Tag Archives: Budget

E. Washington senators oppose flurry of tax and fee hikes passed by Legislature

Four Republican state senators from eastern Washington – 8th District Sen. Sharon Brown, 16^th District Sen. Perry Dozier, 9th District Sen. Mark Schoesler and 13th District Sen. Judy Warnick – were among legislators who opposed three bills creating or raising taxes or fees that were passed during the Legislature’s final weekend of its scheduled regular session.

Brown, Dozier, Schoesler and Warnick voted against:

Senate Bill 5126, which would impose a “carbon cap and tax” that would sharply raise gas and diesel prices. The Senate yesterday voted 27-22 to agree with House changes to the bill, sending it to Gov. Inslee, who requested the environmental legislation.
House Bill 1277, which would create an additional $100 surcharge that must be collected by a county auditor for about 80 different recorded documents, with some exceptions. The Senate passed the bill 26-23 yesterday, and the House afterward voted 57-39 to approve the Senate’s amendments to it.

House Bill 1477, which would impose a tax on radio access lines, voice-over Internet protocol service lines, and switched access lines to fund activities related to an enhanced crisis response. The “cell phone tax” in HB 1477 calls for a 24-cent tax per month per phone line through December 2022, and a 40-cent tax per line starting Jan. 1, 2023. After a House-Senate conference committee met to resolve differences between the two chambers, the Senate passed the compromise version of the bill 27-22, and the House followed with a 71-25 vote to approve the proposal.

Senate Bill 5126

Under this bill, starting in 2023, businesses producing more than 25,000 metric tons of carbon per year would be required to purchase “allowances” for emissions at auctions arranged by the Department of Ecology. End-user consumption would be included in emissions calculations, meaning refiners would be held responsible for tailpipe emissions. Money from these auctions would go to the state, and would be split between CO2 reduction programs and a transportation-related account called “Forward Flexible.” The price of allowances would grow over time until the state meets arbitrary emissions targets – 45 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and “net zero” emissions by 2050. The program’s details would be handled by the Department of Ecology. The program is expected to raise about $500 million annually.

Republicans said SB 5126 could cause fuel prices to rise by as much as $2.41 a gallon, based on recent report.

“This is another bill that would punish people and companies by sharply raising gas and diesel prices, without a guarantee that our roads and highways will benefit, and no proof of even helping the climate,” said Schoesler, R-Ritzville. “The bill is called the Climate Commitment Act, but the only thing it will commit Washingtonians to is handing over more of their hard-earned money for an environmental plan that won’t work.”

Brown also took aim at the “Cap-and-Tax” bill, which she called extremely regressive and harmful to Washington families.

“There has been a lot of talk of equity from members of the majority this session, but they have not walked the walk,” said Brown, R-Kennewick, who serves as the Senate Republican Deputy Leader. “In my district, some of the best-paying, living-wage jobs for pipe-fitters, carpenters and other blue-collar workers are out in the furthest parts of the Hanford area. That’s an approximately 20-30-minute drive from many of our communities. The only options workers have to reach that area is to drive.

“Cap-and-Tax not only makes it harder for them to pay for gas to get to good-paying jobs, it also makes every item they need to provide for their families – from groceries to clothing – more expensive.

“If the majority really cared about equity and economic mobility, they would have never pushed this regressive tax that hurts the underprivileged and our working families the most.”

Dozier, a wheat farmer, said the “cap and tax” bill also would have a negative impact on Washington agriculture and would hurt the state’s economic competitiveness.

“This legislation all but ensures that family farms will no longer be able to operate in Washington state,” said Dozier, R-Waitsburg. “We’ll just see larger farms — not the little guy. Why would future generations want to be farmers? There are already so many barriers to farming that currently exist, this just continues to add unbearable costs that many won’t be able to afford.”

Warnick, who serves as the ranking member on the Senate’s agricultural committee, echoed Dozier’s sentiments.

