Councilmember Nehring's June Newsletter

Snohomish County, Washington sent this bulletin at 06/01/2023 06:00 AM PDT

Dear North County Neighbors,

Update on ***Blake “*Fix”**

On Tuesday, May 16th, the Washington State Legislature passed a “fix” to the Blake Decision which ensures that deadly drugs such as meth, heroin, and fentanyl will continue to be outlawed in Washington State. By way of background, the Legislature adjourned their 2023 regular legislative session in April without passing a bill addressing the issue of drug possession. Without action during their special session, all drugs would have become legalized in Washington State after July 1, 2023.

The bill recently passed by the legislature makes drug possession a gross misdemeanor and also creates diversion programs for individuals suffering from drug addictions. The bill strikes a balance which, while not perfect by any means, does include the carrot-and-stick approach to the issue of drugs in our communities. There are many options for these individuals to avail themselves of treatment alternatives if they choose. But if they refuse to address their addiction in a meaningful way, the prosecutor will have the ability to charge them with a gross misdemeanor.

In The News

Local governments acting as state drug possession law to end | Snohomish Tribune, May 3

Inslee announces Special Session, County leadership split on illegal drug policy | Lynnwood Times, May 3

County to consider scheduling a Public Hearing on ordinance to re-criminalize illegal drugs | Lynnwood Times, May 1

RAP Program to hold Open House, receives ongoing funding | Lynnwood Times, May 26

I was thankful to see the legislature classify drug possession as a gross misdemeanor rather than a simple misdemeanor. When news broke that the legislature was getting close to an agreement on a bill, Councilmembers Sam Low, Jared Mead, and I signed a letter to our legislative delegation from Snohomish County expressing our support for the gross misdemeanor charge and encouraging them to include that in the final compromise.

In Snohomish County, we have been active in this conversation for months and were ready to act if the legislature did not. Councilmember Jared Mead and I jointly introduced an ordinance which would have made possession of drugs a gross misdemeanor at the county level. That ordinance became unnecessary following the state’s action.

Moving forward, implementation of this bill falls mostly to local governments. We will need to ensure that our prosecutors, courts, law enforcement, community partners, and treatment alternatives are equipped with the tools and resources they need to make meaningful progress on the issue of drugs. I am committed to working with my colleagues on the Council to make it happen.

Ride-Along with SCSO Office of Neighborhoods

Some of the most profound experiences I have had in my time on the Snohomish County Council have come from ride-alongs with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office. My experience on May 16th was no exception to that.

During my most recent ride-along, I joined the Sheriff’s Office of Neighborhoods (OON) Team, including social workers from our Human Services Department, in South Snohomish County to see firsthand what they are dealing with when it comes to drugs and addiction on our streets. What I saw was nothing short of tragic. The despair and suffering we witnessed during that shift put real faces on the issue of addiction and what it will take to address it. Multiple times, when we stopped and talked with addicted individuals, they said their biggest fear wasn't death from overdose but the pain of withdrawals if they did not get their next fix.

This was eye opening for me and helped me better understand the condition of these individuals on our streets. The deputies and social workers with the OON Team do a great job attempting to connect these individuals with treatment and a better way of life. It is clear to me that we are going to need a focused and intentional approach to detoxing these individuals and connecting them with treatment to make progress on this front. From what I heard during that ride-along, simply offering housing or services on a voluntary basis is going to make very little progress, as we have seen over the past couple years.

As always, I appreciate the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office and Human Services Department for taking the time with me and helping me to be a better-informed lawmaker.

Cascade Conference Panel

On Saturday, May 6th, I moderated a panel discussion at the Cascade Conference in Leavenworth focused on Building Bridges across the political divide. This panel brought together speakers to provide insights on finding common ground even with those across the political aisle that we do not always agree with.

Joining me on the panel were Senator John Braun, a republican who serves as the minority leader in the Washington State Senate, Rep. Christine Reeves, a democrat who serves in the State House of Representatives, and Elizabeth Doll, Director of Braver Politics with Braver Angels. The panelists shared their experience working with elected officials from all political backgrounds and ways that we can have a more productive discourse in politics. My biggest takeaway from the panel was the importance of talking to those who disagree with us and actively listening where our goal is to hear and understand the other side rather than just listening to respond or rebut the other side.

