Capitol Ideas: The Washington State House Democratic Caucus Podcast

Rep. Davina Duerr was appointed last summer to the state House seat in the 1st district that came open when its previous occupant moved to the Senate to replace a departing member. This was her first session, but she's a quick study and, as you'll hear, she didn't sit in the back row and wait to be called on.

Democratic lawmakers have received thousands of emails, letters, phone calls, personal visits and, sadly, threats, in recent days from people hoping to derail Senate Bill 5395 (https://tinyurl.com/qqbg7dr). The House version of that bill, which requires age-appropriate, comprehensive sexual-health education to be part of the curriculum in public schools, was sponsored by State Rep. Monica Stonier of Vancouver. She visits "Capitol Ideas" today to talk about the actual content of the bill, the disinformation campaign that was mounted against it, and the "debate" that featured Republican lawmakers using language on the House floor that caused TVW, the state's public affairs television service, to post onscreen parental warnings.

Given what’s gone on and is still going on in the world, ensuring the security and integrity of elections is about as important an idea as it’s possible to talk about in a representative democracy like ours. Rep. Gael Tarleton agrees, and she's been talking about it, and thinking about it, and doing something about it, for years. We've got her today, and what she has to say is worth listening to.

There's equality . . . and then there's equity. State Rep. Mia Gregerson is one of many lawmakers with equity on their minds, and it's an important issue in the Washington Legislature this year. Today she talks to "Capitol Ideas" about her hopes for an Office of Equity, and why it would matter.

Before she became Rep. Amy Walen, today's guest on "Capitol Ideas" was Mayor Amy Walen of Kirkland. She has deep ties to her district on the east side of Lake Washington, and she brought her commitment to create affordable housing to Olympia. Reducing homelessness and boosting the state's inventory of affordable housing are key issues in the 2020 legislation, and Amy has several irons in that fire. We'll explore those efforts in today's conversation.

Today's "Capitol Ideas" is a sort of civics lesson, but more interesting than the ones you took -- or didn't take -- in high school. Chief House budget writer Rep. Timm Ormsby reflects on how a multi-billion-dollar state operating budget takes shape: the long days and even longer nights, the tough decisions, the unheralded bipartisanship and, again, more tough decisions. This is background you probably haven't heard before, and it's definitely worth 16 minutes of your time.

Rep. Lisa Callen was an engineer helping to build the best airplanes in the world. She was a school board director. She was a lot of other things to admire, but now we've got her and she's a state representative from Issaquah, in Washington's 5th legislative district. Legislatively, 2020 has been the year of the child for Lisa. Listen in while we talk about that in this edition of "Capitol Ideas."

Rep. Monica Stonier joins us on “Capitol Ideas” today. The Vancouver Democrat serves as Majority Floor Leader for the Democrats in the Washington state House, and balances that leadership position with her duties as a representative of the people of Vancouver's 49th legislative district.

We sit down today with Rep. Dave Paul, midway through his second session as the representative from Washington’s 10th legislative district. Dave is vice president of Skagit Valley College, so a lot of his work involves education, but he’s also active in veterans’ issues, transportation, the environment . . . and lots more. Give him 12 minutes of your time today, and you’ll meet a pretty interesting public servant.

Democratic state Rep. Jesse Johnson was sworn into office barely a month ago, but he's already as busy as a seasoned lawmaker. We'll hear about his background today, and his service on the Federal Way city council, and his plans to make Washington a better, more equitable, and more inclusive place to live, work, and raise a family.

Democratic state Rep. Shelley Kloba is so concerned about our ability to keep prying technological eyes off of our private lives that she hosted a series of coffee-shop meetings with her constituents in the 1st legislative district to listen to their own concerns, and their ideas. The result is an omnibus data-privacy bill now moving through the Legislature. We'll talk about that today in "Capitol Ideas."

Democratic state Rep. Tina Orwall has learned a lot about ultrafine particles, tiny pollutants (800 times smaller than the thickness of an average strand of human hair). She spearheaded a recent study to find out how prevalent they are in her district, which includes one of the nation's busiest and fastest-growing airports. The results? They're very, very prevalent. She also talks about ongoing efforts to site a new or expanded regional airport to take some of the pressure off of SeaTac International, which is bursting at the seams.

Democratic state Rep. Melanie Morgan visits "Capitol Ideas" in this first episode of 2020 and the first of the current legislative session. Morgan, who was recently elected by her fellow Democrats to serve as deputy majority floor leader in the House, talks about rental reforms, school nutrition, the push to establish a new Office of Equity in Washington, and her efforts to designate an official state dinosaur.

Democratic state Rep. Beth Doglio visits "Capitol Ideas" in this episode to talk about climate action, housing, transportation, and other priorities as we approach the January 13 opening of the 2020 legislative session.

Democratic state Rep. Mari Leavitt was a military kid who grew up to be a small-business owner, the deputy director of Pierce County Human Services, a PTSA leader and, with a doctorate in community college leadership, a college administrator for more than two decades. Today we talk about that journey and how she's putting her experience to good use representing her constituents in Washington's 28th legislative district in Pierce County.

As a Boeing engineer, Lisa Callan helped create the best airplanes in the world. Now that she's a member of the majority Democratic Caucus in the Washington state House of Representatives, she's putting her creative skills to use to help build a better Washington. In this edition of Capitol Ideas, she talks about being a brand-new lawmaker, fixing a nototious traffic chokepoint in her district, giving Washington kids the best schools around, and more. Give her 16 minutes; you'll be glad you did.

This special edition of Capitol Ideas focuses on the opioid epidemic and features two interviews: One with Debra Maher, whose son, Sean, died of a heroin overdose last year despite his eligibility to be involuntary committed to treatment under the terms of Ricky's Law, and the second with Rep. Lauren Davis, who helped create Ricky's Law before her election to the Legislature in 2018, and who is now sponsoring legislation to address the situation that allowed Sean to fall through the cracks, despite the fact that his was precisely the kind of case that Ricky's Law was designed to deal with.

Rep. Amy Walen is the 48th-district's newest legislator, but she knows her way around government. She's a former Kirkland city councilmember, and before her swearing in as a Democratic state representative she was mayor of that thriving King County city on the eastern shore of Lake Washington. She's CEO of a car dealership, practiced law in Australia, cares about housing and transportation and the environment and firearm violence, and if you give us 13 minutes today, you'll be glad you got to know her.

Rep. Larry Springer works for the people of the 45th legislative district, a King County district that comprises Duvall and Woodinville, and parts of Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish. He’s deputy majority leader of the House of Representatives, has been a member of that body since 2005, and for more than 30 years he’s owned and operated a retail wine store in Kirkland. That last fact is key to today's conversation. Give it a listen.

House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan (D-Covington) was instrumental in solving the state's shortfall in basic-education funding, and now he's turned his attention to higher ed. In the 2019 session he's the force behind the Washington Student Loan Program, a low-cost, state-funded, self-sustaining program that could save generations of students from being indentured to high-interest creditors for much of their adult lives.