“Ag producers have already had a target on them with all kinds of excessive regulations and fees. These kinds of proposals are just piling on,” said Warnick, R-Moses Lake. “Legislation that has passed to supposedly help the environment, won’t even come close to doing for our farmers what they are doing for us when it comes to being a good steward of our natural resources and the environment.”

House Bill 1277

The four eastern Washington legislators criticized the bill for creating an expensive fee just for recording a wide range of documents at a county auditor’s office.

“It’s stunning that the Democrats think it’s no big deal to increase a recording fee by $100. This is just another example of Democrats showing that they have no bounds when it comes to raising taxes and fees on hard-working people in our state,” said Schoesler.

House Bill 1477

In 2018, Congress passed the “National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act,” which required the FCC to study the feasibility of a three-digit code. In August 2019, the FCC recommended “988” as the code. And in July 2020, the FCC issued a rule to require all telecom providers to route “988” to the 10-digit lifeline by July 16, 2022. The result is the creation of a new three-digit line (988) that will route people to the current infrastructure (and phone number) of the National Suicide Prevention Hotline. Telecom companies are required to have the routing in place by July 2022. States can – but are not required to – levy fees on phone service. Fees raised must go to call centers answering 988 or other activities such as mobile crisis teams, crisis stabilization units, and follow up calls.

In addition to imposing a “cell phone tax,” HB 1477 would require the Department of Health and Health Care Authority to collaborate to establish state crisis call center hubs and an enhanced crisis response system to prepare for implementation of the 988 crisis hotline.

“Our state’s wireless consumers already pay 29 percent of their bills in government taxes and fees, the third highest government tax and fee burden in this country. This new ‘cell phone tax’ likely will make Washington’s wireless consumers pay the most in government taxes and fees,” said Schoesler.

The 105-day legislative session ended today.

Taking a Stand

Greetings from Olympia,

A great deal has happened in the Legislature since I last wrote to you. As I mentioned in my previous newsletter, the Senate was voting on bills to send to the House. I’m very pleased that a couple of bills that I sponsored were approved and will continue on in the process. As a reminder, the Legislature is scheduled to conclude its 60-day session on March 12.

The state recently had some great news. Namely, thanks to a strong economy, revenue projections are way up. The state is expected to collect $1.5 billion more than anticipated when we adjourned last April. So why aren’t we getting any tax relief? There hasn’t been any acknowledgement of the $30 car-tab issue or response to skyrocketing property taxes.

I’ve sponsored what I consider reasonable legislation to give needed property-tax relief, but the majority does not seem to think that is a priority. In fact, both the House and Senate have unveiled their proposed operating budgets. Unsurprisingly, new taxes and spending are on the horizon. In the Senate budget, the extra revenue is spent, and that doesn’t include the additional $1 billion tax on small business that was fast-tracked earlier this session.

While the budget does make some good investments in needed areas, I feel that with all the extra money we can provide for the neediest citizens while delivering tax relief. The chart above represents the growth in the state’s spending paid for with your tax dollars relative to gains you may have seen in your wages over the same period of time. We hear a lot about corporate greed, but I think we have been seeing too much government greed here in Olympia.

Taking a stand

In addition to some questionable budgeting, we are seeing all kinds of bills that concern me. While I’m in the minority party in the Senate, my colleagues and I were able to take a stand and put down a bad bill that would have prematurely restored voting rights for felons.

I’m not opposed to people having their voting rights restored after satisfying all of the terms of their sentence, but Senate Bill 6228, would have allowed offenders on parole to vote without completing their sentences or making restitution. A lot of the debate on the floor was characterized by unfortunate condescending arguments that really did not acknowledge victims’ rights.

Thankfully, enough of our Democratic colleagues saw just how bad this idea was and the bill did not make it out of the Senate.

