The short legislative session is moving at full speed, with packed agendas and important votes happening early and often, and a coffee cup that gets refilled more than once before 8 a.m. With just 60 days on the calendar, every hour counts, and the pace in Olympia reflects that urgency.
Serving in the Legislature is both demanding and deeply meaningful. It is truly an honor to represent the people of our district and to bring your concerns, experiences, and priorities to the table every single day. I never take that responsibility lightly, and I’m grateful for the trust you’ve placed in me.
That sense of responsibility is why I want to highlight two bills this session that speak directly to public safety and the well-being of our communities.
First, I introduced Senate Bill 6066, which would create crash-prevention zones to address roadways where serious and fatal crashes keep occurring, including stretches of Highway 395 that many in our community know all too well. The bill would give local governments and the Washington State Department of Transportation a practical tool to identify dangerous patterns, conduct engineering and traffic studies, coordinate enforcement, and make targeted safety improvements before another tragedy occurs.
Crash prevention zones would be temporary and clearly marked. Certain traffic violations within a zone would carry increased penalties, with those dollars required to be reinvested directly into fixing the roadway itself. Once the safety work is done, the zone would come down. The goal isn’t punishment, it’s prevention.