In this week’s episode Nate dug into the current 60 day legislative session with Sen. Jeannie Darneille (D-27, Tacoma).

4:00 We begin with a discussion of Western State Hospital and the state of mental health treatment in Washington. This lead to a discussion around arresting and incarcerating people with mental illness (8:00) and the struggles with staffing mental health nurses across the state (11:30).

14:00 Speaking of health care, Jeannie addressed the state’s investment in its children. How can we treat them, give them preventative care, and help via government health programs?

20:00 In Washington, some of our students with the highest needs are in our 36 juvenile detention centers. Jeannie addressed the Alternatives Initiative, reducing census, and “status offense.”

23:00  This lead to a discussion about banning suspensions for all students from kindergarten through second grade, racial disproportionality (25:00), preschool, and language acquisition. (27:00).

39:00 How are we dealing with statewide issues, such as de-escalation in law enforcement and deadly force.

44:00 Washington State has the most regressive tax system in the nation. So Nate pushed Jeannie to talk about tax policy and possible tax reforms, especially in the aftermath of the $1.5 trillion tax cut passed by Congress.  

53:00 Given the Democratic Majority in the both Houses of the State Legislature, Nate asked Jeannie for a quickfire take of the likelihood of several progressive policy priorities:

1. Sanctuary state status

2. Automatic voter registration

3. Vote by mail and same day registration

4. Capital gains tax

Hot Take 5

1. What are you reading right now?

2. Who do you listen to for counsel in Olympia?

3. What’s one thing your constituents understood about the complexity about the work you’re trying to do now?

4. Ferguson or Constantine for governor?

5. When you finish with legislature, what do you want your legacy to be? Who would you like to replace you?

Going Further

The Truly Awful Kentucky Medicaid Bill

NY Times Kentucky Medicaid Article

Travel as a Political Act by Rick Steves

Status Offense