Public Health is Essential

Megan, Gloria, and WSPHA Board member, Anthony Maldonado, record the first ever live taping of the Public Health is Essential Podcast! We debrief WA Legislative session as well as talk about how to stay engaged in the interim.

It's one week after the Washington State Legislative session has ended and we wrap up some items that we couldn't talk about last week. It's the last episode of season 5! Join us at www.wspha.org.

It's the last day of the 2026 Legislative Session! And we have a very special guest joining us for this episode: our very own Gloria Rogers. We catch Gloria up on the last 60 days and talk about our interim plans to protect public health. Resources: Send thank you emails to these legislators for supporting public health funding: Senators Braun & Robinson, Representatives Ormsby & Macri

It's the 8th week of the WA State legislative process and Megan talks about all the loose ends that need to get tied before the end of the legislative session on March 12th at 5pm. Are we going to have a special session? Resources: Budget Universe. Where does our budget go to? SB 6346 - The Millionaire's Tax Watch House or Senate Floor Debate

We're back for week seven of the WA State Legislative Process after taking two weeks off. Megan talks about all the steps we have missed and goes into detail about the budget writing process. Resources: Legislator Emails House Budget proposal Senate Budget proposal

It's week 4 of the 2026 WA State Legislative Process! We talk about Fiscal cutoff, bills noted as NTIB, and the very controversial Millionaire's Tax. Resources: Session Cutoff Calendar Overview of the Process

It's week 3 of the 2026 WA legislative session! Megan goes to Olympia and gets a boost of hopoe just from the energy there. We talk about priority bills and where what actions need to happen before the next two cutoffs. Resources: Public Health Legislative Education Day - Feb 18th House Finance Committee members

It's week two of the 2026 WA legislative process and Megan defines all the terms that you will need to know throughout session. Resources: Definitions of Legislative Terms Free recorded classes about the WA Legislative Process Sign up for WSPHA Newsletter for action alerts Sign in PRO to SB 6129 before 3pm 1/22 Sign in PRO to SB 6116 before 3pm 1/22

Welcome back to season 5 of the Public Health is Essential Podcast, hosted by the Washington State Public Health Association. It's the first week of the 2026 WA Legislative Session, but things feel remarkably like deja-vu. We hear a message from our friend, Gloria! Resources: TVW.org www.leg.wa.gov Register for Public Health Legislative Education Day Feb 18th!

The 2025 Washington State Legislative Session is officially over! Megan and Gloria talk about what happened over the last week to wrap things up and talk about what's next! We're going to take a break for a while. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay involved!

It's the last week of the Washington State Legislative Session! Megan and Gloria discuss all the work that still needs to get done as well as the show down between the Legislature and the Governor's office. Will we have a special session or not? Resources: List of Governor Bill Signings www. TVW.org

It’s week 14 of the Washington State Legislative session! Megan & Gloria talk about all the things that still need to get done before session is over in 1.5 weeks. Resources: Legislator emails Session calendar

It's week 13 of the Washington State Legislative session! Megan & Gloria talk about where we are in the budget process. We are also very grateful to the legislature for protecting public health funding in the budgets. Resources: Health Policy News by Foundation for Healthy Generations House Floor Activity and Senate Floor Activity

It's week 12 of the Washington State legislative process! Megan and Gloria talk about bills still on track to pass by Sine Die, April 27th, 2025. They also talk about sunsets and revenue! Resources: WA Budget Universe Senate Revenue Bills Hearing - W&M 3/31 4pm

It's week 11 of the Washington State Legislative Process! Megan & Gloria talk about the draft budgets that dropped this week! They talk about proposed revenue options and ways the legislature plans to flip the tax code to be less regressive. Resources : www.fiscal.wa.gov (look at Senate and House Operating budgets) Senate and House Budget Rollout recordings

It's week 10 of the Washington State Legislative Process. Megan & Gloria talk about some dead bills and budget updates. We also talk about how Federal changes could impact our State budget and potentially throw us into a Special Session. Resources: Excellent visual about our State's Budget (done by Senate Ways & Means) HB 1531 (Communicable Disease Prevention) - Sign in PRO by 3/21 @ 7am

It's week 9 of the Washington State legislative process! Megan & Gloria talk about last minute floor action before the House of Origin cutoff on March 12th at 5pm. After floor action is done, bills will get shuffled to their respective policy committees in the opposite chamber. Resources: Send thank you's to your legislators ( emails ) TVW - March 8th Floor action on HB 1531

It's the 8th week of the Washington Legislative process! Megan and Gloria talk about the next cutoff, March 12th, and what needs to happen before then. Then they answer questions from students in the RN-BSN degree program at Western Washington University! Resources: Email your legislators (and their LA) TVW for Floor Debate Senate Floor Calendar House Floor Calendar

It's week 7 in the Washington State Legislative process and bills are currently being heard in their House or Origin Fiscal Committees. Fiscal committee line-ups mixed with budget news, mixed with Federal updates are making us a little politically charged and we need to take a breather. Correction: Megan makes a mistake by saying the local resolution came from Lincoln County, when it actually came...

Megan & Gloria talk about the looming cutoff and bills that are at risk of not making it through. They also talk about budget rumors, that if implemented, would be a code red emergency for public health funding. We need people to be talking to their legislators! Resources: Using the Legislative Hotline (3 min webinar) Find your legislative district Legislator emails (make sure you cc their L.A...

Megan and Gloria talk about the political scoop in the 5th week of the Washington State Legislative Process. Bills we support this week: Resources: WSPHA Policy Priorities ! HB 1392 (Medicaid Access Program) : Hearing 2/13 4pm, Sign in PRO SB 5138 (Nicotine Flavor Ban) : Hearing 2/14 8am, Sign in PRO March 6th: Public Health Legislative Education Day

Join Megan & Gloria for the 4th week of the Washington State Legislative Process with WSPHA. We talk about the impacts of Federal actions on State Policy and on WSPHA Policy Priorities. We also talk about how to get involved by attending hill days in Olympia, including ours March 6th ! Resources: Webinar: Signing in on bills (3min) HB 1389: Rent Stabilization resources Submit Written Testimony...

Megan & Gloria are joined by Representative Kristine Reeves (LD 30, Federal Way) to learn all about HB 1203, which seeks to end the sale of all flavor nicotine products. We get to hear how a legislator's lived experience can impact the way they fight for certain policies. Resources: Watch the hearing on tvw (Friday 1/31 8am) Sign-in PRO on HB 1203 (lobbying activity) Sign-in CON on HB 1534 (lo...

Welcome to the second week of the WA State Legislative process! Megan & Gloria talk about the transition in Governor and what that may mean to solving the state budget crisis. We also review several bills that had hearings in week one and preview bills that will have hearings in week two. Resources: www.tvw.org How to use TVW We need Public Health stories in WA State! Email info@wspha.org . Ho...

Welcome back to the weekly Washington State Legislative Process with the Public Health is Essential Podcast! This pod is hosted by Megan Moore, Executive Director, and Gloria Rogers, Admin Coordinator, with the Washington State Public Health Assocation. Resources: Advocacy vs. Lobbying Cutoff Calendar Why the cutoff calendar is important Watch hearings online: www.tvw.org Participate in hearings