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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
There is a lot to talk about in this email update. Believe it or not, we have already reached the halfway point of the 2021 legislative session. This coming Tuesday is the cutoff for considering any bills originating in the House. We have been debating and voting on bills for the last two weeks and some very troubling legislation has passed. However, as always, I first want to thank you for allowing me to serve you. Please continue to reach out and share your input. I love hearing from you.
Open Safe, Open Now – Republicans Offer Phase 3 Reopening Plan
How long has it been since the governor shared his roadmap for reopening our state? It has been more than two months and he still hasn’t offered any kind of plan for Phase 3. Families and small businesses are hurting, and they want answers. People want to get back to work and kids desperately want to go back to school.
House Republicans offered an amazing budget proposal a few weeks ago that offers real solutions for Washingtonians. This budget funds our priorities and safety net for the vulnerable without raising taxes. You can learn more about this budget and what it would do by clicking on the image below:
This week, we introduced our Phase 3 reopening plan. One again, we offer real solutions to get our state safely opened up and back to work.
Our Phase 3 plan would take effect immediately and it would return kids to the classroom for in-person instruction. The hospitality industry (restaurants, bars, gyms, movie theaters, libraries), indoor weddings and religious services, and professional services would also be allowed to open to 50% capacity.
It is time:
- For the Legislature to lead and make policy decisions.
- To get students back to school, sports, and activities.
- To get people back to work.
- To help those in crisis, including students, families, and businesses.
- To end the isolation of our children and seniors.
- To understand the larger context of public health – including mental health.
- To trust Washingtonians with their health and safety.
Click here to see our entire plan.
Limiting Executive Power
Another issue that goes hand-in-hand with the Republican reopening plan is the governor’s executive power. We are very concerned with the governor’s executive orders that remain in place. If these wide-ranging proclamations are still in effect when the Legislature leaves session, we may never be able to limit the governor’s power or these orders. As state lawmakers, it’s our job to write the law and that is what we should be doing this session. Washington is ready to move forward now.
While there are many businesses and families still struggling, our state is no longer experiencing a health emergency according to the data. It’s the Legislature’s responsibility to address the recovery plan, including creating the policies that will help our economy recover. We must continue pushing for limitations on the governor’s executive power.
Police Reform
Police reform has been a huge topic since the many protests and riots began over the summer, and it remains front and center this session. The vast majority of our law enforcement officers are honorable men and women who got into the profession to help people. They are our neighbors. Is there room for improvement in practices and training? Of course. Can we work on rebuilding trust? Absolutely. But, as always, we need balance and wisdom.
Unfortunately, despite united Republican opposition, the majority party recently passed House Bills 1054 and 1267. These two bills would mean officers have fewer tools at their disposal to fight crime and our communities will not be as safe. The more tools we allow our officers to use, the more they will be able to de-escalate and avoid the use of lethal force. These bills now head to the Senate, where we will continue fighting against them.
Low-Carbon Fuel Standard Passes the House Last, but certainly not least, is the low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) bill, which unfortunately passed out of the House over the weekend. We debated for more than five hours and Republicans offered close to two dozen amendments. However, the majority party only accepted three of those amendments. Ultimately House Bill 1091 passed, but five Democrats, including the House majority leader, voted no with all 41 Republicans. Click on the image below to watch my floor speech on HB 1091.
Democrats have been trying to pass this legislation for several sessions, but this is not good policy. LCFS is regressive and it will hurt the people who are already struggling the most: low-income individuals and families. Additionally, it hurts businesses, especially those industries that use diesel as a fuel source such as farming and transportation, and it will not produce any measurable benefit to air quality.
The bill would also increase the cost of gas for consumers by 57 cents a gallon and diesel by 63 cents a gallon, but none of that additional revenue would be used for transportation projects.
If our goal is to reduce carbon, then House Bill 1091 is not the right policy. Oregon, California, and British Columbia have all adopted policies like the clean fuel standard. The costs per metric ton of reducing CO2 in Oregon is $150, in California it’s $200, and in British Columbia it is $225.
Seattle City Light has a program to reduce carbon emissions by $7 per metric ton, Bonneville Environmental Foundation can do it for $10 per metric ton. California private sector folks can do it for $18 per metric ton. Let’s be smart here. We can have a healthy economy and a healthy environment.
House Republicans will continue to oppose this bill.
Register for Our Virtual Town Hall Meeting
I will be joining my fellow legislators from the 25th District, Sen. Chris Gildon and Rep. Kelly Chambers, for a virtual town hall meeting on Saturday, March 20, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
The meeting can only accommodate the first 500 attendees, so participants should register early. You can register by clicking here.
You Can Still Make Your Voice Heard
If you want to participate in this remote session, there is still time to have your voice heard. You can testify on any bill from anywhere you have internet access. I encourage you to do so! Use these links to sign up to testify remotely:
Stay Connected with the Legislature
You can stay up to date with all the work happening in the Legislature. Here are some links that will help:
My legislative website | Here you will find my contact information, bio, news releases, email updates, videos, opinion pieces, bills, and other information.
The Capitol Buzz | A weekday roundup of online news stories. Click on the link to subscribe.
The Current | An online legislative publication from the Washington House Republicans. Click on the link to subscribe.
TVW | The state’s own version of C-SPAN, TVW broadcasts floor and committee action live online.
The Ledger| A legislative news aggregator.
Legislature’s website | Here you can find bill reports, committee agendas, and information about upcoming activities in the Legislature here.
State agencies | You can find a list of all state agencies, boards, and commissions here.
Tracking a Bill|Click here to find information on specific bills. In addition, when you visit my website you can easily view the legislation I’m sponsoring or co-sponsoring by clicking “Sponsored Bills.”
Thank You and Please Reach Out
As your state representative, I value your input and I’m here to represent the people of the 25th District. Please continue reaching out to me with your questions, ideas, or concerns. My door is always open and I’m here to listen. You can connect with me via email, phone, or Zoom. Thank you for allowing me to serve you.
It’s an honor,
Sincerely,
Cyndy Jacobsen
