E-news updates from the Office of Gov. Jay Inslee

Inslee pushes for Office of Equity at African American Lobby Day

African American Lobby Day brought residents to the Capitol Monday to advocate for issues important to the black community. The event was organized by the Washington Christian Leaders Association, led by black church leaders from around the state.

Gov. Jay Inslee talked about his priority to create a state Office of Equity, which would support efforts to have state agencies consider diversity, equity and inclusion in their decision-making to reduce disparities in state government.

Inslee said he supports legislation by Rep. Melanie Morgan to ban race-based hair discrimination in Washington state. Already approved with bipartisan support in the House, if it clears the Senate, Washington would be just the fourth state to pass such a law. The proposal was spurred by reports around the country of individuals being punished in school or at work, or barred from events, for their hairstyle.

Washington's health care programs touted at Senior Citizens' Lobby Day

Gov. Inslee addressed health care and other policy issues important to older adults and those who advocate for them at Senior Citizens' Lobby Day this week.

Last year, the governor helped create the state's long-term care insurance program, which provides benefits up to $36,500 per person when they need assistance with taking care of themselves, help with necessary daily activities and with medications. Inslee also talked about Cascade Care, the first-in-the-nation public health benefit option provided by any state, which he helped create in 2019.

"Our state, once again, is leading when it comes to policies that help working families and provide security when it comes to their health care," Inslee said.

Inslee also addressed housing gaps in the state and ways to ensure the state's most vulnerable residents can live and age in stable, affordable housing. The governor has also put homelessness at the top of his agenda for the 2020 legislative session, making budget requests to construct new shelters, enhance current ones and provide supportive services to people with chronic conditions.

Governor tours innovative schools, businesses on Vancouver visit

Gov. Inslee spent Thursday in the Vancouver area seeing first-hand the creation and innovation going on at schools and businesses there.

The governor toured and cut the ribbon on  iTech Preparatory School's new building in Vancouver. The school is a grades 6 to 12, STEM-focused program created by Vancouver Public Schools on the campus of Washington State University - Vancouver. Students are provided high quality, career-connected learning and are chosen by lottery based on zip code to reflect the demographics of Vancouver.

"Washington is home to some of the country's greatest creators and innovators, and institutions like iTech will make our state home to many more," Inslee said.

Gov. Inslee also met and heard from interns who have benefitted from career-connected internship and career launch programs in southwest Washington. The listening session took place at SEH America, a leader in manufacturing silicon products for semiconductors.

The meeting included the Southwest Washington High Technology Council, which represents semiconductor industry employers in that region. The council estimates about 4,000 Clark County residents are employed in the industry.

Also while in Vancouver, the governor met with company leaders and investors at AbSci's newly expanded biotechnology lab.

AbSci is a growing biotechnology firm focused on engineering bacteria to produce life-saving therapeutics like insulin and other protein-based drugs.

In 2015, Inslee approved $200,000 from the governor's Strategic Reserve Fund to attract AbSci to Washington from Portland, Ore.

Inslee joins James Hardie Building Products to celebrate their expansion

Another business expansion Gov. Inslee celebrated this week was in Pierce County at James Hardie Building Products, a world leader in fiber cement technology.

The governor awarded the company $100,000 from the Strategic Reserve Fund in 2014. The expansion of their facilities in east Pierce County is the latest step in this global company's important role in Washington.

The new jobs created through these building expansions are just some of the more than 740,000 family-wage jobs in Washington that will need to be filled in just a few years.

Legislative Update: Another cutoff trims remaining bills to consider

Legislators had until Wednesday to pass policy legislation out of the house where it was introduced, and a number of a governor-request bills cleared the latest hurdle in the short 60-day legislative session.

A proposal to ban high capacity magazines for firearms in the state was not passed in either chamber by Wednesday, but on Thursday new legislation was introduced in the House Finance Committee that would ban high capacity magazines, among other provisions, including a buy-back program.

Governor-request legislation on zero-emission vehicles (SB 5811), carbon emissions from ridesharing services (HB 2310), and regulating greenhouse gas emissions based on the most up-to-date climate science (HB 2311), all remain active this session.

A proposed clean fuel standard, already passed by the House, is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy and Technology on Tuesday morning. The legislation would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation fuels in line with the state's established commitments to reduce carbon emissions.

Governor-request legislation to implement recommendations to improve state developmental disability service institutions was passed unanimously in the Senate and now goes to the House. The recommendations were made to the Legislature by the William D. Ruckelshaus Center, a joint project of the University of Washington and Washington State University.

Homeless families needing access to the Working Connections Child Care program could get help this session as well. Governor-request legislation that would extend the grace period for providing the required documentation to stay in the program from four months to 12 months was voted out of committee in the Senate Friday. The bill has already passed the House.

Also in the Senate is the House-approved version of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. It requires that domestic workers such as nannies, gardeners and house cleaners be paid the minimum wage and overtime, and be provided breaks for meals and rest. It also requires workers receive adequate notification prior to the termination of their employment and protects workers from employer retribution for exercising their rights.

The Legislature's next calendar cutoff is next Friday, Feb. 28, when policy bills must be passed out of committee. Fiscal and transportation bills must clear their committees by March 2. The 60-day session is scheduled to run through March 12.