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 TaxWatch 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 EmailsHouse Budget proposalSenate 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 CalendarOverview 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 18thHouse 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 TermsFree recorded classes about the WA Legislative ProcessSign up for WSPHA Newsletter for action alertsSign in PRO to SB 6129 before 3pm 1/22Sign 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.orgwww.leg.wa.govRegister 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 Signingswww.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 emailsSession 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 GenerationsHouse 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 UniverseSenate 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 DebateSenate Floor CalendarHouse 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 from Franklin County, WA.Resources:House Democrats relsease the "No New Revenue" or "all cuts" budget (it's bad!)Lobbying vs. Advocacy webinar ( 4 mintutes)Legislator emails

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 districtLegislator 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 PROSB 5138 (Nicotine Flavor Ban): Hearing 2/14 8am, Sign in PROMarch 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 resourcesSubmit Written Testimony on SB 5352 (Free School Meals) by 2/4/25 at 4:00pmSign in PRO on HB 1583 (Medicaid Coverage of Traditional Medicine) by 2/4/25 at 12:30pmSign in PRO on SB 5557 (Emergency Treatment for Pregnancy Conditions) by 2/7/25 at 7:00am

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 (lobbying activity)

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.orgHow to use TVWWe need Public Health stories in WA State! Email [email protected] to testify at a hearing

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. LobbyingCutoff CalendarWhy the cutoff calendar is importantWatch hearings online: www.tvw.orgParticipate in hearings

We're back for the 2025 Washington State Legislative Session! New episodes will drop every Tuesday at 6am through the end of April, so make sure you subscribe on your favorite podcast app and weekly episodes will show up like magic. Can't wait to do this with you again!www.wspha.orgwww.leg.wa.gov

Washington State Public Health Association Director, Megan Moore, and Admin Coordinator, Gloria Rogers talk about the last week of the 2024 Washington Legislative Session. And it's our last week hosting this podcast! We'll see you back for Public Health Week April 1-5, 2024!Resources: The WA Governor's Bill Signing PagePrimer on Concurrence, Dispute, and Conference by Foundation for Healthy Generations

In this week's special episode WSPHA Director, Megan Moore, and Admin Coordinator, Gloria Rogers, interview Representative Greg Nance (LD 23, Bainbridge Island) about HB 2112, which would offer opioid overdose solutions and education in institutions of higher education. We talk about what to do after a bill passes and how you can get involved if you are a student in college right now.

WSPHA Executive Director, Megan Moore, and Admin Coordinator, Gloria Rodgers, talk about the happenings of week 6 and 7 during the Washington Legislative Process. We talk about some of the proposed allocations in the budgets. The end is in sight!Resources this week:"A Citizen's Guide to the Budget" by the Senate Ways & Means committee, 2016"The Budget Universe" by the Senate Ways & Means committee, 2023

WSPHA Executive Director, Megan Moore, and Admin Coordinator, Gloria Rogers, discuss today's "House of Origin" cutoff and upcoming budget drops. We talk about what the budget means and what to do if you bill is doomed to die this session. Resources:"A Citizen's Guide to the Budget" by the Senate Ways & Means committee, 2016"The Budget Universe" by the Senate Ways & Means committee, 2023

WSPHA Director, Megan Moore, and Admin Coordinator, Gloria Rogers, discuss the work done behind-the-scenes in the legislature to prevent wasted time in floor debate. We also have an update on the citizens' initiatives and how the legislature may handle them. Resources: 2024 Cutoff CalendarSenate Floor CalendarHouse Floor CalendarLegislator Email List

WSPHA Executive Director, Megan Moore, and Admin Coordinator, Gloria Rogers, talk about the looming first cutoff of session and what that means about the conversation in the legislature moving forward. Resources this week: WA Legislative Website2024 Session Cutoff CalendarWA Legislature: Definitions

Washington State Public Health Association Director, Megan Moore, and Admin Coordinator, Gloria Roger, discuss the happenings in the third week of the WA legislative session. They talk about how often bills can change and how you have to stay vigilant when tracking. Resources this week: WSPHA WebsiteLegislative WebsiteTVWHow to sign in to testify and note your positionCrafting a Great Message - Hook, Line, and Sinker

WSPHA Director, Megan Moore, and Admin Coordinator, Gloria Rogers, talk with lobbyist Amy Brackenbury about what happened last week and what to expect in the upcoming WA legislative session.Resources from Week 2:WSPHA Website: www.wspha.orgLegislative Website: www.leg.wa.govTVW: www.tvw.orgHow a bill becomes a law (WA edit): https://leg.wa.gov/CivicEd/Pages/bill2Law_elementary.aspxHow to find bills: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOQ8gsEBF8E

WSPHA Director, Megan Moore, and Admin Coordinator, Gloria Rogers, talk about the start of the Washington Legislative Session. We dive into feelings of inadequacy doing policy work and lay out the structure of the 2024 short session.Resources from Week 1:WSPHA website: https://www.wspha.org/Legislative Website: https://leg.wa.gov/TVW: www.tvw.org2024 Cutoff Calendar: https://leg.wa.gov/legislature/Documents/2024CutoffCalendarDraft.pdfAdvocacy vs. Lobbying: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgjZdwLxvdULegislative Committees: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSwj98b9lQ8Legislator (and assistants') emails: https://app.leg.wa.gov/Rosters/Members

Welcome to the Public Health is Essential podcast brought to you by the Washington State Public Health Association. I am your host and association Executive Director, Megan Moore. We are excited to announce the return of our podcast for the upcoming Legislative session.We invite you to join us every week for exclusive updates directly from the legislature, some insider scoop, and guidance on how to use your voice for health.Make sure to hit the subscribe button!

This episode of the podcast is about decriminalizing youth purchase, use, and possession or PUP of commercial tobacco and vaping products. This episode was recorded August 24, 2022 before a live-virtual audience with guests Elaine Ishihara of APICAT, the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition Advocating Together for Health, and Penny Lipsou, who was with the American Heart Association at the time of the recording. Theme music is Night Drive licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com.

For episode one we are honored to welcome Adrian Dominguez, the newly installed WSPHA Board President and Chief Data Officer of the Seattle Indian Health Board. In this episode, we discuss his public health journey, the state of public health, and what is on the horizon for the Washington State Public Health Association. Theme music is Synapse licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License by Shane Ivers of silvermansound.com.