Author Archives: Laudan

Update from Olympia

Greetings from Olympia,

The 2023 session is nearly over. We are spending long hours voting on proposals that have come over from the House of Representatives or relooking at Senate bills that were amended in the House. We must complete this work and vote on final budget proposals by April 23.

In odd-numbered years, the state must create a balanced, two-year operating budget. The state Senate unveiled its proposal, Senate Bill 5187, which I voted in favor. It funds important priorities without new taxes, and a smaller increase in spending than we’ve previously seen. While not totally reflective of what a Republican budget would look like, a great deal of it reflects our priorities of public safety, affordability and an emphasis on education.

I have been concerned about what the final budget will look like because of recent proposals by the Democratic majority to impose higher taxes on real estate sales and an outlandish bill, Senate Bill 5770, which would repeal the voter-approved cap on property tax increases. That legislation would allow the state to increase annual property tax growth by 3% and allow local jurisdictions to do the same.

There is no good time to place additional taxes on housing, but especially in the midst of an affordability crisis. People are already struggling to stay in their homes as well. I oppose these efforts and hope the majority will realize the mistake this would be and not include them in the final budget. You can read my statement on this by clicking here.

Please look for my next update with more information on the final budget and other news from Olympia after the Legislature adjourns.

Beef Day and livestock ID

The governor recently signed legislation I sponsored into law. Senate Bill 5439 will support livestock identification efforts in our state by removing fees and administrative changes to improve the program’s sustainability.

The state’s livestock identification efforts are continually improving and my proposal will help the program operate better for producers and the public by removing unnecessary fees.

It was fitting that signing ceremony took place on what we call “Beef Day” here at the Capitol. Ranchers from around the state come to Olympia to educate lawmakers on challenges and needs the industry has while cooking up some delicious food for staff, legislators and visitors. Watch a short video by clicking here.

Click here for more information on my livestock identification bill.

Smart energy choices & broken promises

Over the past few years, there have been significant pushes by the majority Democrats to implement all kinds of “green” energy policies. While they aren’t necessarily taxes in the budget, the impact on Washingtonians is just the same. At the beginning of this year, the state implemented a carbon pricing scheme that you are feeling at the gas pump. Our gasoline and diesel costs are far higher than our neighbors in Oregon and Idaho, which don’t have such a policy.

Additionally, there have been a couple of proposals in these final weeks of the session that concern me. House Bill 1216, which I opposed, relates to siting of clean energy facilities in our state. While it does allow for limited reform to current lengthy environmental review of energy facilities, any benefit from that is negated by the lack of local control for such projects and could create a tax shift for property owners in a project area.

I proposed an amendment to House Bill 1181 that would have put in law the preservation and protection of agricultural land. The legislation makes changes to the already deficient Growth Management Act by requiring climate change “goals” to the required planning. This will add costs and time to needed housing and infrastructure projects without doing anything to improve or protect the environment. My amendment was rejected but we need smart energy policies to ensure our environment and economy are resilient, not onerous schemes that sideline local needs and take money out of local economies.

Rising crime & public safety

One of the most galvanizing policies this year has been fixing the police pursuit ban from 2021. As I outlined in a column earlier this year, rising crime and lawlessness has gripped our state as a result. The Senate acted at the 11th hour to keep one proposal alive, but to date, the House has failed to take any action to respond to the legitimate concerns of the public to empower our police to pursue suspected criminals.

Unfortunately, the Democratic majority has turned its attention to restricting the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens with even more gun restrictions. Did you know that Washington state, under their leadership, has passed 38 different gun-control measures since 2015? At the same time, they worked to reduce penalties for gun crimes and support policies that have hollowed out our police.

Ironically, the debate on the so-called “assault weapon” ban highlights the differences in our views on the subject of gun violence. In the intent section of House Bill 1240, they say the problem with gun violence is troubled young men. However, nothing in that proposal did anything to address their own admitted problem and they rejected various amendments offered by my Republican colleagues to strengthen penalties for gun crimes, do research or fund mental health interventions.

Another gun-related bill that is headed to the governor’s desk is House Bill 1143, which places arguably unconstitutional barriers to gun ownership. My biggest exception with this proposal is the requirements on training before being able to purchase or transfer a firearm. The bill does not describe what the training is and therefore there are no trainers. Who will certify them? It doesn’t appear that hunter safety courses will count.

