Dear Friends,
This week we are celebrating a truly historic moment.
Following the passing of Representative Don Young, Alaska held a special election to fill the seat in Congress that he held for decades. There was a massive field, which was narrowed down to three individuals.
After the votes were cast and counted using Alaska’s ranked choice voting system, we found out a few days ago that Democrat Mary Peltola won the special election and will be representing Alaska as their sole member of the House of Representatives!
New Congresswoman-elect, Mary Peltola!
Mary is a Yup’ik Alaska Native, salmon advocate, and Democrat who represented the Bethel region in the Alaska House of Representatives for 10 years. According to her website:
“As a lawmaker, I helped rebuild the Bush Caucus, which passed legislation and influenced budgets that improved lives in rural Alaska, under my tenure as Chair. After leaving the legislature, I worked as Manager of Community Development and Sustainability for the Donlin gold mine project. I left the company after 6 years and joined the Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. As Executive Director of the commission, I helped mobilize 118 Tribes and rural Alaskans to advocate for the protection of salmon runs in Western Alaska. This was a continuation of my work as a Salmon Fellow with the Alaska Humanities Forum.”
This is an incredible step forward for the people of Alaska, and I am proud to see an Alaska Native joining the halls of Congress. The fight is not over, however, and Mary will still need our support as she fights to continue on as Alaska’s representative. To learn more about Mary and to show her your support, click here.
Keep reading for more on this Fantastic Friday.
“Stay Safe, Stay Healthy”
Rep. Debra Lekanoff
COVID-19 Booster Update
As many of you know, additional COVID-19 booster shots have been available to our elders and our at-risk populations for months now. Just this week however, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new booster shot that will be available more broadly – the Moderna booster for those who are 18 and older, and the Pfizer-BioNTech booster for those 12 and older.
Individuals who completed their most recent round of COVID-19 vaccination at least two months ago are eligible for these new boosters.
These new shots target both the original strain of COVID-19, as well as the omicron variants that make up the vast majority of current cases in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC) signed off on these new shots this week as well, and vaccinations could be widely available starting next week.
Getting vaccinated remains the most effective way of protecting yourself and those around you from COVID-19, and it is important that we continue to do our part to keep our communities safe. If you are able, I would highly recommend you get vaccinated with the new vaccine. With the holidays coming up, many of us are set to start traveling to see our loved ones – for their sake and yours, make sure you are safe!
While we have reached a point of relative normalcy amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, we must remember the simple truths we learned in early 2020 – if you’re feeling sick, mask up and stay home! Wash your hands, avoid touching your face, and do whatever you can to protect those around you.
Doing your part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 remains important, and I am so grateful for the continued efforts we are all making to protect one another.
Tax Structure Work Group Update
This week, I want to take a moment to share an update from the Tax Structure Work Group (TSWG), which Co-Chair Representative Frame from the 36th LD was gracious enough to share. Here is a portion of her update:
“We are in the home stretch of a five-year process (so far!), to look at changes to both business and personal taxation. Proposals are being developed. Some decisions on details have been made, more are coming in our September meeting, and the “go/no go” decision on proposals will happen post-election in November. The bill drafting will happen in the November/December timeframe, with the revenue targets for neutrality tied to the November forecast.
Based on community engagement in 2021, including 14 tax town halls, surveys, and 35 other meetings in community, we heard loud and clear that we need to make the tax code fairer, and when we asked how folks defined “fair” more than half of participants identified one’s capacity (or ability) to pay as their preferred definition. This is leading us to look at changes that make the system better for low- and middle-income residents and small and low-margin businesses, for instance. For context, the alternative definition of fairness was about “consistency” in the tax code where, for instance, everyone pays the same rate regardless of ability to pay.
So, what is on the table?
On the business side, we’re looking at how to replace or significantly modify the B&O tax, a gross receipts tax that many complain is unfair because it doesn’t consider profitability (or capacity to pay). We’re looking at the Margins tax as a replacement to the B&O tax (using the Texas Margins Tax as a guide). The Margins Tax is essentially a modified gross receipts tax, where every business gets to take one major deduction prior to their tax being calculated. They choose the deduction that is in the best interest of the business, and that can change from one year to the next. The deduction options include:
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Compensation/Labor
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Cost of Goods Sold
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A flat percentage (i.e. 30%)
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A flat amount (i.e. $1 million)”
I am so grateful to the dedicated individuals on this work group who have continued to work on behalf of all Washingtonians. Ensuring that our tax structure is set up in the best interests of our communities is a noble endeavor that will benefit us all in the long run.
While we are nearing an important turning point with these efforts, there is still much work to be done. Keep an eye out for additional updates in the future – I will be sure to pass on any information I receive!
Forest Management Update
This week I am pleased to let you know about an exciting new development from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Practices program – they are moving forward with their fpOnline program!
