Rep. Roger Goodman, Raymond Williams from Just Us Solutions, and Larry Jefferson from the Office of Public Defense gather with formerly incarcerated advocates and allies to celebrate the advancement of several important Incarceration Reform bills such as the Judicial Discretion Act and the Act for Civic Engagement.

TAKE ACTION BY SIGNING IN FOR BILL HEARINGS

HB 1463 (Rep. Cortes) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Time Limit Exemptions. This bill seeks to expand time limit exemptions for TANF recipients in Washington to ensure help for all families who need it and to increase equitable access. House Committee on Early Learning & Human Services on February 11 at 1:30 PM. Sign in Pro here.

HB 1380 (Rep. Gregerson) Safe Spaces, Strong Communities Act. This bill aims to regulate how local governments manage the use of public property, particularly concerning individuals experiencing homelessness. The bill mandates that any city, town, code city, or county law regulating activities such as sitting, lying, sleeping, or keeping warm and dry outdoors on public property open to the public must be "objectively reasonable" regarding time, place, and manner. The term "keeping warm and dry" is defined as using measures necessary for an individual to survive outdoors, given environmental conditions, excluding the use of fire or flame. HB 1380 provides an affirmative defense for individuals charged under such local laws if the laws are not objectively reasonable. Objective reasonableness is to be determined based on the totality of circumstances, with special consideration given to the impact on persons experiencing homelessness. House Committee on Appropriations on February 12 at 4:00 PM. Sign in Pro here.

HB 1859 (Rep. Salahuddin) Expanding opportunities for affordable housing developments. This bill seeks to expand opportunities for religious organizations to develop affordable housing. It allows an increased density bonus for any affordable single- or multi-family housing development (with at least 20% for low-income households) located on property owned or controlled by a religious organization. House Committee on Housing on February 13 at 8:00 AM. Sign in Pro here.

TAKE ACTION BY ENCOURAGING COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO VOTE THESE BILLS OUT OF COMMITTEE

Please reach out to committee members to express support and encourage a YES vote during these upcoming Executive Sessions. If you have a question regarding committee members, please e-mail our office at fan@fanwa.org.

HB 1217 Rent Stabilization to Improve Housing Stability in House Appropriations Committee before 2/10/25. 

HB 1773 Wage Replacement for Excluded Undocumented Workers in House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards before 2/14/25.

HB 1303 Cumulative Risk Burden (CURB) Pollution Act in House Committee on Environment & Energy before 2/11/25. Send a comment to your legislator or call the legislative hotline (1-800-562-6000). 

SAMPLE COMMENT: (Add a statement of value or personal experience.) Please support HB 1303 to reduce the impact of pollution on communities that are already hurting from the concentration of polluting industries and waste sites in their area. This bill will prioritize environmental justice by considering cumulative pollution impacts in procedures to permit new or renewed facilities, and will give more voice to impacted neighborhoods. Communities that have historically borne the worst effects of pollution due to redlining and institutional racism shouldn’t continue to bear the ongoing harm being inflicted on their health, well-being, and even life expectancy today. 

HB 1150 Recycling Reform Act in House Committee on Environment & Energy (2/11/25). Send a comment to your legislator or call the legislative hotline (1-800-562-6000).

SAMPLE COMMENT: (Add a statement of value or personal experience.) Please support HB 1150! Passage of this bill will enable all households to participate in recycling through producer-funded curbside recycling, and to better understand how to sort their recyclables with a single statewide list. The bill will help lower greenhouse gas emissions, thereby moving Washington toward achieving our carbon reduction goals. Our residential recycling rate has stagnated, and HB 1150 will give it a much-needed boost.

TAKE ACTION BY PERSONALIZING AND SIGNING FAN's NEW LETTER ON PROGRESSIVE REVENUE

Look for our new letter on progressive revenue by late evening Friday. It will be on the TAKE ACTION page in the Advocacy drop-down menu of FAN's website. The Rent Stabilization letter is also there and very timely.

TAKE ACTION ON ANY OF FAN'S BILLS ON OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA BY WRITING YOUR LEGISLATORS. 

Go to our Bill Tracker or our Legislative Agenda and click on a bill you care about. It will take you to the legislative website where you can click "Send a comment on this bill to your legislators."

FAN is committed to advancing policies that promote justice, equity, sustainability and dignity for all Washingtonians. We encourage our network to stay engaged and continue advocating for these important legislative priorities.