In my view, Olympia has failed its most important task this session – public safety. While focusing on headlines and special-interest legislation, fixes to our state’s flawed police pursuit policy and drug possession laws have been watered down.

Read my statement here.

Legislature failed most important task this session, says Warnick

Votes against watered-down police pursuit bill

After failing to vote on its own police-pursuit fix, the Democrat-led state House of Representatives recently acted on the proposal sent over from the Senate. After amending the legislation, the House passed Senate Bill 5352 by a vote of 57-40.

The watered-down version received final approval in the Senate today with a concurrence vote of 26-22 and now heads to the governor’s desk. State Sen. Judy Warnick argues the “fix” doesn’t go far enough to correct the sweeping changes to police-pursuit tactics enacted by the 2021 Legislature that have contributed to a sharp increase in crime across the state.

Warnick, R-Moses Lake, issued the following statement on passage of the measure.

“The Legislature’s most important task this session is to address public safety in a meaningful way, and what was passed doesn’t come close to fixing the problem. The changes made in the House failed to improve the ability for law enforcement to keep our communities safe. While a partial solution is better than none at all, our communities deserve more than just a step in the right direction when it comes to restoring public safety.

“The public and our law enforcement have been clear about how we can stem the tide of lawlessness we are seeing. They aren’t asking us for more and higher taxes, or regulations that will increase costs to feed and house their families. They want to know that the police can respond to crimes happening in their communities and that suspects can’t just terrorize them without repercussions.”

Warnick bill to support rural dental school signed by governor

Yakima-area program’s faculty recruitment gets a boost

State Sen. Judy Warnick’s legislation, Senate Bill 5113, was signed into law today by the governor during a ceremony at the Capitol. The measure removes regulatory barriers for dental schools, particularly the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences in Yakima, to recruit out-of-state faculty, expanding access to this critical health care service.

Currently, out-of-state faculty members face burdensome licensing requirements when moving to Washington to teach in various medical fields, including dentistry. Under the new law, accredited dental schools can request temporary licensure for faculty members who have accepted employment at the respective school.

“This law will expand access to desperately needed health-care services in rural communities and I’m pleased the governor has signed this bill to help educate more dental professionals,” said Warnick, R-Moses Lake. “Pacific Northwest University can more easily recruit the talent they need to meet the needs of our rural communities and train the next generation of dental professionals.”

Other dental schools in Washington are able to provide similar waivers for prospective faculty under current law. Warnick’s legislation creates parity for this eastern Washington dental program. The temporary licensure will still maintain high standards, requiring approval by the Washington State Dental Quality Assurance Commission.

“This will allow the new school of dental medicine to expand our recruitment efforts to bring in highly qualified faculty to serve rural and underserved residents in our state,” said Fotinos Panagakos, DMD, PhD, founding dean of the School of Dental Medicine at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences. “We are thankful to Senator Warnick for her support and working to get this legislation passed.”

Based in Yakima, PNWU was founded in 2005 and currently serves nearly 600 students. Offering several programs in the health sciences, the university is focused on educating and training health-care professionals to serve rural and underserved communities throughout the Northwest.

Warnick rejects last-minute Democrat property tax-hike plan

The House and Senate have unveiled their respective operating budget proposals that, while increasing state spending, didn’t rely on new taxes. Democratic leaders in the House had hinted at raising the state’s real estate excise tax as part of their efforts to fund affordable housing. That proposal, House Bill 1628, is scheduled for a vote in committee. Warnick said, “You do not fix our state’s affordable housing crisis by taxing housing.”

Now, at the 11th hour, Senate Democrats have introduced a property-tax measure that would do away with the 1% cap on property tax growth, allowing a threefold increase at the state and local levels.

Senate Bill 5770, co-sponsored by 20 Senate Democrats, would reverse voter-approved Initiative 747 from 2001 that placed a 1% cap on property tax increases and would raise the limit to 3% per year for both state and local property taxes without voter approval. It also narrowly misses constitutional requirements of a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to introduce bills during the last 10 days of the session.

