Never say never

Rep. Dickerson with granddaughter
on Children's Day

Never call a Mary Lou Dickerson bill “dead” until the final gavel falls.  Such was the lesson taught, yet again, by the Friday afternoon House passage of the Toxic-Free Kids Act (House Bill 2821).

If the Senate follows suit, Washington could soon become the first state in the nation to ban children’s products made with a toxic flame-retardant known as “TRIS.”  With apologies to the cereal ads, “TRIS is not for kids.”

Concerned moms and dads joined experts ranging from nurses and doctors to firefighters in calling for the ban, because TRIS has been linked to cancer and other health problems—and the biggest risks are to the youngest kids. What is more, there are plenty of safe alternatives to TRIS.

Mary Lou and House Democrats are no strangers to leading the nation on children’s safety.  Our Children's Safe Products Act of 2008, was the first state law in the nation to ban lead, cadmium and nasty phthalates in toys and other children's products—but Congress soon followed our lead by passing the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act to regulate lead and phthalates in toys.

Will the Senate join the House in passing the Toxic-Free Kids Act before the special session ends? Stay tuned... 

To read this story in Spanish, please click here.

Bipartisan tributes to Reps. Dickerson, Finn, and Gutièrrez Kenney

Three retiring members of the House Democratic Caucus were honored this morning with resolutions on the House floor.

Representatives Mary Lou Dickerson, Fred Finn, and Phyllis Gutièrrez Kenney are all retiring at the end of their terms this year.  As is the tradition in the House, the three were each called up individually to the rostrum as their resolution was read in full, after which House members from both sides of the aisle rose to say additional words of praise and share stories – and humorous anecdotes – about them.

Rep. Dickerson has served in the House since 1994, and currently chairs the Health & Human Services Appropriations & Oversight committee.  She represents Seattle’s 36^th Legislative District. In a floor tribute from Republican Rep. Norm Johnson, he mentioned Rep. Dickerson’s 2008 receipt of the “Smackdown Award” from Fuse for her efforts to keep toxic chemicals out of children’s toys and products. The resolution honoring Rep. Dickerson can be found here. 

Rep. Finn came to the House in 2009 to represent the 35^th Legislative District.  He serves as vice-chair of the Community & Economic Development & Housing committee.  His House colleagues were likely surprised to learn today that in the 1960’s and 70’s, Rep. Finn was a member of a rock-and-roll band called The Routemen.  The band even performed at the 1965 World’s Fair.  The resolution honoring Rep. Finn can be found here.

Rep. Gutièrrez Kenney first came to the House in 1997, and chairs the Community Development & Housing committee.  She represents Seattle’s 46^th Legislative District.  Fellow Seattle lawmaker Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos noted in her tribute this morning that Rep. Gutièrrez Kenney is a cancer survivor. A recent HDC Advance post about her retirement announcement can be read here, and the resolution honoring her can be read in full here.

To read this story in Spanish, click here.

Lawmakers take aim at more toxic toys

Doctors, moms, lawmakers and the Washington Toxics Coalition joined forces at a press conference this morning to announce good news and bad news on infant and children’s products.

The bad news is that a new study of Hidden Hazards in the Nursery found high levels of toxic flame retardants in a jaw-dropping 85 percent of 20 popular children’s products that were tested recently—including nursing pillows, car seats, and changing pads.

The worst culprit was “chlorinated tris,” a carcinogen that has also been linked to DNA mutation, hormone disruption and other health problems. Even though this toxic threat was removed from children’s pajamas in the 1970’s, it was found in high concentrations in 80 percent of the products tested in the new study!

As a mom of a 4-year-old in Olympia put it, “It’s frustrating to find out the products my kids use contain harmful chemicals and that the government allows it.

But there is also good news:  Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson and Sen. Sharon Nelson announced at the press conference that they are proposing the Toxic-Free Kids Act (HB 2266 and SB 6120) to ban toxic tris flame retardants from children’s products sold in Washington. After all, safe alternatives are readily available. Their bills would also prevent manufacturers from substituting untested and potentially dangerous alternatives to tris in their products.

As Dickerson said at the press conference, “Parents shouldn’t have to be chemists to know their children are safe from dangerous chemicals in children’s products.” That’s the philosophy that made Washington a national leader in protecting kids from toxic toys, and it is the reason why Washington’s leadership is needed to protect children again.

To read this story in Spanish, click here.

A one-stop link for services

State Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson and House Democrats proposed an exciting new idea in 2010—an “opportunity portal” to provide fast, efficient, one-stop access to a wide array of federal, state and local benefits that are available to Washington residents. The result was a new law and the nation-leading Washington Connection (www.washingtonconnection.org) portal.

