One week into State Legislature session, see what your representatives are doing

Though most government offices are closed tomorrow for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the State Legislature will be in session. This year is the “short session,” so legislators have two months to get everything done. Our area is part of the 34th Legislative District (here’s a map), represented by State Sen. Joe Nguyễn and State Reps. Joe Fitzgibbon and Emily Alvarado, all West Seattle residents, though the district stretches beyond, including White Center and Vashon and Maury Islands.

The delegation has notable clout this year, as Sen. Nguyễn is now vice chair of the Ways and Means Committee, which writes the budget, while Rep. Fitzgibbon is House Majority Leader; Alvarado is vice chair of the Housing and Local Government committees. You can keep track of what they’re doing in Olympia via the Legislature website, though it’s a somewhat daunting task – Sen. Nguyễn, for example, is sponsor or co-sponsor of 354 bills, including 21 for which he is the primary sponsor; for Rep. Fitzgibbon, those numbers are 171 and 18; for Rep. Alvarado, 123 and 15. You can use the lookups on this page to research bills in a variety of ways. Combing through the lists of bills, you’ll find a wide variety of topics; for example, Rep. Alvarado’s bills include renters’ rights (HB2114), pedestrians’ rights (HB1428), and gift-card reforms (HB2094). Most of the measures listing Rep. Fitzgibbon as the main sponsor are procedural because of his role. Sen. Nguyễn’s bills include establishing an AI task force (SB5838), reducing the drunk-driving threshold to .05 blood-alcohol level (SB5002), and lifting the state ban on local governments making gun laws (SB5446). To send a legislator a message, whether to support/oppose a specific bill or about something else, you can use the links on this page.

Thomas January 14, 2024 (11:04 pm)

I would encourage readers to look at HB1994 that Emily is supporting.

CAM January 15, 2024 (12:30 am)

Do you mean “Concerning judicial dismissal of a misdemeanor following completion of court-ordered conditions?” You are obviously asking people to look at this piece of legislation because you are excited that the government is prosecuting people committing misdemeanors, giving them consequences, supervising them for extended periods and making them jump through hoops, and then rewarding them when they do that by showing them that following the rules rather than breaking them has positive outcomes?
- Alki resident January 15, 2024 (8:10 am)
  
  Bill 1994, co-sponsored by Alvarado, will let criminals ask for diversion, and the decision will be made WITHOUT prosecutor input. Only the defense attorney will get input. This is scary. As we know, there is little to no accountability for diversion to date.
  - AD January 15, 2024 (12:40 pm)
    
    The statement that there is little to no accountability for diversion is absolutely false. Every diversion program this state requires an intense level of hoop-jumping and follow-though. Anyone who makes it though one of those programs deserves to have their record cleaned up afterwards. Only someone who is really committed to getting on track and can demonstrate that they are doing so can complete those programs. Don’t listen to Alki Resident; look up the requirements for yourself. Statistics are kept on outcomes as well. Why do you want to waste prosecutorial time stating the obvious? Completing the program alone is a very high benchmark.

Al King January 15, 2024 (9:16 am)

YES. Following the rules is what we expect. Committing crimes must ALWAY’S have REAL consequences and excuses are unacceptable. Knowing right from wrong shouldn’t be a foreign concept or only apply to “someone else”.

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