Hi John,

It's here-- the first day of the 2020 Legislative Session!

This year we've got a 60 day supplemental session, which means it'll run from today, January 13, through Thursday, March 12. Bills that weren't passed in 2019 will have the chance to be voted on again in 2020, and they will retain their placement in the legislature. We're happy to report that last legislative session the majortiy of our 2019 priorities passed! That means that even though this year's session is a bit shorter than last year's, we've still got a full list of policy priorities that we are working hard to pass over the next couple months. Read on for a quick summary of our priorities, and check out our full policy agenda online. 

Our 2020 areas of focus are:

• Strengthening basic needs assistance: We support policy changes and investments in basic needs programs that center a path to stability for adults, children, and people with disabilities. This session we're working to strengthen Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) by undoing harsh policy changes and re-instating the Child Support Pass-Through; eliminate the Shelter Penalty for all state assistance programs; significantly raise the Aged, Blind, or Disabled (ABD) cash grant; and create the Homelessness Prevention Pilot Program that will smooth the transition to federal disability assistance in high-cost regions of the state. Read more about our basic needs priorities here.
• Tax Reform: Our state tax code is long overdue for an overhaul. In Washington state, families making the least pay up to six times more in taxes as a share of their income than the state's wealthiest households. We believe that a key step to re-balancing the state tax code is through funding the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) and we also support modernzing the WFTC to expand eligibility for workers without children and immigrant workers, and use a modern definition to include low-income college students and people caring for a family member. Read more about our tax reform priorities here.
• Dental Therapy: Dental care is a human right-- but for too many Washingtonians of color and Washintonians who live in low-income and/or rural communities, dental care is unaffordable and inaccessible. We support dental therapy, which, if passed, will expand access to affordable and routine dental care by allowing dental therapists to practice in all communities across the state. Read more about dental therapy here. 
• Justice Reform: We support policies that provide opportunities for people to reclaim their lives, support their families, and participate fully in community life after serving a prison sentence. Read more about our justice reform priorities here.
• Consumer Protections: We support robust and transparent policies that protect Washingtonians when they borrow money or fall into debt. This session, we're building on our 2019 consumer protections wins and advocating for further regulations on debt buyer practices and an investment in foreclosure prevention programs. Read more about our consumer protection priorities here.

As always, YOUR stories, phone calls, emails, and visits to Olympia will be the most essential part of this year's advocacy work. We are so grateful to have such a strong network of community advocates and are looking forward to working alongside you in 2020 for a more just WA. Keep an eye on your inbox and our social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) for more opportunities to make your voice heard on important issues facing Washington communities. And on that note-- tomorrow is the LAST DAY to register for our 2020 Lobby Day! Join hundreds of Washingtonians in Olympia on January 20 for a day of advocacy and power-building. We offer an advocacy training, breakfast and lunch, guided lawmaker visits, and fun activities-- all for free! Transportation and childcare provided upon request. Visit our website for more details and registration.