State Sen. Judy Warnick, who serves on the Senate’s budget committee, Ways and Means, says of the plan:

“I’m frankly shocked and disappointed that the Democratic majority has decided to even introduce this proposal. Families are already struggling with record inflation and shrinking household budgets and now is not the time to expose them to even more financial burdens.

“This will be the third time this session the majority has deliberately ignored the will of the voters and reversed voter-approved initiatives without their input. It’s wrong. The approach and timing are concerning and a bit unscrupulous. The state does not need the money, working families do. While the intent of the tax bill is to fund special education, the reality is that budget writers should make that a priority rather than spending needlessly on growing state government at the expense of our children.

“Tying education funding to tax increases is not what families in our state need to ensure their children can learn. This is reminiscent of the recent imposition of the capital gains income tax. While advocates of more taxes complain about how regressive our system is, they’ve done nothing to fix it. Now, they’re creating a false choice between education funding and unsustainable tax increases.”

Governor signs Warnick livestock ID bill on ‘Beef Day’

State Sen. Judy Warnick is from Washington’s ag country and has worked tirelessly to promote and protect the state’s second largest industry.

Today the governor signed legislation sponsored by Warnick, Senate Bill 5439, to support livestock identification efforts. The soon-to-be law will remove fees and make other sustainability improvements to the program.

“The state’s livestock identification efforts are continually improving, and my proposal will help the sustainability and fairness of this important program,” said Warnick, R-Moses Lake. “I think the program will operate better for producers and the public by removing unnecessary fees and making some administrative changes.”

Included in the legislation is language to remove the $20 call-out fee for inspection performed by veterinarians or field livestock inspectors. The bill also moves the required annual report date from September to November.

“This update to livestock identification will protect valuable assets for ranchers by providing needed funding for modernization. In addition, we can continue to build on the valuable work of disease traceability,” Warnick added.

The proposal was coincidentally signed into law during Beef Day at the Capitol Campus, a longstanding and popular advocacy effort by the cattle industry to educate policymakers while showcasing the culinary goods.

Senate passes Warnick legislation to improve transparency, efficiency for state’s only irrigation and rehab district

Washington state passed legislation in 1963 allowing irrigation districts that met certain requirements to become irrigation and rehabilitation districts, with the purpose of bolstering irrigation systems and improving shoreline health.

To date, the only such district in Washington is in Moses Lake, represented by state Sen. Judy Warnick.

She sponsored Senate Bill 5460 to make needed changes to how these districts operate, aimed at clarifying assessments and improved planning for critical projects. The critical issue was also picked up by her House seatmate as companion legislation, House Bill 1494, prime-sponsored by Rep. Tom Dent.

“This unique special purpose district is doing invaluable work for the people they serve, and this legislation will give them better tools to plan and improve engagement with the public,” said Warnick. “Under this proposal, Moses Lake’s irrigation and rehabilitation district will be able to continue its efforts to improve our community.”

Funding methods for the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District were challenged in court, forcing it to lose out on funds. Warnick’s proposal would rectify this calculation problem, allowing for a fairer assessment in line with constitutional requirements.

“The more transparent that government can be, the better,” Dent said. “I think our community sees the value in what the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District does to keep this natural resource clean and accessible for all. We want to support those efforts into the future in a fair and efficient way.”

If approved, MLIRD would be required to annually determine its monetary needs for rehabilitation operations. In addition, the district would have to provide notice of proposed assessments and hold equalization hearings similar to other special-purpose districts.

The measure also would limit the budget intended for rehabilitation purposes not to exceed $1 per $1,000 of the aggregate assessed value of all property in the district. Exceeding that amount requires authorization from electors in the district by a majority vote.

Warnick’s legislation was approved unanimously today by the state Senate and now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Warnick’s bipartisan livestock ID bill clears state Senate

During the state Senate’s first full week of floor votes, the body approved a bipartisan proposal sponsored by Sen. Judy Warnick focused on improving the state’s livestock identification program.

Senate Bill 5439, which was approved unanimously, would remove fees and makes other sustainability improvements.

“We need the oversight body of this program to take a hard look at sustainability and fairness,” said Warnick, R-Moses Lake. “By removing unnecessary fees and making some administrative changes, I think the program will operate better for producers and the public.”

