In this episode of Capitol Ideas, you’ll meet, or re-meet, Rep. Adison Richards. He was our guest almost exactly a year ago, less than a month into his new job as a state lawmaker. We invited him back to catch up on his trajectory as a representative, to hear about his key bills, and to check on the health and happiness of his faithful dog, Blue.

Rep. April Berg chairs the House Finance Committee, so you might think we’d be talking about revenue today. We’ll mostly save that for another time. This episode of Capitol Ideas is where you’ll learn about Rep. Berg’s bill creating the Washington State Boys and Men Commission, an innovative idea that can help lawmakers address some of the unique challenges facing half of the state’s population.

In today’s episode, Rep. Chipalo Street talks about issues ranging from housing (affordable and otherwise), juvenile justice reforms, the state’s responsibility to persons under its complete control, and the challenges facing Washington’s budget.

Some lawmakers come to Olympia to fix the climate. Others might be here to improve public schools, or make our communities safer, or upend our regressive tax system. Rep. Lisa Callan, a veteran member from Issaquah, looks at all those issues and more through the lens of making the state a better place for infants, toddlers, “kids,” and those on the exciting brink of young adulthood. If you have children, or if you’ve ever been young, you’ll enjoy this one.