According the DNR, “Over the past 20 years we’ve received numerous and consistent requests to develop an online permitting system, and began planning in earnest in 2017 with the help of various stakeholders. Your participation in listening “user” sessions was invaluable to the early planning efforts for fpOnline. We will continue to rely on your feedback in the form of surveys and stakeholder meetings. We also plan to post regular updates on DNR’s main Forest Regulation website and we hope you’ll participate in testing of the various functions of fpOnline as it’s developed.”
The new fpOnline tool will fall under the oversight of the state Office of the Chief Information Officer, and will have a number of built in features to protect the privacy of all those who use it. Anyone using the tool will create a profile through Secure Access Washington, a central log-in point for a number of online state services with an additional log-in for secure multifactor authentication. Payments will be collected directly by the state Department of the Treasury and an additional step with a third party bank to secure every detail of the transaction.
The target date for completion of this project is summer of 2024, and it will be an incredible new tool to our forest management here in Washington. I’ll share additional updates as they are made available on this incredible project.
Staying Cool in the Heat
If you’re anything like me, then you’ve been absolutely struggling through this most recent heat wave. We’ve been seeing incredibly high temperatures across the country, and right here in the 40th LD.
Not only is this a wake up call to ramp up our action on climate change and the environment, but it is also a reminder that we need to be careful and take care of ourselves during these times of incredible heat.
There are a number of things that we can do to help protect ourselves against the heat – staying hydrated, avoiding extended time in direct sunlight, and utilizing Washington’s cooling centers that are located throughout Western Washington.
Be sure to take care of yourself this weekend, Washington!
National Caucus of Environmental Legislators
On July 29 and 30, I was pleased to join over 100 other state legislators from 35 states for the 2022 National Forum in Denver, Colorado, organized by the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators. The event provides state lawmakers the opportunity to collaborate on policy solutions related to climate, energy, conservation, and environmental health.
This year’s National Forum was framed around NCEL’s dedication to ensuring a healthy environment for all. The opening session focused on centering health in environmental policy. The session was led by NCEL Program Managers and emphasized the importance of engaging the groups most impacted by environmental challenges while providing relevant policy options for states.
Other session topics included biodiversity protection, offshore wind, toxic chemicals, pesticide alternatives, sustainable transportation, and state collaboration with Native tribes. Legislators heard from experts such as the National Wildlife Federation, Defenders of Wildlife, and Energy Policy Institute as well as fellow lawmakers such as Representative Joe Fitzgibbon, Senator Reuven Carlyle, and myself who were influential in securing the passage of Washington’s landmark cap-and-invest bill.
NCEL Acting Executive Director Dylan McDowell believes that state lawmakers play a key role in reducing the causes and impacts of climate change.
“This year we saw a continued push to center justice and equity in all environmental legislation, in addition to policy successes across a range of topics including low-carbon transportation, zero-waste solutions, and outdoor engagement,” said Acting Executive Director Dylan McDowell. “The NCEL National Forum is an opportunity to share some of those successes and inspire legislators for their upcoming sessions. We believe 2023 will be another year of state leadership with precedent-setting environmental action.”
Dentral Therapy Education Program at Skagit Valley College
This week, I am pleased to let you know that the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) – the accrediting body for all education programs for dentists and dental hygienists in the U.S. – has granted accreditation to the dəxʷx̌ayəbus Dental Therapy Education Program at Skagit Valley College (SVC), only the second Dental Therapy Education program in the nation to be accredited!
Dental schools and hygienist programs in Washington state must all be accredited by CODA, which is housed within the American Dental Association (ADA). In 2015, CODA adopted education standards for dental therapy programs, recognizing dental therapists as a safe and high-quality provider. In 2020, CODA accredited the first dental therapy program at Ilisagvik College in Alaska.
Skagit Valley College
The name of the Dental Therapy Program is dəxʷx̌ayəbus, which is a Lushootseed phrase pronounced as dahf-hi-ya-buus and translates to a Place of Smiles. Lushootseed is a common language of coastal Salish tribes, made up of many local dialects of Native Americans throughout the Puget Sound region.
You can read more about the accreditation process and the program here.
Disaster Preparedness Course
As flood season approaches, focus on what you can do to be prepared. The National Center for Disaster Preparedness / FEMA will be offering two trainings for Whatcom County businesses and households that are designed to provide learners with information on individual, household, and business financial literacy and the potential financial effects of disasters.
The two courses will be held in English, but there is a possibility that additional instruction available in other languages moving forward! If you or someone you know are interested in registering but need instruction or materials in another language, please reach out.
The trainings are scheduled for October 4 and 12, 2022, 9am-230pm PST. For more information about this great opportunity, including links to register check out the course fliers.
Endorsement Shoutouts!
Working on your behalf in Olympia has been the pleasure of a lifetime these past four years, and it’s been an honor to work alongside so many great individuals and organizations as I’ve worked to represent you and the interests of the 40th LD.
Now I’m pleased to thank all those who have endorsed my second re-election campaign! It is an honor to have your support as I work on behalf of all Washingtonians.
Excited to run to continue as your voice in Olympia!
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!
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.