Olympia Update

OLYMPIA–Pandemic restrictions are preventing Washington's citizens from setting foot inside the state Capitol during this year's legislative session, but they aren't stopping people from voicing their opinion on bills before the Legislature. A good case in point is Senate Bill 5114, a bipartisan proposal that I'm proud to co-sponsor.

Right now, no county in Washington has made it past Phase 1 of Gov. Jay Inslee's latest COVID-19 recovery plan, announced Jan. 11. This bill would move all of Washington to "Phase 2" of the state's lockdown plan, allowing businesses to reopen under social-distancing guidelines.

SB 5114 would allow indoor dining, indoor fitness centers, and movie theaters and other indoor entertainment businesses to reopen, although restricted to 25-percent capacity. This bill also would allow indoor gatherings with up to five non-household members.

When SB 5114 received a public hearing on Jan. 20 before the Senate State Government and Elections Committee, it attracted an unbelievable amount of attention: 1,620 people signed up to comment, and 1,519 were in support. About 280 people wanted to testify on the bill, but only 40 people got a chance to speak during the 65-minute hearing. Of those, 36 were in support of the bill.

There's a clear message in these numbers for Gov. Jay Inslee: many people across Washington, especially business owners, think the governor's overly restrictive approach to dealing with COVID-19 has hurt too many people, employers and workers alike.

Since the virus hit our state early last year, too many businesses have had to close their doors for good. The governor's approach to dealing with this pandemic has hurt too many families and communities. Economic recovery should be the Legislature's top priority this session. SB 5114 would at least allow more communities to get back on their feet.

SE Washington lags in COVID-19 vaccinations

As sometimes happens when state government is in charge of something, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Washington hasn't gone as well as expected.

As of Jan. 21, only 3.7 percent of Washington's population had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The numbers are even lower in southeastern Washington, where the virus has hit hard. Of the five counties that have seen less than 2 percent of their population receive a vaccine dose, three of them – Asotin, Franklin and Garfield – are located in our 9th District. It's a concern to see our local counties among the bottom tier of vaccinations so far.

When Gov. Inslee formulated his initial COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan, he didn't include hospitals or local leaders. The result has been many small communities in Washington that haven't seen enough vaccinations yet. Instead of creating an effective initial vaccination rollout and making sure more eligible people knew where and how to receive the vaccine, the governor played the blame game by pointing fingers at the federal government. Hopefully, the governor's revised vaccination timeline plan will result in more people receiving their first shot soon.

Of course, local communities don't have to rely on commands from Olympia to find a solution. During a recent weekend trip to visit a former legislator on the Olympic Peninsula, I saw firsthand a smoothly run vaccination plan used in Sequim that had more people vaccinated with a first-come, first-served drive-through approach than a reservation-appointment plan being used in nearby Port Angeles. With the help of volunteers, more elderly people were receiving a COVID-19 vaccine in less time. You could drive up and never have to leave your car. The organizers ran it so you did your paperwork while in your car, then drove ahead and received your shot. After waiting 15 minutes to see if you had a bad reaction to the shot, you could drive off.

It's nice to see local communities come up with good solutions to problems.

–Sen. Schoesler, R-Ritzville, has served the 9th Legislative District as a legislator since 1993.