An important milestone was reached yesterday when Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn announced that City of Seattle benefits and services can now be accessed through Washington Connection. He noted that it’s the “first partnership of its kind in the nation between a state and a large city.”

Thanks to Washington Connections, Washington residents can quickly learn about and apply for services and benefits that include food assistance, medical assistance, cash, education, veterans benefits, home care services, housing assistance and more. It is safe, secure and lightning fast.

Washington Connections is the best kind of public-private partnership. Thanks to state and local leaders and great partners like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, children, adults and families in Washington are getting help they need in record time.

Making government work faster and better for people is a leading priority of the HDC. Washington Connections shows how that leadership is helping residents and communities throughout our great state.

Want to learn more?  Take a look at Mayor Mike McGinn's press release and the Puget Sound Business Journal article: Gates Foundation helps fund centralized city/state public assistance website.

To read this blog post in Spanish, go here.

Bye Bye BPA!

As we head into the July 4^th weekend, Washington is declaring independence from BPA in children's food and beverage containers.

Thanks to last year's Safe Baby Bottle Bill, beginning July 1^st , no bottles, cups or other containers for children under age 3 that contain the chemical Bisphenol-A (BPA) can be made, sold or distributed in Washington.

Parents can breathe easier knowing that their young children won't be using sippy cups or other containers that include BPA, which over 150 independent studies have linked to increased risks of cancers, sexual dysfunction, diabetes and a host of other toxic threats.

Thanks largely to the leadership of Mary Lou Dickerson (D-Seattle) and House Democrats, Washington is a national leader in protecting children from toxic toys and unsafe food containers. In 2008, the Children's Safe Products Act made us the first state to enact strict standards for lead, cadmium, and phthalates in children's products—and Congress soon followed our lead by passing the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. The Safe Baby Bottle Law reaffirmed our leadership and commitment to kids

A year from today we will celebrate another milestone when the Safe Baby Bottle Bill bans BPA in sports bottles used by pregnant moms.

It's Earth Day

On Earth Day, we thought it would be fun (okay, interesting, at least) to look back at what we've done here in Washington to play a part in keeping our air, land and water clean and healthy.

Just this year, we led the way on banning the toxic chemical Bisphenol A from baby bottles, sippy cups and sports bottles. We were the second state to ban this chemical in sports bottles, and the fifth in children’s dishware. Representative Mary Lou Dickerson worked for over two years to help protect our children from this toxic estrogren-mimic. There's currently a big push to make this national law.

And remember the headlines a few years ago about the toxics being found in all kinds of children's toys and products? In 2008 we passed the first bill in the nation with strong standards for lead, cadmium, phthalates in children’s toys and products. Rep. Dickerson’s Toxic Toys bill was so successful that the next year the Federal Government passed their own version modeled on much of what we had accomplished.

This year we also passed the first law in the country that begins to phase out copper brake pads. Every time a car or truck hits the brakes, a little bit of copper dust falls to the roadway. Eventually that copper gets washed into our streams and rivers and damages our salmon runs. We’re hopeful that our efforts will help protect fish all across the country.

Another big win for the environment this year was the passage of the comprehensive producer responsibility program for mercury-containing light bulbs. This is the second such program to be launched in the whole country. People frequently toss their bulbs in their trash where the mercury slowly leaks into our groundwater supplies. Mercury harms the brain, kidney and liver, and Rep. Sam Hunt's legislation ensures convenient access to disposal in all areas of the state and holds the producers of these light bulbs accountable for paying for their safe disposal.

This is in addition to another trailblazing program passed a few years ago. Our state's E-Waste program was the first in the nation to provide manufacturer-funded free recycling of computers, monitors, laptops and televisions. The program went into effect last year and collected 38 million pounds of TVs and computers. Rep. Zack Hudgins helped lead this effort. Check here for drop-off information.

There's more we could highlight, but the point is that our legislators have long been champions of policies that not only protect our planet, but protect the health of the people who inhabit it.

For tips and ideas on how you can do the same, check here or head to an Earth Day event near you!

New reforms will save $25 million

The demand for government services in our state has been on the rise, but we currently have fewer resources coming in to meet those demands. Since the 1930’s, our state has provided income and medical support to childless adults who cannot work due to a disability.

This program, now called Disability Lifeline, was meant to provide temporary assistance while helping people get on track to rehabilitation and re-entry into the workforce, as well as provide a bridge to permanent Social Security Income (SSI) benefits for those who qualified. The number of people receiving these benefits has grown by nearly 50 percent within the last four years. A third of these people are homeless, and most of the rest are near-homeless. More than a third of those helped—including many veterans—are mentally ill.

At the start of this year’s Legislative session, Disability Lifeline, previously referred to as the General Assistance Unemployable program, was in jeopardy, putting approximately 17,000 people with disabilities at risk of losing their basic financial and medical needs. Fortunately, the Legislature protected Disability Lifeline and implemented reforms that are expected to save approximately $25 million.

With Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson’s House Bill 2782, Disability Lifeline will continue to serve some of the most vulnerable populations in our state. Signed into law yesterday, HB 2782 creates new time limits and emphasizes faster transitions to employability or federally-funded SSI benefits within the Disability Lifeline program.

With the new time limits in the Disability Lifeline reforms, benefits are limited to 24 months in a 5-year period-begin Sept. 1 and will be retroactive. Now Disability Lifeline recipients must also participate in substance-abuse treatment or vocational rehabilitation, when appropriate. They will also have to accept housing vouchers in lieu of cash grants, when suitable housing is available. Expedited case reviews will hasten transitions to employability or SSI.

Baby bottle bill almost to governor's desk!

More than 150 independent studies have linked bisphenol A (BPA) to breast and prostate cancer, sexual dysfunction, diabetes and a wide range of other adverse health effects. Earlier this year, the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) agreed with the National Toxicology Program that there is reason for "concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children."

Unfortunately, BPA is found frequently in baby bottles, sippy cups and other food and beverage containers used by children under the age of three. That's why Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson has been working for years to ban BPA in these products, and today just might be the day she can declare victory.

The House voted 96-1 to approve the Safe Baby Bottle Bill. The ban on baby food and drink containers manufactured with BPA would take effect in July, 2011, and would be followed a year later by a ban on BPA-containing sports bottles, which are often used by pregnant women.

Maryland and Wisconsin banned BPA in baby bottles and sippy cups earlier this year. Connecticut and Minnesota enacted BPA bans in 2009.

(Photo: Washington Toxics Coalition)

House votes to protect children from harmful toxins

The House voted nearly unanimously to reduce the harmful toxin, Bisphenol A, from products marketed to young children. Only one dissenter thought it wouldn't be a good idea to protect babies from toxins that have been linked to organ failure, developmental problems, and cancer.

The bill's champion in the House, Mary Lou Dickerson, was very pleased to see the House take early action to pass her bill. The House passed HB 1180 last year, but the Senate wasn't able to wrangle enough votes to do the same before the end of the session. Hopefully, this year will be a different story. Concerned parents and citizens across the state have been with us to fight for this. Below is one of those concerned moms, Kim from Seattle, who recently spoke to us about the bill. Kim is a new mom who participated in a study to determine which toxins in her body are being passed to her child.

Health care town hall tonight in Ballard

As the folks in the other Washington get closer to an agreement on a federal health care bill, many questions remain about the impact of federal efforts to our state programs, particularly in the face of increasing budget challenges.

36th district legislators Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Reps. Mary Lou Dickerson and Reuven Carlyle are hosting a town hall so people can speak with Senator Karen Keiser and Rep. Eileen Cody who chair the Legislature's two health care committees.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Ballard Swedish Medical Center (5300 Tallman Ave NW), Room A on the first floor. Everyone interested in health care issues is welcome!

A hands-on look at the viaduct replacement project

The 36th District delegation of Reps. Reuven Carlyle and Mary Lou Dickerson and Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles last Friday afternoon hosted the second in a series of hands-on community tours exploring the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement project. More than 30 community members and representatives from stakeholder groups attended the event, which focused on the central waterfront and seawall portions of the mega-project.



The three lawmakers held the tours so that the public has a baseline level of information about the project. Carlyle notes that they want an “engaged, open, transparent process” that adequately addresses the concerns of all stakeholders, from commuters and freight businesses to bicyclists, transit riders and more. Dickerson said Friday’s event “really helped people to listen to one another, which is important as we move forward.” In late July, the lawmakers held the first event, focusing on tunnel access points for NW Seattle.

Ron Paananen and Mark Bandy of WSDOT, Bob Chandler and Steve Pearce of Seattle DOT, Ron Posthuma of King County DOT, and Mike Merritt of the Port of Seattle were on hand on Friday to explain the current stage of the project and what the next steps will be. Utility relocation work has already begun, and an environmental impact assessment and soil testing are currently underway. Meanwhile, WSDOT on Sept. 15 issued a request for qualifications to contractors interested in the bored-tunnel project.

Participants met at Carlyle and Kohl-Welles’ office at the base of Queen Anne for a presentation, followed by a walking tour of several points along the waterfront to see where the proposed changes could occur.

To learn more about the viaduct replacement project, visit WSDOT’s viaduct project Web site.

Floor action continues at this hour -- Mental Health package sent to Senate

The tragic murder of Shannon Harps on New Year’s Eve, 2007, was remembered by state lawmakers today as the House passed several reforms that aim to protect mental-health services for children and reduce threats to public safety from mentally ill offenders.

