Island Transit, an Innovation Lab, and Addressing the Opioid Epidemic

It has been a busy summer in Northwest Washington!

Big changes are on the horizon for the Island Transit facility, thanks to a significant $14.96 million federal grant from the Federal Transit Authority (FTA). This funding will help Island Transit acquire 12 hydrogen fuel cell buses and the necessary infrastructure to move toward our goal of a zero-emission fleet. $7.53 million was earmarked to engineer and construct a new transit center on South Whidbey and five new hybrid vans as part of the expansion at the Coupeville operating base. I am proud to have helped secure this funding for Island Transit as the ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

The Lynnwood Times joined me on one of our canvassing walks in Mukilteo to knock on doors and hear from voters about what matters to them. We discussed a wide array of topics, including the billions of dollars invested in Washington state by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the bipartisan FAA Reauthorization Bill, the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, and my work to fund both county drug task forces and provide job skills training for those recovering from addiction.

I visited Edmonds College to see its recently unveiled "Innovation Lab," a one-of-a-kind college training facility that offers students real-world experience in aerospace. The program has been hugely successful, graduating about 300 students annually, with over 90% of tracked graduates securing jobs in manufacturing. The Innovation Lab does not just provide students with tangible skills but also builds our economy with a new generation of aerospace workers and helps Northwest Washington maintain its status as a leading aerospace hub.

Finally, the Lummi Nation and other local tribes are supporting The PROTECT Act — new bipartisan legislation that I introduced to combat the opioid crisis. This act would empower Tribal courts to issue search warrants for social media accounts of suspected drug dealers and expand Tribal jurisdiction over drug trafficking crimes.

I am grateful that I was able to spend time with these folks and others across Northwest Washington over the summer. The hardworking people in our communities are what make the 2nd District great.

More soon,

Rick