Dear Neighbors,

As the legislative session continues, I am continuing to shepherd bills through the Senate that take on important issues. We have passed three of my bills to control skyrocketing prescription drug costs, SB 6087, SB 6088, and SB 6113, out of the Health & Long Term Care Committee. We also had strong pubic support for my insulin cost containment bills in the Ways and Means Committee hearing and I am hoping to get them to the Rules committee and onto the Senate floor soon.

We have also passed several bills out of the Senate, which will now go on to the House.

On Friday, the Senate unanimously passed my bill, SB 6170, which would modernize the state plumbing code for the first time in 45 years, bring more young people into the field, and lower costs to consumers. I can’t say it better than in this letter I received from a veteran plumber:

“Senate Bill 6170 is an important piece of legislation that affects our consumers, employees, and our businesses. As someone who’s worked in plumbing for over 20 years, I can’t even begin to tell you how much the industry has changed since I started, let alone 1973 which is the last time the laws governing plumbing have been updated.

“This piece of legislation will give consumers much needed protections by adding certification visibility. So when a plumbing emergency happens, and you call someone, you’ll know who arrives is a certified plumber by seeing that certification and knowing you’re in good hands. Consumers will also see more stable pricing. Allowing us to use technology as simple as cell phone video, this will facilitate plumbing contractors like us to be able to serve more customers efficiently without them having to pay for two plumbers to provide basic services one plumber could easily complete on their own.”

We have also passed SB 5457 with a strong bipartisan majority of 31 votes. This bill provides transparency in contracts for large public works projects like schools and protects the public by ensuring fair competition in the bidding process.

In Olympia

It is such a pleasure to meet with constituents who come to the state Capitol, like these excellent occupational therapy students from Green River Community College. If you’d like to follow what I’m working on in Olympia, you can like my official legislative Facebook page here.

Please don’t hesitate to stay in touch.

Always,

Senator Karen Keiser

Chair, Senate Labor & Commerce Committee
Senate President Pro Tempore