“The death of Shannon Harps taught us lessons that will save lives,” said Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, D-Seattle, who chairs the Human Services Committee. “Passing these reforms will honor her memory and make all people in Washington safer in years to come.”

After Harps was killed by a person who was seriously mentally ill and under community supervision at the time of the murder, a special working group led by King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg launched a comprehensive review of issues related to the community supervision of higher-risk mentally ill offenders. Several of the reforms passed by the House today reflect findings from the study.

House Bill 1300, by Rep. Chris Hurst (D-Enumclaw), takes aim at a key problem identified by the Satterberg working group: a systematic failure to share mental-health history information that could be crucial to guiding interactions and decisions related to mentally-ill offenders.

“Failing to share information about risks posed by mentally-ill offenders has led to catastrophe in the past and will do so again unless we act decisively now to solve the problem,” Hurst said.

Hurst’s bill addresses the information gap by giving public health officials, prosecuting and defense attorneys, jail personnel and other key individuals expanded access to mental-health treatment histories under the Involuntary Treatment Act. It also gathers confidentially statutes into a single place to end confusion about who is entitled to what information about mentally ill offenders.

House Bill 1346, by Rep. Tami Green (D-Lakewood) creates additional grounds to petition for the extended involuntary treatment of a person who is already the subject of a court order for less restrictive treatment. Green’s bill would reduce the risks of premature release from treatment while also avoiding more restrictive and expensive hospitalization. “We worked hard to strike the right balance between protecting public safety and respecting the rights of persons with mental illness,” Green said. “The strong support we’ve received shows we got the balance right.”

House Bill 1201, by Rep. Al O’Brien (D-Mountlake Terrace), would have participants of Washington’s Dangerous Mentally Ill Offender program complete an advance mental health directive prior to release from prison. An advance directive allows a person with mental illness to plan ahead for treatment they would receive, should their condition deteriorate. The bill also renames the program to the Offender Re-Entry Community Safety Program.

Giant baby bottle visits Olympia to support toxic ban

House members today passed HB 1180, a bill lawmakers have been referring to as the "baby bottle bill."

The bill seeks to ban the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles, sippy cups and other children’s food containers.

The Washington Toxics Coalition traveled to Olympia today with dozens of members and a very large bottle to a rally in support of the bill. They report that "BPA is a synthetic sex hormone that research links to health effects, including cancer, miscarriage, obesity, reproductive problems, and hyperactivity... Research also shows exposure to BPA puts girls at an increased risk of breast cancer."

Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson sponsored the bill, which the House just approved 76-21. HB 1180 now heads to the Senate, and we'll see whether the Toxics Coalition has to bring the giant baby bottle back for round 2.

New committee chairs are now official

Legislators in the House D Caucus finally approved the committee structure and chairs for the 2009-2011 session. Committees and Chairs are:

Agriculture and Natural Resources: Brian Blake (Aberdeen)
Audit Review and Oversight: Mark Miloscia (Federal Way)
Capital Budget: Hans Dunshee (Snohomish)
Commerce and Labor: Steve Conway (Tacoma)
Community and Economic Development and Trade: Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney (Seattle)
Early Learning and Children’s Services: Ruth Kagi (Lake Forest Park)
Ecology and Parks: Dave Upthegrove (Des Moines)
Education: Dave Quall (Mount Vernon)
Education Appropriations: Kathy Haigh (Shelton)
Environmental Health: Tom Campbell (Roy)
Finance: Ross Hunter (Medina)
Financial Institutions and Insurance: Steve Kirby (Tacoma)
General Government Appropriations: Jeannie Darneille (Tacoma)
Health and Human Services Appropriations: Eric Pettigrew (Seattle)
Health Care and Wellness: Eileen Cody (Seattle)
Higher Education: Deb Wallace (Vancouver)
Human Services: Mary Lou Dickerson (Seattle)
Judiciary: Jamie Pedersen (Seattle)
Local Government and Housing: Geoff Simpson (Covington)
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness: Christopher Hurst (Enumclaw)
Rules: Frank Chopp (Seattle)
State Government and Tribal Affairs: Sam Hunt (Olympia)
Technology, Energy and Communications: John McCoy (Tulalip)
Transportation: Judy Clibborn (Mercer Island)
Ways and Means: Kelli Linville (Bellingham)

Additionally, two vice chairs were also selected:
Ways and Means: Mark Ericks (Bothell)
Capital Budget: Timm Ormsby (Spokane)

Note the major change in committee structure with the creation of the Ways and Means committee. It replaces what was the Appropriations Committee. Now, the Education Appropriations, General Government Appropriations, and Health and Human Services Appropriations committees are standing committees (instead of sub-committees) and they will make funding recommendations to the new Ways and Means committee.