Another contentious bill that we took up concerned creating a new government agency called the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention, Senate Bill 6288. While to some it may sound like a good idea, the language of the bill is concerning. I did not support the bill, but we were able to somewhat improve it, including having the office look at suicide prevention. Amazingly, even though statistics show suicide is the number one gun-related incident, that office wasn’t going to study it. Instead, it was aiming to focus on an agenda and, sadly, giving out grants to organizations that really just opposed the Second Amendment altogether. In the bill, there is a provision that says grants are only considered if they have a plan on how to implement “firearm reduction initiatives.” After this was pointed out, we were told it was just an oversight and a missing word. I’ll be watching this bill as it progresses.

Senate successes

The legislative process is supposed to work like a funnel. Thousands of bills are introduced every year, but only a fraction make it into law. That is a good thing. I’m pleased that a number of bills I’ve sponsored have been approved by the Senate to help our economy, the agriculture industry and law enforcement. I’ll be working hard in the remaining days to make sure they get to the governor’s desk.

Fairness for Fish and Wildlife officers

State Department of Fish and Wildlife officers are a sometimes-overlooked-but-important part of Washington state’s law enforcement community. That is why I sponsored Senate Bill 5481, which would reform how these officers are treated when it comes to collective bargaining and would put them on par with other state-level first responders… Read more.

Aircraft-repair tax incentive soars through Senate

Washington is synonymous with the aerospace industry, and not just the Puget Sound area. Hundreds of family-wage jobs exist elsewhere in the state thanks in part to tax policy supported by legislation I sponsored. Senate Bill 6068, which was approved on the next-to-last day of the Senate’s first round of voting, would retain proven tax incentives for large airplanes undergoing modification work in Washington… Read more.

13th District 2020 Team

Our district is fortunate to have a strong team working for you in Olympia. I want to say thank you to the wonderful staff for their dedication to our constituents and support of our work as legislators. I’m also fortunate to have thoughtful and hard working seatmates, Reps. Tom Dent and Alex Ybarra.

Together, we are making sure all the communities in the 13th District are heard in your state Capitol. We each bring a unique area of expertise and passion to serving you. Here is a recent photo of your 13th District team taking time to share dinner after work.

Working with me in Olympia

Madelayna Grajeda, a sophomore at Wilson Creek High School, spent a week paging for me in the Washington State Senate. I was honored to sponsor this bright young woman. She made an excellent page. Madelayna was always so willing to help and learned a lot about the legislative process through hands on experience.

It’s bit late to sign up for the 2020 session, but I encourage young people in our district to consider paging. It’s a wonderful program where students spend a week working at the Capitol. They get a chance to attend page school to learn about parliamentary procedure and the legislative process. Pages actually do some important work transporting documents between offices, as well as delivering messages and mail. Students also draft their own bills and engage in a mock session!

Click here for more information.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office with any concerns or ideas you may have about your state government.

Sincerely,

Judy Warnick,

Your 13th District State Senator

Nearing the half-way point

Greetings from Olympia,

This past Friday the Senate had one of its first deadlines that we call the policy cutoff. It was the last day for bills that aren’t budgetary to receive a public hearing and move along the process. The Senate budget committee, Ways and Means, worked late into the evening looking at legislation with fiscal impacts to meet its deadline Tuesday. We have until Feb. 17 to vote on bills originating in the Senate and then we will start to consider legislation coming from the House of Representatives. That means we’re about at the half-way point of the legislative session. While all of this is happening, the majority is crafting a supplemental budget to address emerging needs since we adjourned last April.

The state is projected to collect nearly $1 billion more in revenue than we expected when we adjourned last year. That pushes the total budget to unprecedented levels. I continue to believe that we can and must find ways to provide tax and regulatory relief for families and small businesses. As I mentioned in my last update, the Senate approved a bill that increases the business and occupation tax on all kinds of industries. It was a “fix” because a similar tax increase approved last year was so complicated and convoluted that the state Department of Revenue wasn’t sure it could collect the money.

At a time when we have serious problems with rising health-care costs and a spate of nursing-home closures, the “fix” this year actually raised taxes on doctors and nursing homes! I opposed that bill.

