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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Parker in the news
- You can read articles from The Spokesman-Review about my work on helping churches help the homeless here and here, as well as an editorial here.
- You can read The Spokesman-Review’s editorial in favor of my bill to help provide expensive cancer drugs to low-income patients here.
- You can read a Seattle Times article on my efforts to reduce school violence here, or view a Q-13 Fox News special here, a KXLY News segment here, or listen to an interview I did with KIRO Radio here.
My Bills
We’re now more than halfway through the session and into that stretch where bills begin to die. We keep a list of dead/alive bills here. I encourage you to view this periodically to keep track of legislation you may be interested in. I’m happy to report that several of my bills passed off the House floor and are now in the Senate:
Helping churches help the homeless
HB 2929 would give more leeway to churches volunteering to temporarily house the homeless. The idea for this bill was brought to me by Ron Hardin (pictured with me here in my Olympia office earlier this session), the Past President of the Board of Directors for Family Promise of Spokane. This group has formed a network of churches willing to offer temporary havens for people who would otherwise be exposed to the elements when regular shelters are full.
Protecting teachers from unnecessary RIF notices
HB 2023 would move the date school employees receive RIF notices from May 15 to June 15. In the past, the Legislature has gone into late special sessions without adopting a spending plan. This unfortunate event initiates automatic and unnecessary RIF notices to public school employees, causing unneeded panic and consternation.
Providing expensive cancer treatment drugs to low-income patients
HB 2458 would allow certain expensive cancer drugs to be given back to the prescribing pharmacy to low-income or uninsured people who need the same medicine. This idea was brought to me by constituents John and Becky Van Keulen. I featured them in my last Legislative Brief.
Preventing school violence
HB 2823 would help prevent tragedies by creating a program for students and members of the community to anonymously report concerns about potential school violence. We know from studies conducted by the FBI that in the vast majority of school shootings, students or someone at school was aware of information that may have allowed authorities to intervene, but that information wasn’t shared with parents, teachers or law enforcement. This bill hasn’t passed to the Senate yet but I’m still working on it.
Around Spokane
I had the pleasure of hosting Cade Percival-Delford from Mt. Spokane High School as a legislative page earlier this session. Cade attended page school every day to further understand the operations and actions of the Legislature. 
He delivered documents to legislators and staff spread across the Capitol campus. Thank you, Cade! I hope this experience helps shape your future and you continue to find ways to serve your community no matter where you end up. For more information about the page program, click here.
I will also be joining my 6th District colleagues, Rep. Jeff Holy and Sen. Michael Baumgartner for a town hall meeting this Saturday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. at The Museum of Arts and Culture, 2316 W. 1st Ave. in Spokane. I hope you can join us!
It is a profound honor to serve you in the state House of Representatives. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about a state government issue.
Sincerely,
Kevin Parker
