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For this episode of the Everblue State, we spoke with Sen. David Frockt (D-Seattle) who chairs the Senate Special Committee on Economic Recovery. This newly formed committee is designed to help Washington State recover from the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the first hearing on June 16, Frockt and the committee heard from economists and Washington’s Employment Security Department about the challenges Washington and the rest of the United States are facing.

The Everblue State is back for the 2020 Legislative Session with a special episode with Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig. Billig gives us an update on what Senate Democrats are working on this year, and the issues he hopes the Legislature will tackle in the coming decade. He also takes a retrospective look at his favorite bills in the last 10 years. As an added bonus, he answers our question about which Senate Democrat he would draft for a minor league baseball team. Make sure to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Sen. David Frockt had some HUGE progressive wins during the 2019 Legislative Session. He sponsored a bill creating the first public option for health care in the United States. Another bill reformed the way we tax oil companies. He’s also responsible for legislation to help prevent school shootings. Frockt is the Senate lead for the state’s capital budget, and in this episode he explains one of his favorite capital projects: a new behavioral health teaching hospital at the University of Washington. Make sure to listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Sen. Karen Keiser has served in the Washington State Legislature since 1996 — and she’s seen a lot of change. She watched as the number of women in the Senate grew, and then dropped again. Keiser chairs the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee, and frequently presides over the Senate as President Pro Tempore. She shared some insights from her long career in this episode of the Everblue State.

For this episode of the Everblue State, Sen. Manka Dhingra tells us about her path to the state Senate, what it’s like to be deputy majority leader, and why improving Washington’s behavioral health system is one of her priorities. Plus, she told us what it was like to make history as a woman of color in the King County Prosecutor’s Office and in the Senate.

For this episode of The Everblue State, we spoke with Sen. Jesse Salomon, the first-year senator from the 32nd District. Salomon has spent his career in public service — working as a public defender, serving on the Shoreline City Council and more. In the Senate, he’s working hard on environmental and early childhood education issues.

This week on The Everblue State, Sen. Steve Hobbs updated us on Washington’s transportation policy. He also went in-depth about his nerdy pursuits — including Dungeons and Dragons. He even told us which members of the Legislature he would pick for a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Hobbs represents the 44th District, and is a combat veteran.

For this episode of The Everblue State, we spoke with another one of our new legislators: Sen. Joe Nguyen. Nguyen represents the district he grew up in (the 34th District) and is passionate about providing opportunities for Washingtonians regardless of their income level. He’s also working this session to vacate some marijuana convictions.

In this week’s episode, we spoke with 26th District Senator Emily Randall about what it’s like to be one of the Senate’s newest members. Her seat was previously held by a Republican, and she is working to make sure her constituents are fairly represented. She’s also one of the Legislature’s several new women of color, and is a LGBTQ leader. She told us what it’s like to serve in a Legislature that is slowly becoming more diverse.

This week, we spoke with Sen. Andy Billig, the new Senate Majority Leader. He told us why he first ran for office, what it’s like to lead the Senate Democratic Caucus (and how it compares to running a baseball team) and what we can expect from the Senate this year.