Home | About Cyndy | News & Media | Email Updates | The Ledger | Contact
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope you and your family are having a great week!
We’ve passed a major legislative deadline. Most House bills, except certain budget bills, had to be voted out of committees early this week.
We will now be voting on the House floor through early next week. These are busy days that sometimes go late into the night, as the entire House debates on the state policy implications of each bill brought for a vote.
I will continue advocating for everyone in the 25th District, including efforts to make our state more affordable, protect our children, and keep our communities safe.
Thank you for your visits
This legislative session, I’ve met with many people and groups from the 25th District. Among them are firefighters, members of the Central Pierce Fire and Rescue team, and administrators from the Washington State Medical Association.
I really appreciate hearing your perspectives and learning what you need from the state.
Thank you all for taking the time to come to Olympia!
Our state must prioritize public safety
I recently spoke with KVI radio’s Ari Hoffman about how too many public safety issues are stalling in Olympia.
Unfortunately, the majority party isn’t prioritizing bills to hold offenders accountable, protect children, and clean up encampments.
These issues are vitally important. We need to look at our priorities and take care of all Washingtonians.
- This week, I spoke on the House floor to oppose House Bill 1574, which expands legal protections for drug users at the expense of investing in treatment and recovery programs. The bill:
- Changes the state preemption regulating drug paraphernalia, forcing local governments to follow a one-size-fits-all approach dictated by the state; and
- Prevents law enforcement from taking necessary action in overdose situations.
This is the wrong direction. Enabling addicts endangers them and the people around them.
Real solutions to substance abuse require treatment, intervention, and accountability.
- I also spoke out against House Bill 1604, which will force female corrections officers to conduct strip searches on biological male inmates.
I’ve heard from officers who are very concerned about this bill but feel they cannot speak out for fear of losing their jobs.
This is common sense. Women should not be forced to perform an invasive strip search on someone of the opposite sex. Female corrections officers should have the right to be protected in what is already a dangerous profession.
- Finally, House Bill 2146, which I sponsored after talking with Pierce County deputy prosecutors, unanimously passed the Community Safety Committee but did not move out of the Appropriations Committee.
The bill would have closed a gap in current law by making it a class B felony to cause a minor child to view sexually explicit conduct and then record or livestream the child’s reaction.
Unfortunately, this really does happen. People engage in terrible behavior in front of a child and put it out on the internet.
Pierce County deputy prosecutors told me that, under current law, they can only charge perpetrators with a misdemeanor in many cases.
Although my bill will not pass this legislative session, I will continue to fight to protect all our children.
Thank you for taking the time to read my legislative update!
Please feel free to contact me — or visit if you are in Olympia during the session.
Sincerely,
Cyndy Jacobsen
