February 24, 2015

Greetings Friends and Neighbors,

It is hard to believe that we are nearly half-way through the 2015 legislative session. We reached a first milestone, Feb. 20, which was the first cut-off. This means that bills must have had a public hearing and be voted out of committee. This week we will be taking bills for a full vote in the Senate.

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your state Senator.

Sincerely,

Judy Warnick

13th District State Senator

First Bill Passed

I recently had the opportunity to have my first bill pass out of the Senate. It is a tradition that a Senator’s first bill be given a hard time. I had colleagues get up and voice opposition to my bill, but in the end it passed unanimously. Another tradition is giving gifts from the district. I gave members Central Washington University scarfs, lolly hops (a lollipop made from hops), and honey from a local producer and a plaque that says, ‘Wheat is King.’ It was an exciting and fun opportunity. Please click here to watch a video of the days events.

The Legislative Process

Many times I use words and phrases that make sense for people very familiar with the legislative process. I want to touch on some terms that are good to know when engaging with the Legislature.

A popular term is “dropping a bill.” This means that a Senator has filed the necessary paperwork for a piece of legislation to be introduced.

I mentioned earlier in this newsletter about a “cut-off.” There are several of these during the legislative session. They are deadlines that we have to keep the process moving. Our state has a part-time Legislature that alternates between long and short sessions. Long sessions occur on odd- numbered years.

During long sessions, like the one this year, we work on the state’s two-year budget, called a “biennial budget.” The long sessions are scheduled for 105 days. Our first cut- off was Feb. 20. This means that bills must have a public hearing and voted out of the committee to keep moving along in the process. I will be providing updates on the legislative process in future e-newsletters.

Our state does a great job at engaging the public on legislative issues. Please click here to see some of the online resources available to understand and engage in the legislative process.

Ports Memorial

Washington is a very trade dependent state and the impacts of the port slowdown has had an effect on our local economy, hitting agriculture producers, workers and families hard.

Thankfully, over the weekend, both sides in the dispute reached an agreement for a tentative five-year contract. You can read more about the agreement by clicking here.

At issue were concerns by workers over increased automation at the ports and how disputes are settled, particularly the arbitration process. The details of the agreement are not yet available but you can click here to read a recent article about the dispute resolution.

I took every step possible to bring this issue to light among the media and my colleagues because if affects us all. My seatmates, Rep. Matt Manweller and Rep. Tom Dent, and I sent a letter to the President because only the Federal government can intervene in this labor dispute.

Please click here to read the letter.

The Senate introduced SJM 8009. The Senate Joint Memorial emphasizes the importance of trade to our state, and the importance of ports in our economy.The memorial urges action by the President and federal leaders to find a solution to the port slowdown.

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IN THIS ISSUE

My first bill
Addressing gang violence
The legislative process
Ports memorial and letter

Contact Me

Olympia Office:

103 Irv Newhouse Bldg.

P.O. Box 40410

Olympia, WA 98504

Olympia Phone:

360.786.7624

E-mail:

Judith.Warnick@leg.wa.gov

Website:

Click Here to Visit my Website

Video Update

This session I am working on different ways to connect with people in my district. Every other week I sit down and discuss issues in the Legislature. Please click here to see my latest video update from Olympia.

Su Gobierno

Es un honor servirles como su senadora. Estamos en la septima semana de la sesión legislativa del 2015 y estoy trabajando para representar sus prioridades al invertir en la educación, mantener los impuestos bajos y mejorar la economía para incrementar las oportunidades de trabajo en nuestra comunidad.

Este año tenemos que hacer el nuevo presupuesto para los siguientes dos años. Afortunadamente tenemos $3 billones de dólares más del presupuesto anterior y creo que debemos utilizarlos de manera responsable. Por lo tanto, la conversación para aumentar impuestos debería ser nuestra última opción. Esta sesión legislativa será un reto, pero estoy lista para colaborar con mis colegas del senado para llegar a una solución colectiva.

Your Government

It is an honor to serve as your senator. We are in the seventh week of the 2015 legislative session and I am working to represent your priorities like investing in education, keeping taxes low and bettering the economy to encourage job opportunities in our community.

This year we have to make a new budget for the next two years. Thankfully we have $3 billion more than in our last budget and I believe we should utilize those dollars responsibly. Raising taxes should be our last option. This session will be a challenge but I am ready to work with my colleagues in the Senate to bring collaborative solutions.

Combating Gang Involvement

I signed on to a bill that would find creative ways to address gang problems in our communities. The bill makes changes to prevailing wage requirements set by the Department of Labor and Industries.

This bill would allow for an exemption on public works projects for youth centers and programs that are geared toward gang prevention. Please click here to read a story on the bill.