Building Bridges Event

Also last month, Councilmember Mead and I hosted the second event of our Building Bridges Tour. This event was held in Arlington at the Boys and Girls Club and we had over 60 community members join us for a discussion and interactive exercises focused on overcoming political polarization and promoting civil discourse in our communities.

We had conservative, liberal, and independent community members come together to share their thoughts on the causes of polarization, how we can address it, and work to understand the other side’s point of view. A common thread throughout the conversations was the importance of getting together face to face and getting to know each other, which makes it more difficult to demonize each other.

Thank you to everyone who attended and to our partners Braver Angels, Boys and Girls Clubs of Snohomish County, YMCA of Snohomish County, Sno-Isle Libraries, The Everett Herald, and Leadership Snohomish County.

Tour of Pregnancy Resource Clinic in Everett

On Monday, May 8th, Councilmember Low and I, along with our legislative aides, toured the Pregnancy Resource Clinic in Everett. The Pregnancy Resource Clinic provides services for women with unplanned pregnancies. Their services include pregnancy tests, ultrasound exams, consultations and next step options, STD testing, pregnancy and parenthood classes, as well as financial support for expecting mothers.

The staff did a great job explaining their approach with their clients and their goal of providing information so that women can make informed decisions with the support they need in order to best care for themselves and their unborn children. I appreciate the time the Clinic staff took to give us a tour and teach us more about the services they provide. For more information about their services, visit their website at https://optionsforpregnancy.com/.

National Water Safety Month

May is National Water Safety Month! National Water Safety Month is recognized to highlight the importance of importance of safety when in or around water. On May 3rd, the County Council adopted my resolution recognizing May 2023 as Water Safety Month in Snohomish County.

The resolution highlights the work the YMCA of Snohomish County does to educate and support families and children in the importance of being safe around water. The Y hosts many events and programs to do this including Operation Swim in partnership with the Coast Guard Auxiliary and local fire departments, group swim lessons for children, “Make a Splash” program, Safety Around Water program, and free swim lessons for ECEAP students.

I appreciate The Y’s commitment to water safety and encourage all families and individuals to be cautious around water especially in early summer when the weather is warm but our rivers and lakes are still very cold.

Public Works Awards

For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, the County Council was able to recognize some of our great Public Works employees in person. This annual tradition recognizes some of the most accomplished of our dedicated Public Works personnel.

At our May 16th Public Works and Infrastructure Committee meeting, we joined Executive Somers and the Public Works Department in recognizing April Lewis, Blair Marshall, Pam McCurdy, Robert Kennedy, and Rocky Ogden for their exemplary service to Snohomish County residents. Thank you to these five employees and our entire Public Works crew for keeping our roads, bridges, solid waste facilities, and other essential infrastructure safe for all of us!

Sno-Isle Libraries Board of Trustees Opening

The Sno-Isle Libraries Board of Trustees will be welcoming a new member in January of 2024.

A role on the Sno-Isle Libraries Board of Trustees allows individuals to help set the annual budget, library policies, and organizational direction for the library district. We look forward to bringing a candidate on board to support the Library District in achieving our vision that everyone in our community is connected to their library.

Applications are being accepted now through June 12.

Trade Mission to Norway

I had the opportunity to join Executive Somers, County staff, and business leaders throughout the Puget Sound region on a trade mission to Iceland and Norway. Highlights of the mission included several meetings with the aerospace sector on the subject of sustainable aviation fuels, meetings with government leaders on trade cooperation between regions, and a visit to the USS Gerald R. Ford (the world’s largest and most powerful warship which the U.S. Navy anchored in Oslo during our stay).

Snohomish County is leading the way on the future of aviation with the siting of a research and development facility for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) in coordination with WSU Everett. There was significant interest from business leaders in both countries on the innovative work happening in Snohomish County, which could result in our County being an international hub for sustainable aviation. Shoutout to Executive Somers, “A” Boungjaktha, and others at the County for their efforts to bring this to fruition in Snohomish County.

I send out monthly newsletters to keep you informed about what I am working on and how I am representing North Snohomish County on the County Council. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate in reaching out to me at Nate.Nehring@snoco.org or 425-512-4810.  

Sincerely,   

Nate Nehring 
Councilmember, District 1

Snohomish County Council

3000 Rockefeller Ave., M/S 609
Everett, Washington 98201

8th floor, Robert J. Drewel Building
Phone: 425-388-3494
E-Mail: Nate.Nehring@snoco.org

Russell Wiita, Legislative Aide