On Jan. 26, a delegation of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders went to Olympia to meet with Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee and state legislators to raise awareness on the following issues:
- Supporting the Clean Air Rule & organizing around climate justice (initiative 732)
- Closing the K-12 opportunity and achievement gap (HB 1541)
- Supporting the Asian Pacific Cultural Center capital project
- Increasing funding for naturalization services
- Extending dental coverage for elderly immigrants
- Preserving non-Medicaid funding & investment in culturally competent health care (HB 1321)
- Supporting culturally competent nursing homes for our elders (SB 6335, HB 2466, HB 2678, SB 6240, and SB 6203)
- Reducing the voter registration deadline to 11 days & supporting automatic voter registration (HB 1428/SB 5527 and HB 2682/SB 6379, respectively)
- Reforming the system for legal financial obligations in our state (HB 1390)
- Funding the Washington Telephone Assistance Program (WTAP)
The delegation also talked with the governor about his support for Syrian refugees and immigrants.
AAPI members gather to give voice to topics that matter most to the community every January. This year, more than 200 members gathered at community meetings in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties to support the 2016 Asian Pacific American (APA) Legislative Day Agenda.
The delegation stated that people can support their 2016 agenda by calling and leaving messages for local legislators and the governor at 1-800-562-6000. (end)