to certain customer accounts, and other customers will need to apply. Each utility may have slightly different criteria and processes.

Apply with your utility. Anyone can go to https://wacleanenergycredits.com and see if they qualify for the $200 credit. You’ll need to know the name of your utility and your account number. If you qualify, the easy automated system will walk you through the rest of the process to get your credit. View a video tutorial (YouTube) Read more.

Our communities need behavioral health professionals more than ever – so we’re happy to see the Washington State Health Care Authority putting a spotlight on careers in mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support.

These career paths offer lots of entry points and opportunities for growth! Visit startyourpath.org to explore, hear from those making a difference in their communities, and check out the30-second quiz that makes it quick and easy to see which roles align with personal interests and lived experience! Questions? Contact HCAHealthworkforce@hca.wa.gov

Your whole family can learn about water conservation together. The web has a wealth of free learning materials for kids of all ages. Spend some quality time with the kids in your life, learn some new things, and have some fun — all at the same time. And along the way, understand more about the importance of water conservation and what you can do to save water.

Check out the Water Use It Wisely web pages. You will find interactive and downloadable games. You can go to the Tip Tank and learn water saving tips using a memory game of matching pictures (you may know the game as “Concentration”). Discover the role of water in peoples' lives: Spin the earth to select a topic (for example, the water cycle, watersheds, using water wisely.) Then for each topic, there are games, quizzes, and a video, plus other learning tools. Or have some fun testing your skill at saving raindrops, working against the clock.Learn more!

How to Love the Islands Like a Local

Things change when you're on island time. Priorities re-sort. We value a slow pace here and invite you to "Love It Like a Local" - treating the San Juans with the same care and respect as you would your own backyard. It's an environment we all cherish and want to protect, and we encourage you to embrace island time while caring for one another and nature itself. 

Loving the Islands like a local can mean many things — bringing a reusable water bottle, joining a work party or other volunteer event, driving carefully on narrow island roads, and everything in between. The beauty of the Islands is meant to be shared and locals urge you to learn the history of this special place so we can work together to ensure it endures. Here are a few ways to help preserve the qualities that make this place special and enjoy a better visit in the process. Learn more about: Planning ahead, Conserve Water, Thread lightly and more to Love the Island like a local!