Legislative Victories

2023 Session

• HB 1247: Making music therapy a licensed profession in Washington State. This policy change, which I was proud to work on with a local coalition of music therapists (the 36th LD has more music therapists than anywhere else in the state), means that children, veterans, and seniors can have greater access to this lifesaving therapy, and can know they are in the hands of a trained professional.

• HB 1319: Supporting drivers license reexamination when pedestrians or cyclists are seriously injured. This bill synchs the vehicular homicide statute with the Cooper Jones Act, and makes it clear that a law enforcement officer must report the identity of a driver involved in a collision causing “serious bodily harm” to the Department of Licensing, so that the driver can be retested before they go back on the road.

• HB 1575: Allowing county councils to raise a small sales tax to fund free access to arts, heritage, and science programs in our communities. In 2023, the King County Council used this new legislative authority to create Doors Open King County, which will generate $90 million/year for to better reach youth, seniors and at-risk populations, and to partner with public schools to bring science, heritage, and arts programming to students. As a kid, free access to the arts saved my life. I can’t wait to see what this funding will allow our state to create, invent, and discover.

• HB 1289: Ensuring the long-term operation of the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship (WSOS). This is a critical scholarship which provides opportunities for low- and middle-income students to pursue bachelor’s degrees in science, engineering, math, and health care. With the nonprofit sector still trying to recover from the pandemic, WSOS has struggled to find a nonprofit partner to manage and implement the program. This scholarship is too critical to risk, so HB 1289 ensures that there will always be implementation support for this program and the students they serve.

2024 Session

• HB 2022: Setting new standards for construction crane safety. This bill establishes best in the nation requirements for the assembly and disassembly of construction cranes — which are found all over our district. I was honored to work on this with Henry Wong and Andrea Wang, the parents of Sarah Pantip Wong, one of the four victims of the 2019 South Lake Union crane collapse. All four of the deaths in the 2019 collapse were preventable, and the goal of this legislation is to ensure that nothing like that tragedy can happen again.

• HB 2025: Expanding access to “near peer” mentors for Washington State high schoolers transitioning to college. This bill makes it easier and less expensive for colleges and nonprofits to deploy college students receiving federal work-study funding to serve in roles as “near peer” mentors to high school students looking to make the leap to higher education. Research shows that having a trusted mentor, especially one from their own community and background, is one of the most important tools in ensuring a high schooler completes the steps necessary to transition to college. But far too few students have access to these resources in schools. HB 2025 aims to grow the pool of college students who can serve in these critical roles, helping to better support college transitions for all.

Budget Victories

Supporting the Arts, Science, Heritage, and the Creative Economy 

• $750,000 for improvements to the Seattle Children’s Theatre  

• $1.2 million for accessibility upgrades for the Seattle Repertory Theater   

• $500,000 for renovations to SIFF Cinema Uptown   

• $258,000 for the National Nordic Museum east garden project  

• $350,000 for Path with Arts’ work to provide therapeutic support to individuals experiencing homelessness and trauma

• $125,000 to expand Woodland Park Zoo’s NaturePlay education curriculum statewide

• $150,000 to support Creative Economy workforce development cohort for the Bumbershoot Arts Festival

Keeping our region moving

• $5 million for monorail improvements 

• $4 million for North Aurora Safety Improvements to create a more walkable, bikeable, and rideable Aurora Avenue

• $6.5 million for King County Metro projects — including $500,000 for a pilot to provide human services response teams on bus routes to improve safety

• $1.6 million for the Ballard-based Seattle Maritime Academy to train the next generation of ferry workers  

• $200,000 for the City of Seattle’s Office of Planning and Community Development to conduct an I-5 lid feasibility study  

Helping our maritime economy thrive

• $250,000 to replace the Sea Scout dock at Waterway 18 in Portage Bay.  

• $200,000 for the Sailors Union of the Pacific for workforce grants for low-income sailors. This helps to remove barriers to jobs that pay a family sustaining wage.  

• $1.5 million for ferry replacement and electrification.

• $16.9 million for ferry workforce development and hiring improvements

• $14 million for shore power pilots for the Northwest Seaport Alliance, helping to reduce emissions impact for neighborhoods near port and cruise terminals