The 2019 legislative session starts today, and Democrats in Olympia will have the largest and most progressive majority since 2010. After years of hard-fought campaigns to elect a new generation of leaders that will put Washington families first, we’re ready to push the envelope with a bold legislative agenda and show the nation what progressive leadership looks like.
From right: Sen. Emily Randall, Sen. Manka Dhingra, Sen. Claire Wilson, and Sen. Mona Das, all newly elected in the past 15 months
Unfortunately, Republicans and corporate lobbyists will fight tooth and nail to block our priorities. It will take thousands of activists like you standing together and making your voice heard for us to win. Here are the issues at the top of our legislative agenda based on responses to our member survey and conversations with partners and legislators:
Fighting Climate Change
This was by far the number one priority of Fuse members in our recent survey. We will work with our partners to move Washington to 100 percent clean electricity by 2045 and fight the devastating impacts of climate change.
Balancing Our Tax Code
Our upside-down tax code is the worst in the nation and it hampers our ability to fund many innovative progressive policies. We will work to enact a capital gains tax on the sale of stocks and bonds and pass the Working Families Tax Credit. Together, these will help make the wealthy pay their share, reduce taxes for low-income families, and enable legislators to take bold action on other important legislation like public health care, affordable housing, and investments in clean energy.
Protecting Immigrants and Refugees
We support the Keep Washington Working Act to protect immigrants and expand their rights to a safe and healthy workplace. This is a critical step to protect our communities in the face of relentless attacks from the Trump administration.
There are several other crucial issues that offer great opportunities to strengthen our communities and protect our families in Washington. We will elevate and support the work of our partners to help drive these issues forward:
Expanding Health Care Access
We support Governor Jay Inslee’s proposal for a public health care option and will look for other ways to move toward a Medicare-for-all style health care system in Washington.
Reforming the Criminal Justice System
While progress has been made recently on marijuana convictions, there’s still much work to do to ensure equal justice under law and to help formerly incarcerated individuals rebuild their lives.
Expanding Affordable Housing and Reducing Homelessness
We support increasing funding for affordable housing and expanding services to ensure everyone in Washington has a safe and comfortable place to live.
Whether your top priority is fighting climate change, reforming the criminal justice system, or any of the above, the number one thing we need this legislative session is bold progressive leadership. But we know this legislative agenda will only become reality if activists across the state push their legislators to do the right thing. Will you send a message to your legislators now urging them to push for these legislative priorities that our communities need to thrive?
Yes! I’ll send a message in support of bold progressive leadership
