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First Term Key Accomplishments

(2021 & 2022 Legislative Sessions)

Bills that I prime sponsored passed by the Legislature and were signed into law

  • HB 1383 – Concerning respiratory care practitioners

  • HB 1425 – Expanding scholarships for community and technical college students

  • HB 1514 – Addressing transportation demand management

  • HB 1773 – Concerning assisted outpatient treatment for persons with behavioral health disorders

  • HB 1980 – Removing the prohibition on providing employment services and community access services concurrently for individuals with developmental disabilities

  • HB 2008 – Eliminating the use of intelligence quotient scores in determining eligibility for programs and services for individuals with developmental disabilities

 Provisos (budget requests) that I prime sponsored funded in the 2021 and 2022 Budgets

Public Safety Continuum:​

  • $ 11M to fund District and Municipal court therapeutic interventions for drug-related crimes and other misdemeanors.

  • $ 2.8M to fund youth violence prevention hubs in South King County with planning grants for Yakima, Pierce County, and the Vancouver metro area.

  • $ 1.25M to expand civil legal services for victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

  • $ 584K to expand Dispute Resolution Center BIPOC-led mediations and other culturally-responsive services.

  • $ 500K to establish a planning grant and demonstration project for de-escalators/crisis responders on King County Metro Transit routes in South King County.

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Economic Development

  • $ 700K to Federal Way Chamber of Commerce for small business development and engagement of BIPOC, veteran and women-owned business in the Greater Federal Way area

  • $ 350K to expand culturally-responsive driver education, community engagement and leadership program to refugee and immigrant residents.

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Capital Budget:

  • $ 3M seed funding to Multi-Service Center to renovate transit-oriented housing near Redondo Heights light rail station.

  • $ 2.5M seed funding to RI International for a South King County Crisis Receiving Center project in Federal Way.

  • $ 1.25M seed funding to El Centro de la Raza seeks to redevelop the culturally significant Pattison’s West Roller-skate venue and expand the space to operate as a cohesive campus integrating a small businesses development center & open a retail space; providing youth re-engagement programs, expanding senior/elder-care services, and establishing an open-air community gathering space.

Legislative Leadership Roles

  • Chair, Legislative Black Caucus

  • Vice Chair, Housing, Human Services & Veterans Committee

  • House Liaison, North Star Project (Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Advocacy)

  • Member, House Leadership Team in Response to the Blake Decision

  • Member, Community & Economic Development Committee

  • Member, Transportation Committee

  • Appointee, Washington State Women’s Commission

LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP ACHIEVEMENTS

Legislative Black Caucus

  • As Chair of the LBC, I led a coordinated effort to support the priority bills and budget provisos proposed by LBC members. In 2021, we successfully advocated for a package of bills that work together to establish clear expectations for officer behavior; set a baseline for the acceptable use of force, tactics and equipment; and put systems of accountability and transparency in place. In 2022, we addressed a series of health wellness and access bills, including funding to establish the African American Health Board and the Harriet Tubman Community Health Center.  The LBC wins also include expanded access to: (1) renter protections and rental/utility assistance; (2) College-Bound scholarship opportunities; (3) the working families tax credit; (4) school lunch without co-pays; (5) diversity, equity and inclusion training for school staff and other industries; (6) affordable childcare options; and (7) more inclusive economic recovery options for BIPOC-owned small businesses. Another key win in 2022 was the establishment of the Community Reinvestment Account that deploys $200 million into communities hardest hit by harmful drug policies of the past.  Grants funds will go to “by and for” community-based organizations for economic development and programs to address wealth disparities; civil and criminal legal assistance to provide post-conviction relief; community-based violence intervention and prevention services; and reentry services.

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North Star Advocacy

  • In 2022, I led a coordinated, bipartisan effort to pass key developmental disability-related bills and secured funding to provide school-to-work transition services; expand supportive housing options; boost rates for community engagement providers; increase efforts to address racial and ethnic disparities impacting access to services; and expand benefits planning training for attorneys and other professionals to help individuals keep their public benefits while working. This advocacy resulted in nearly $100 million in resources to support the developmental disability community.

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