Included in the legislation are provisions to remove the $20 call-out fee for inspection performed by veterinarians or field livestock inspector. It also moves the required annual report date from September to November.

“Our producers need to know that these changes will help protect their livestock assets by providing needed funding for modernized identification efforts. In addition, we can continue to build on the valuable work of disease traceability,” Warnick added.

The bill now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Public safety, affordability and more

Greetings from Olympia,

Things are really starting to pick up here in Olympia as this past Friday we reached a milestone called the fiscal committee cutoff. This is first of a few deadlines that narrows down what legislation may ultimately become law. The work in the Ways and Means Committee, of which I’m a member, will help shape what the state’s next two-year budget will look like. Now, we are spending the day and into the evenings voting on legislation on the Senate floor before next week’s cut-off.

Entering the 2023 session, the state’s revenue has been surprisingly healthy, with a significant surplus. My Senate Republican colleagues and I have been pushing for policies that focus on addressing affordability in our state as it relates to higher costs for energy, food and housing. I firmly believe that the best stewards of taxpayer funds are you, the taxpayer! We don’t need more and bigger centralized state government programs. We need to make good on our current commitments and ensure they are working as intended.

Another area of focus that has been in the news quite a bit is public safety. At the eleventh hour, the House of Representatives was able to approve a watered-down version of a fix to the police pursuit legislation. That is good news because it at least keeps something moving that we can work on.

I want to again extend my gratitude to everyone that joined our joint legislative town hall the other week. It was nice to connect with people back home, answering their questions about what’s going on in the state Legislature and more importantly getting their feedback.

My first bill of the session will help Yakima-area health care

Barriers exist for out-of-state faculty moving to Washington to teach in various medical fields, including dentistry. Under Warnick’s legislation, accredited dental schools can request temporary licensure for faculty who have accepted employment at the respective school.

Access to health-care services in rural communities is desperately needed and with shortages across the board, I’m pleased the Senate has approved my proposal to help educate more dental professionals. Allowing this kind of licensure reform will help Pacific Northwest University of Health attract the talent they need to meet the needs of the Yakima area and beyond.

Click here to read more.

News Roundup

Below are links to a few news articles about the work I’m doing in Olympia and issues that I’ve commented on from public safety to water access.

A day in the life of a legislator (Columbia Basin Herald)

Commentary: Keeping our communities safe

Dent, Warnick bills would create assessment process for MLIRD

Sharing inmate information with immigration authorities

How to get involved:

Learn more about the Legislature | https://leg.wa.gov
Call the legislative hotline | 1-800-562-6000
A Citizen’s Guide to Effective Legislative Participation | leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/
EffectiveParticipation.aspx

Share your opinion on a bill | app.leg.wa.gov/pbc
Track legislation: Senate floor activity calendar | app.leg.wa.gov/far/Senate/Calendar
Committee schedules | leg.wa.gov/legislature/Pages/CommitteeListing.aspx
Testify remotely: app.leg.wa.gov/csi/Senate

Senate unanimously approves Warnick legislation boosting dental schools

Warnick’s first bill of the session will help Yakima-area program

As the Legislature begins its first stretch of floor votes on proposals, the state Senate today unanimously approved Sen. Judy’ Warnick’s first bill of the 2023 legislative session, Senate Bill 5113.

Brought to Warnick’s attention by the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences located in Yakima, the measure would make regulatory changes to licensing requirements for faculty of dental schools, expanding access to a critical health-care specialty.

Currently, barriers exist for out-of-state faculty moving to Washington to teach in various medical fields, including dentistry. Under Warnick’s legislation, accredited dental schools can request temporary licensure for faculty who have accepted employment at the respective school.

“Access to health-care services in rural communities is desperately needed and with shortages across the board, I’m pleased the Senate has approved my proposal to help educate more dental professionals,” said Warnick, R-Moses Lake. “Allowing this kind of licensure reform will help Pacific Northwest University of Health attract the talent they need to meet the needs of the Yakima area and beyond.”

Under current state law, other dental schools in Washington are able to provide similar waivers for prospective faculty. Warnick’s proposal would create parity for this eastern Washington dental program. The temporary licensure would still maintain high standards, requiring approval by the Washington State Dental Quality Assurance Commission.

The measure now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. The 105-day legislative session ends on April 23.