Agriculture Update

In addition to my work on the budget, I continue to serve our district on the Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources and Parks Committee. Even though this is a short, 60-day session, there is a lot of activity relating to agricultural and water issues.

We have four big bills concerning water that are being discussed dealing with water-rights sales and transfers. Just before the session, The Seattle Times did an in-depth story on an emerging issue in which out-of-state investors are buying up water rights. That presents a challenge to balance the rights of people to do what they want with their property with our state’s broader needs for access to water in critical areas. We don’t want to craft laws that may cause other problems for work that is ongoing, especially in other parts of the state.

Water law is complex. Tackling this emerging issue isn’t something we can or should do quickly, and it can’t happen in a vacuum. That is why we’re making sure to include a broad group of stakeholders with an eye toward protecting water-rights holders.

Some other issues I’m watching relate to pesticides. I’m a member of a legislative task force that is looking into the use and application of pesticides in our state. There is a bill this session to do an outright ban of one particular product. This could have a severe impact on the tree-fruit industry.

From the looks of it, producers weren’t consulted about the use of the pesticide or what impacts a ban would have. It’s my understanding that the pesticide in question is only rarely used and in an emergency situation. It affects a particular pest that could wipe out an orchard in just a couple of days. If that is the case, our orchardists need tools to protect their crops. I will be fighting for them to have a voice at the table.

Making home ownership more affordable

Housing costs aren’t an issue only in urban western Washington, as extremely low vacancy rates also mean a short supply of affordable housing in many eastern Washington cities.

I introduced legislation to boost affordable housing production east of the Cascade Mountains under a local infrastructure investment program. Senate Bill 6328, which has strong bipartisan support and was approved by the Senate Housing Stability and Affordability Committee. Although my bill was not approved by the budget committee, there is a similar bill in the House that appears to be making its way through the legislative process.

We need to give local jurisdictions more tools to meet affordable housing needs in their communities. A significant cost driver for building housing is all the regulations and permitting costs. These proposals are a way to incentivize construction of more housing so that its affordable, not mandates or more taxes. Read more…

Improving our State’s Food Supply System

Today, the state Senate approved legislation I sponsored that would formalize a public-private partnership to improve the state’s food-supply system. Senate Bill 6091 outlines goals of the Washington Food Policy forum, to include support for small farms, increasing the availability of food grown in the state, and reducing food insecurity.

The food policy forum will be overseen by the state Conservation Commission and Department of Agriculture and include a broad group of stakeholders including legislators…read more…

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office with any concerns or ideas you may have about your state government.

Sincerely,

Judy Warnick,

Your 13th District State Senator

We can’t tax our way to prosperity

March 14, 2019

Greetings from Olympia,

We have reached a significant deadline in the legislative process, and have spent the past week and a half working late into the night voting on bills before the cutoff this past Wednesday. This means that only bills that were approved by their respective chambers will continue. It’s a lot like a funnel, winnowing down proposals so only a fraction of the thousands of bills introduced are left.

I’m pleased that another one of my bills has made it through, granting dedicated funding to career skills centers in rural communities around the state. Senate Bill 5874, which was approved unanimously, would require direct funding of certain satellite skill centers in rural areas. The concept for the legislation was brought to my attention by the Davenport School District.

These are important assets for rural communities. They help develop our skilled workforce in areas like construction trades and health care, but funding can be a struggle. This legislation will help ease the burden on local districts for operating these satellite centers and offer even more programs in our communities.

Currently, the Davenport School District operates a satellite skills center in partnership with the Spokane School District, providing career and technical education (CTE) to high school students. However, some of the CTE programs may be too expensive or specialized for one school district to operate alone. My legislation would allow direct funding of these centers if they can secure agreements to enroll students from two or more school districts.

You can see a full list of legislation that I’ve sponsored by clicking here.

