Washington's crying need for rent stability and affordable housing is more crucial than it's ever been, and Rep. Nicole Macri is once again a point person in the effort. We'll talk about these issues and more in today's Capitol Ideas.

It's been a couple of years since Rep. Davina Duerr stopped by the Capitol Ideas HQ for a conversation, and in legislative years that can be an eternity. We'll find out what we've missed in today's show.

Rep. Brianna Thomas has done a lot of things in her life, and they all led, in one way or another, to the day she was sworn in as Washington state's newest representative. Today we talk about some of those stops along the way, and what she has planned for this new experience.

Rep. Adison Richards works for the folks of Washington's 26th legislative district, a beautiful, seahorse-shaped piece of western Washington that stretches from Bremerton down to Longbranch and from Vaughan in the west to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Adison is new here but he knows how the place works, and he's putting that knowledge to work.

Rep. Brandy Donaghy is vice chair of the House Transportation Committee, and that's just a quarter of her committee portfolio. She lives in Snohomish County and writes laws that make Washington a lot better place. Today we'll talk about some of her ideas for 2025.

ORIGINAL EPISODE DESCRIPTION: Speaker emeritus Frank Chopp, who voluntarily switched his role to Rep. Frank Chopp at the end of the 2019 session, is the special guest on this episode of Capitol Ideas. The good things he's done for the Evergreen State are too numerous to list here, but if you listen to today's conversation, you'll notice a promise to include some items in the show notes. Here, in no particular order, are some of the things that he played a pivotal role in: the state Housing Trust fund; the best minimum wage in the U.S.; paid family and medical leave; free college and university tuition for those who need it most; the Marriage Equality Act; the Dream Act; the Voting Rights Act; the Longterm Care Trust Act; the Education Legacy Fund; The College Bound Scholarship program; Apple Health for All Kids; Apple Health and Homes; and 20 years of state budgets that put people first.

It's been just a few days since Osman Salahuddin became 48th-district Rep. Osman Salahuddin. That could be one reason why this might be the most interesting podcasts you've heard in a long time.

Rep. Timm Ormsby chairs the House Appropriations Committee. 2025 is a budget year in Olympia. Those two facts alone make this a podcast worth your time.

Before he was sent to be their voice in Olympia by the good people of the 47th district, Rep. Chris Stearns already had a full resume. He's an accomplished attorney working with tribes throughout the nation. He's done a stint with the federal Energy Department. He was a Democratic committee counsel in the U.S. House of Representatives. Now we've got him, and you'll meet him today.

This is a good one. We say that every time, but seriously, you want to hear what Rep. Debra Entenman has to say about higher ed, civil rights, equity, school lunches, being a legislator, and lots more. Stick around.