Join FAN Staff as we take time to strategize before IFAD on Tuesday, February 11th from 7:00-8:00pm on Zoom. We will review key aspects of how to make an advocacy plan for your IFAD legislative meetings as well as provide time in groups with others in your district so you can begin to make the plan together. Use this link to register for this event. 

Registration for Interfaith Advocacy Day in Olympia on Thursday February 20 is now at capacity.

Week 4 Legislative Recap

This week, several key legislative measures were heard in committees, addressing housing, economic justice, education, religious freedom, and worker protections.

On Monday, the House Appropriations Committee heard HB 1217 Rent Stabilization to Improve Housing Stability for Tenants. Thousands signed in for the legislative record, with an equal number of speakers both supporting and opposing the measure. The bill aims to cap rent increases, security deposits, and fees while establishing a landlord resource center and granting the Attorney General enforcement authority to protect tenants from predatory practices.

HB 1404 Increasing Student Access to Free School Meals was also heard in the House Appropriations Committee, receiving overwhelming support. Students testified about how free meals have helped them and their financially struggling families while reducing stigma. The Northwest Progressive Institute cited polling data showing broad bipartisan support for free school meals. This bill ensures that every child has access to nutritious meals essential to their learning and well-being.

On Tuesday, the House Committee on Finance heard HB 1214 Expanding the Working Families’ Tax Credit (WFTC). Advocates testified in support of the bill, which would remove age restrictions that currently limit access to the credit for workers without children. Expanding the WFTC would benefit 100,000 additional Washingtonians, particularly young adults and seniors struggling to meet basic needs. This measure is a critical step toward economic justice, putting more money back into working families' pockets and strengthening local economies.

At the Senate Committee on Law & Justice, FAN’s Policy Director testified in support of SB 5436 Prohibiting Interference at Houses of Worship. This bill seeks to protect the right of individuals to access places of worship without harassment or obstruction. With rising threats against faith communities, SB 5436 affirms the constitutional right to religious freedom and ensures worshippers can gather safely without fear.

The Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce heard SB 5626 Wage Replacement for Excluded Workers, which would create a state-funded wage replacement program for undocumented workers who are currently ineligible for unemployment benefits. These workers are essential to Washington’s economy, yet they lack a safety net when facing job loss. SB 5626 recognizes their contributions and seeks to ensure economic stability for all workers, regardless of immigration status.

On Wednesday, over 1,500 protesters gathered in Olympia as part of the "50501 Movement," a nationwide demonstration opposing President Trump's policies, Elon Musk’s political influence, and the Heritage Foundation’s "Project 2025." Protesters advocated for immigrant and transgender rights, aligning with the OneAmerica Immigrant and Refugee Rally, which highlighted concerns over recent executive orders impacting marginalized communities.

On Thursday, FAN’s Policy Director participated in Environmental Lobby Day, joining other advocates to push for the CURB Pollution Bill, the Recycle Reform Act, and protections for Climate Commitment Act funding. These measures are critical to reducing pollution and ensuring Washington remains a leader in environmental sustainability.

The following bills passed out of their policy committees: SB 5066 AG Investigations and Reform Bill; SB 5082 Housing Assistance for Youth; and SB 5123 Protections for Students related to gender expressions and identity, housing status, ethnicity, neurodivergence and immigration status.

We know that the mass deportation of immigrants without legal status would have a devastating effect on our families, neighborhoods, schools, faith communities, cities, state, and country. 

It will cost billions of dollars to execute President Trump’s mass deportation plans, and this cannot be done without funding from Congress. As our neighbors’ rights, relationships, and lives are at risk, join FAN in sending a clear message to our U.S. Senators and Representatives that they must hold the line and allow NO FUNDING for mass deportations.  

Look for more days to be listed as the session progresses!

Monday, February 10, 9:00am-5:00pm, in-person. Civil Survival, Advocacy Day, Register here.

Monday, February 17, in-person. APRI, Annual Charles Roland African American Legislative Day. Learn more here.

Thursday, February 20, 9:00am-3:00pm, in-person. IFAD 2025, registration at capacity.

Friday, March 14, 10:00am-4:00pm, in-person. WLIHA Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day, register here.

Saturday, March 8, 2025, 7pm, Decolonization in Action: Creating a Posture of Repair, in-person. Westminster Congregational United Church of Christ, 411 S Washington St., Spokane, WA 99204. Join Sarah Augustine, Executive Director of the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery and author of The Land is Not Empty for this presentation cosponsored by Westminster UCC and the Spokane Alliance. Decolonization is climate justice and climate justice requires decolonization. This presentation will focus on concrete actions our community can embody as we assume a posture of decolonization.

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