We can’t tax our way to prosperity

Budget history

Thanks in part to federal tax cuts and deregulation, our state has seen a big increase in tax collections. In fact, almost $5 billion more than expected since we approved our last two-year budget, now projected to be nearly $50 billion. You shouldn’t be surprised that some in Olympia don’t think that’s enough. The governor wants to spend $5 billion more, and is proposing a new income tax, carbon taxes, and increased taxes on small businesses to pay for it. Senate Bill 5129 would include a 67 percent increase in taxes on service-related businesses and a new income tax. You have voted nine times to reject an income tax.

The Senate majority also recently approved Senate Bill 5438, which would further add to our state’s challenges to attract workers in the agricultural industry. We are already facing a worker shortage and the proposal would add additional fees and regulations, making it harder for family and small farms to compete. This really amounts to double taxation, and I voted against this legislation.

Hearing from you – Town halls

13LD

I want to thank everyone who sends correspondence to my office. It helps me to hear from you about issues you care about that are before the Legislature. I take those notes and calls to heart when working on your behalf in Olympia. However, sometimes we receive hundreds of form letters with constituent information and it just isn’t possible for me to respond to everyone. I recently received letters from an advocacy group and did respond to one individual who had no idea that group was sharing their information!

My seatmates and I will be holding in-person town halls throughout the district March 22-23. Please see below for locations, dates and times. Please share with others who might be interested in attending. We want to hear from you and give an update on what is going on in your state government.

Ellensburg

Friday, March 22, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

Ellensburg City Hall

501 N. Anderson

Davenport

Saturday, March 23, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Lincoln County Court House

450 Logan St, Davenport, WA

*Parking is located on the west side of the entrance on the lower level

Moses Lake

Saturday, March 23, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Big Bend Community College,

ATEC Building 1800, 7662 Chanute St. NE

For more information, contact Sen. Judy Warnick’s office at (360) 786-7624, Rep. Tom Dent’s office at (360) 786-7932 or Rep. Alex Ybarra’s office at (360) 786-7808.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office with any concerns or ideas you may have about your state government.

Sincerely,

Signature

Judy Warnick,

Your 13th District State Senator

The end of the regular session

April 24, 2017

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Greetings Friends and Neighbors,

The 2017 legislative session ended over the weekend and today marks the beginning of a special session. Although the Senate has approved a balanced and funded budget, we have been waiting for the House Democrats to come to the table with an actual, complete budget proposal. They have a spending wish list, but have failed to pass the necessary $8 billion in tax increases to pay for it. With the state expecting $3 billion more in revenue through a combination of stable tax rates and increased economic activity, leaders of the House majority should be negotiating within the resources the state actually has. Instead, it appears that they are forcing the Legislature into another so-called “special” session.

Inaction is not new for the House. There have been several pressing issues facing the Legislature this year that they have failed to act on.

Despite bipartisan support and heart-wrenching stories from people around the state, the Democrat-controlled House did nothing to bring relief to families in need of water from small, household wells. My legislation, Senate Bill 5239, would have reversed the Supreme Court’s shortsighted Hirst decision, which has placed rural communities in jeopardy by prohibiting the installation of domestic wells without costly studies.

The chair of the Senate’s Capital Budget recently sat down for an interview with the state’s public-access channel to discuss his work, and made it clear that rural communities must have a Hirst fix before any movement on the budget. You can watch that interview here.

Helping small business, energy consumers and more!

This legislative session I had several bills make their way to the Governor’s desk and become law. Just the other day, Senate Bill 53 bill signing 43 was signed which made changes to state law concerning car-impound notifications. Read more…

Senate Bill 5808, signed this past Monday, creates protections for agritourism businesses. These are often small farms that open their operations to the public such as Christmas-tree farms and pumpkin patches. These operations represent an increasingly popular and viable revenue stream for our agricultural producers. Read more…

On Wednesday the governor signed another one of my bills, Senate Bill 5261 that was sponsored in the House by my seatmate, Rep. Tom Dent. The new law would enable irrigation districts to enter into public-private partnerships for new energy infrastructure, including hydroelectric projects. This is a good piece of bipartisan legislation that is going to create jobs and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our irrigation-district systems. Read more…

My Video Update

This time of year is busy as we are working on the Senate floor approving bills that have made their way through the final stages of the legislative process. During a break in the action, I took an opportunity to make this video update discussing the legislative session. Please click here to watch.

