Dear Friends,
Campaign season is upon us, and I’m running to continue the critical work for the 40th District.
This month’s deadline is important because next month, I officially put my name on the ballot and potential competition will be watching my fundraising numbers.
Every seat is in play this year, and that’s why I’m asking for your help today. Are you with us? Chip in today to demonstrate our broad base of support.
We are building a campaign based on the pillars of environmental stewardship, justice, and opportunity. Our work can be hindered by the narrowest of margins, and that’s why your support is key to my success this year.
Thank you for joining me
Keep reading for more on this Fantastic Friday.
“Stay Safe, Stay Healthy”
Rep. Debra Lekanoff
Protecting Our Native Brothers and Sisters
Friends, as we have talked about in the past, more than four in five Native women will experience violence in their lifetimes and are murdered at more than ten times the national average.
It’s plain to see that this is an issue that we need to address, and I’m proud to have led the way on creating an alert system to help identify and locate Missing and Murdered Indigenous People that will save lives and bring our loved ones home.
Now, with the bill signed into law just a few weeks ago by Governor Inslee, I’m excited for a future where our Native brothers and sisters are brought home safely. A member of the Nisqually Tribal Council, Chaynannah Squally, recently spoke to the Nisqually Valley News about her excitement over the new system.
Governor Inslee signing our MMIP Alerts Bill into law!
“There were many meetings, calls and work sessions behind this movement between the 29 tribes and the state of Washington,” Squally said. “Debra Lekanoff, the first native woman in the Washington State Legislature, has hit the ground running since her appointment.”
It has been a pleasure working alongside Tribal Councilmember Squally, and I am so thankful for her ongoing support as we work to address this important issue and do whatever we can to protect our brothers and sisters here in Washington.
A New COVID-19 Vaccine From the University of Washington!
Over the past year, across the country we have done an incredible job of protecting ourselves against COVID-19. No matter which vaccine you got, taking that step is the best way that you can keep yourself and those around you safe.
Now, as we continue to do our parts, get vaccinated, and get boosted, the University of Washington has developed a new COVID-19 vaccine and plans to ship millions of doses around the world – specifically to South Korea – once it has been approved.
Those working to develop the vaccine wanted to create a “second-generation” vaccination that could help efforts to protect the world from COVID-19. Unlike the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech that have been administered in Washington and the United States, this new vaccine developed by the University of Washington does not need to be kept at as low a temperature, allowing for easier dissemination.
SK Bioscience, the South Korean company leading the vaccine’s clinical development, will submit GPB510 to the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for review and approval. If approved, the company will then take the vaccine to the World Health Organization for pre-approval, a spokesperson from the University of Washington said.
Thank you to everyone at the University of Washington who worked to make this vaccine a reality!
Celebrating International Worker’s Day!
It has always been a priority of mine, as your voice in Olympia, to fight for our workers in the 40th LD, Washington, and across the country. This Sunday, I am excited to celebrate Washington’s workforce as we recognize International Worker’s Day!
According to The Stand, this Sunday in Mount Vernon you can “be in solidarity with farm workers in Whatcom and Skagit counties, including the tulip workers who just joined together to win protections! Join Familias Unidas por la Justicia and Community to Community Development at Marcha Campesina on Sunday, May 1.
Gather at 9 a.m. at Edgewater Park, 600 Behrens Millett Road in Mount Vernon, and the march begins at 10 a.m. (through Burlington and Mt. Vernon, approx. 4 miles). The march ends at Skagit River Park, 1720 E Whitmarsh Road, for a food and community celebration.”
Rep. Lekanoff with Rosalinda Guillen from Community 2 Community
For more information on events supporting our workers across Washington, check out the other events happening this weekend here.
We all owe a great debt of gratitude to Washington’s work force, and our food and farmworkers. Without all of you, our shelves would be empty and there would not be food on our tables. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, and know that I will always work on your behalf in Olympia.
Uplifting Washington’s Infrastructure
Earlier this month, Chairman Willie Frank III and the Nisqually Indian Tribe hosted Senator Maria Cantwell, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, and Governor Jay Inslee to view and discuss the aging Nisqually Bridge that crosses Interstate 5.
During my first term in office, the state’s transportation budget included $2.25 million for a planning study of I-5 between Tumwater and Mounts Road. Recently, the 2022 Move Ahead Washington package includes $75 million to advance project work in the corridor.
It’s so important that we take steps to improve our infrastructure here in Washington State, and that’s why I’m proud that we have passed the Move Ahead Washington that will bring $16 billion over the next 16 years towards repairing, maintaining, and upgrading our infrastructure.
Together we have made such a difference during my time in Olympia, and long term investments in our communities like this will leave a better world for our grandchildren’s grandchildren. I’m so glad we can take steps today to improve things like the Nisqually Bridge for the next seven generations to come.
For more about the Move Ahead Washington package, click here.
New Guemes All-Electric Ferry!
Another exciting upgrade for our State’s infrastructure – and specifically right here in the 40th LD! – is that our State Legislature recently finalized our 2022 transportation appropriations. Included in the appropriations is $14 million for the all-electric Guemes Ferry Replacement Project, which completes the funding for the project!
Since the 1980’s, our Guemes Ferry has been a diesel powered vessel transporting Washigntonians and visitors, as well their vehicles. The new, all-electric ferry, which is expected to enter into service in 2025, will be a double-ended vehicle and passenger ferry with a three-tiered deckhouse. The design accommodates four lanes of vehicles including highway-rated trucks and emergency vehicles.
Commissioner Lisa Janicki said, “The M/V Guemes operates 365 days a year and with funding from the Climate Commitment Act, we’ll pull those large diesel motors out of the Salish Sea and provide reliable transportation to Guemes Island.”
Shifting from our aging infrastructure to newer, more environmentally friendly options is such an incredible accomplishment. There are so many positive impacts from these actions, and I am proud to have been a part of bringing more and more electric ferries into operation right here in the 40th LD!
Endorsing My Re-election Campaign!
Friends, representing you in Olympia these past four years has been such an incredible honor. I have loved getting to know each and every one of you, and it is always my goal to listen to each of you as we continue working to create a place our grandchildren’s grandchildren will be proud to call home.
It’s with that in mind that I ask you to stand with my campaign – I would love to include your name on my list of endorsements as I run for re-election this year. If you’d like to endorse my campaign, click here – it will only take a minute!
Excited to run to continue as your voice in Olympia!
The 40th LD is an incredible place, and I am proud to have you behind me as I run for re-election to continue as your voice in Olympia.