Legislative Session Update

This week on February 6, 2018, the legislative session will have the cutoff for legislation to pass out of fiscal committees from the house of origin. Legislators will transition and focus on considering legislation currently on the House and Senate floor calendars. The next legislative session cutoff will be on February 12, 2018, which is when legislation will need to pass out of their respective house of origin.

Additionally, legislation that would create a premium assistance program for Washingtonians from the Republic of Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau have moved onto the floor calendar of both respective chambers. For legislation on voting rights, House Bill 1800, Enacting the Washington Voting Rights Act, and Substitute House Bill 2297, Extending the Period for Voter Registration, have both moved onto the floor for the House chamber.

As legislative session transitions from house of origin committee hearings to floor hearings, visit either the House Floor Activity or Senate Floor Activity websites to review bills that are currently on the floor calendars.

Bill Tracking

The Commission is tracking legislation that may be of interest to Asian and Pacific Islander communities that pertain to civil rights & justice, economic development, education, and health and human services. The Commission will periodically update its bill tracking list with the status of the bills.

View the bill tracking list.

Members of the Legislature welcome your feedback and messages. You can leave a message by contacting the Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000. For limited English proficient callers, the Hotline offers interpreter services for many languages. Visit our webpage for additional ways to access the Legislature.

The Commission will be holding a public board meeting on March 17, 2018 at the Marshall Center in Vancouver Washington from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Agenda items and details will be posted within the upcoming weeks.

Visit the Commission’s website to learn more about the Public Board Meeting.

Governor’s office recruiting for Ruth Woo Fellowship (Applications due 02/12/2018)

The office of Gov. Jay Inslee, in partnership with the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA), is recruiting individuals with a commitment to civil rights and equality for the Ruth Woo Fellowship.

The fellowship is named after Ruth Woo, a civil rights leader who fought for social justice and equality for all people. Her early involvement in politics included working for Gov. Dan Evans during the Asian American civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Over many decades, Ruth mentored would-be chiefs of staff, county executives, state Supreme Court justices, and governors. Ruth passed away in Seattle on July 13, 2016 at the age of 89.

The Ruth Woo Fellow will be based in the Governor’s office in Olympia and gain a hands-on learning experience in state government. In addition, the Ruth Woo Fellow will have an opportunity to make important connections with community leaders and elected and public officials connected to Ruth Woo and to learn more about her life and work.

The fellowship, which is part of the Governor’s Leadership Academy, seeks currently enrolled college and graduate students who are interested in public service and understand the importance of achieving social justice and equality for all Washingtonians. The Ruth Woo Fellow will begin the 10-week program in June and will receive compensation for their 28 hours/week internship.

Information about the program and application process is available on CAPAA’s website.

Asia Pacific Cultural Center Annual New Year Celebration

This Saturday, join the Asia Pacific Cultural Center (APCC) on February 10, 2018 for their 20th Annual New Year Celebration at the Tacoma Dome. This year, APCC will be featuring the country and culture of Korea.

There will be over 90 booths of cultural arts, food, drinks, retail, games, and crafts.

Click here to learn more about the 20th Annual New Year Celebration.

 

 

Upcoming Community Events & Opportunities