Afraid of Taxes

The Senate didn’t need new taxes to balance our new 2017-19 budget proposal, which will fund education and other critical state services. We relied on the considerable amount of additional new revenue – about $3 billion more – expected to come into the state treasury through the combination of stable tax rates and increased economic activity.

The House spending proposal, in contrast, is predicated on $8 billion in taxes. It can’t be considered a real budget because the House majority is unwilling to vote for the new taxes necessary to implement their proposal.

In an effort to get past posturing by the House majority and initiate serious negotiations toward a new state budget, our Senate majority introduced the same tax increases that the House and governor support in their spending plans. We wanted to bring them to a vote and see if there really is an appetite for raising taxes among any Democrat lawmakers in Olympia. As we expected, the Senate’s minority Democrats did everything they could to stave off votes on increasing taxes. You can watch the proceedings here.

I’m pleased the Senate minority agreed with our position that new taxes are not necessary. Whether their Democrat colleagues in the House will now come to the table and negotiate during the upcoming special session remains to be seen.

Honoring our Police

We received news yesterday that police officers were shot in the line of duty in Seattle. Thankfully, it appears that their injuries were not life threatening. My cousin, who serves in the State Patrol, visited us in Olympia, and the news was a stark reminder of the danger our law enforcement faces to keep us all safe. The Senate took a moment of silence as the events happened to keep those officers, their families and all police in our thoughts and prayers.

It is an honor to serve as your state Senator. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your state government. Please watch your email, as I look forward to providing you with regular updates throughout the session.

Signature

Judy Warnick,

13th District Senator

Contact Me

Olympia Office:

103 Irv Newhouse Bldg.

P.O. Box 40410

Olympia, WA 98504

Olympia Phone:

360.786.7624

District Phone:

509.766.6505

E-mail:

Judith.Warnick@leg.wa.gov

Website:

Click here to visit my website

Warnick supports supplemental budget

Late Tuesday the Legislature approved a supplemental budget after negotiations dragged on into a special session. Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, voted in favor of the bipartisan proposal that makes minor adjustments to the state’s two-year operating budget approved last year.

“I spent considerable time at the negotiating table to ensure that people in our state came out ahead in this budget,” said Warnick, who was drafted to join the Senate majority’s negotiating team. “It was critical to stand by our principles of responsible budgeting to get the job done. This budget is sustainable so that we can adequately address the challenges that are ahead.”

The 2016 supplemental budget restrains state spending and meets the state’s 4-year balanced-budget requirements. This is in contrast to the proposal from House Democrats that sought to raid the state’s emergency reserves to pay for new state programs, cut nearly $500 million from K-3 class-size reductions and raise taxes.

“I am concerned about the reductions to the Public Works Assistance Account,” Warnick said. “This is a valuable resource to small communities so that they can finance their infrastructure needs, and I am committed to finding a sustainable solution to fund these projects.”

“The biennial budget that was adopted in 2015 turned our state’s spending priorities around,” Warnick added. “We are investing in K-12 education at levels not seen in 30 years; we cut tuition, and limited general-government spending. I am glad that our House counterparts realized the importance of continuing to invest in real priorities for our state’s citizens.

The budget passed in the House of Representatives 78-17 and 27-17 in the Senate.

Budget documents are available online, here.

Watch my video update – March 2016

Sen. Warnick’s E-newsletter – Feb. 5, 2016

Update from Olympia – February 5, 2016

Greetings Friends and Neighbors,

We have reached the half-way point in the 2016 legislative session. When the Legislature adjourned last July, our state’s budget was balanced, making critical investments in our state’s K-12 system, investing in higher education and our state’s safety net. This year, much of our work is focused on funding K-12 education and addressing the costs of a very active fire season.

