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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We are past the halfway point of the legislative session, and the pace has picked up. Over the past two weeks, the House passed more than 200 bills (including my first!), and there are still many more to consider.
Tomorrow is “House of Origin Cutoff,” which means it's the last day for House bills to pass out of the House or they're likely dead for the year. To view a list of bills House Republicans are tracking, click here.
My first bill passes unanimously in the House
Last Monday, House Bill 1316 was approved unanimously in the House with a 97-0
vote. The bill seeks to prevent abuse of the elderly by amending the law to ensure vulnerable adults are protected by temporary protection orders. Under current law, they are not protected by such orders, which is a tragic oversight.
My bill would require a police officer to make an arrest when the officer has probable cause to believe there has been a violation of temporary protection orders relating to vulnerable adults. It is a critical step in preventing abuse of the elderly, and I was happy to see it pass out of the House unanimously. The proposal now goes to the Senate for further consideration in the Senate.
You can watch my floor speech on House Bill 1316 here.
Telephone town hall Thursday night
I'm excited to be hosting a telephone town hall this Thursday night with my fellow 25th District Rep. Hans Zeiger. The call begins at 6 p.m. and will last one hour. You can join the community conversation by calling (253) 561-0087. You'll have the opportunity to listen in, ask questions and take part in instant polls. I look forward to speaking with you on Thursday!
Latest revenue forecast released
The state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council recently released its latest revenue forecast for Washington state. Revenues for the 2015-17 biennium increased by $129 million, on top of the $3 billion in additional revenue the state will see from the last budget. This is great news, as the Legislature has several major budgetary obligations it must meet this session. Chief among them, of course, is education.
Video update
In my latest video update, I discuss passing my first bill, House Bill 1316. I also discuss four important bills we pulled out of the House Rules Committee, as well as the passionate debate on the bill that would increase the minimum wage to $12/hour. Take a look!
Contacting me
Please continue to keep the phone calls and emails coming through the second half of the session. If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. My email address is melanie.stambaugh@leg.wa.gov, and my phone number is (360) 786-7948. It is an honor to serve you.
Sincerely,
Melanie Stambaugh