VIDEO: Kent Chamber of Commerce members hear 2024 legislative wrap-up at membership luncheon

The Kent Chamber of Commerce hosted a membership luncheon on Thursday, June 6, 2024, featuring a legislative wrap-up with a panel of local legislators discussing the recently concluded 2024 session of the Washington State Legislature. The 60-day session saw nearly 1,200 bills introduced, with around 380 ultimately passing and sent to the governor’s desk.

Chamber CEO Zenovia Harris welcomed attendees and highlighted the chamber’s focus on several critical areas, including transportation, workforce training and education, energy and climate change, general business, public safety, and housing. Harris emphasized the importance of engagement beyond the event, encouraging attendees to contact their legislators during and after the session.

“Your engagement is really important. It does go beyond coming to this event,” Harris said. “It really goes to calling your legislators during session, after session, setting up lunch.”

The panel, moderated by John Scully, CEO of Scully Insurance Solutions and past president of the chamber, featured Sen. Karen Keiser, Sen. Claudia Kauffman, Rep. Tina Orwall, Rep. Debra Entenman, Rep. Chris Stearns, and Kent School District Superintendent Dr. Israel Vela.

Before getting into the wrap-up, Scully read a statement from Kent Mayor Dana Ralph regarding an asylum encampment.

“Before I call the panel up, I’d like you to mention the chamber did reach out to the mayor regarding the homeless situation in Kent by the motel, and as we know, it’s getting pretty bad over there. This is county property. The mayor has asked the county to do a joint removal, but they have declined at this moment. She’s also received emails or requests to move them into the hotel. Again, not the city property, and the county would need to apply for a conditional use permit. The mayor is working on solving this issue as we speak and the chamber will follow up and give updates on as they call.”

Representative Updates

Keiser, who is retiring in December after serving for 30 years, highlighted the state’s balanced budget and financial stability, earning a AAA bond rating from Moody’s. She also discussed efforts to address public safety and housing issues, including legislation to provide flexibility for police officers and expand the stock of housing through property tax exemptions and increased protections for mobile home residents.

Kauffman emphasized the bipartisan support for 96% of the bills passed during the session and discussed her work on bills related to red light cameras, sales tax revenue, and Highway 18 safety improvements. She also highlighted her efforts to support family caregivers and preserve historical records from facilities like Lakeland Village.

Orwall focused on behavioral health initiatives, including the implementation of the 988 crisis line, co-locating 988 clinicians with 911, and expanding youth crisis services. She also discussed her work on supporting survivors of sexual assault, language access in schools, and covering the cost of hearing aids for children through private insurance.

Entenman discussed the challenges faced by the city of Kent due to the streamlined sales tax and the difficulty of funding needed services. She also highlighted her work on mental health support for prenatal to 5-year-old children and their families, as well as efforts to address food insecurity on college campuses through the Hunger-Free College Campuses initiative.

Stearns discussed his support for public safety measures, including police pursuit standards and a new stunt driving racing law. He also highlighted his work on affordable and reliable clean energy, securing $25 million for the development of an advanced nuclear reactor at Hanford in partnership with Puget Sound Energy.

Dr. Vela emphasized the importance of partnerships between the school district and businesses, as well as the support of nonprofits in the Kent community. He also discussed the district’s work on a federal grant with the EPA to address flooding issues and the impact on the local economy.

The event concluded with a Q&A session, with attendees asking questions about the streamlined sales tax and its impact on cities like Kent. The legislators acknowledged the challenges and expressed a willingness to engage in discussions to address the issue.

Below is video of the wrap-up, as shot and edited by Scott Schaefer (running time ~1-hour, 2-minutes):