In these even-numbered years the Legislature convenes for only 60 days to make minor adjustments in the state budget and address pressing policy issues. The legislative session is scheduled to conclude March 10 and I am looking forward to finishing on-time with a sustainable budget that makes the right investments for Washington.

A look at our state’s budget

budget

Washington’s economy is growing and that positive news has meant a lot for our state’s budget. Last year we were able to fend off plans to raise taxes by over $1 billion. With additional revenue coming in it seemed irresponsible to spend beyond our means.

The chart above tells an interesting story about our state’s four-year budget outlook. As required by law Washington’s budget must be balanced over four years. The Legislature adjourned with a strong bipartisan and balanced budget that left $47 million in reserves. As a result of the Governor’s veto the budget was in the negative by $23 million. Positive economic news brought an additional $313 million to the state’s treasury but costs related to last years active fire season and out of control costs at the states Health Care Authority have resulted in a negative balance for the state. If you include the Governor’s policy proposals in his budget the problem becomes even worse. This is the kind of government spending that cannot continue. We need sustainable and responsible budgeting especially when revenue is up more than 10 percent.

Interesting facts about our economy

Although larger urban areas have seen unemployment drop and other positive economic news, I am working to make sure this upswing results in more jobs for our area and opportunities for our local small businesses. I found this report on state economics interesting. Click here to learn where our state ranks in the economic recovery.

Washington is a very trade dependent state. In fact we are the largest per capita exporter according to the state Department of Commerce, with nearly $90.5 billion in exports. The Washington Council on International Trade notes that rail is a key component to continued economic prosperity. Our local farmers depend on rail to move their goods to market, statewide nearly 10 percent of Washington’s gross domestic product relies on freight rail to move agricultural and even aerospace products to market. All told, this industry supports over 200,000 jobs in Washington State.

Committee Updates

To keep the legislative process moving, there are critical milestones throughout the legislative session. We are fast approaching the first cutoff, which means that policy bills from their house of origin must receive a public hearing in committee by Feb. 5 to continue in the process. The committee that I chair, the Senate Agriculture, Water and Rural Economic Development Committee, has been working extensively on water issues. We learned a lot from the drought last year and must look at creative and collaborative ways to address water access, quality and quantity challenges in our state. I encourage you to take a look at what goes on in my committee with detailed agendas and documents by clicking here.

Education challenges

With nearly half of our state’s $38 billion budget allocated to K-12 education, the Legislature is still grappling with complex policy issues around meeting the state’s obligation to fully funding education. The reality is that student achievement and success is not just about writing another check. Of particular interest during this legislative session is addressing how the state compensates teachers. Local districts through their levies are disproportionately bearing too much of the burden and the state is looking for ways to take on that aspect of school funding that is fair and balanced so that the quality of a child’s education isn’t determined by their ZIP code. There are several proposals being worked on by a group of bipartisan lawmakers. However, this may be a heavier lift than can be accomplished in this short legislative session.

In addition to compensation, our state faces teacher and substitute teacher shortages. Rural and lower income school districts face challenges recruiting and retaining talented teachers that make all the difference in a class room. Creating a more fair school funding at the state level that doesn’t over rely on local property taxes, which varies greatly between school districts, would go a long way in addressing teacher recruitment. The Legislature also needs to look at other regulatory issues that keep educated professionals from entering the teaching profession. Currently a person with a master’s degree can teach at a community college but without additional education and certification is unable to teach in our K-12 system. There must be common sense reforms we can put in place to expand opportunities in our educator workforce to meet the needs of students in our state.

In Remembrance

Late last week we received news that a former legislator representing part of our district in Lincoln County passed away. Representative Robert Dale Timm served the 8th Legislative District in the state House of Representatives from 1951 to 1959. I did not have the privilege of working with former Rep. Timm but he leaves behind a lasting legacy of accomplishment and public service. I recall that my own late mother spoke fondly of many Timm family members with whom she attended grade school. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

It is an honor to serve as your state Senator. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions regarding state government.

Sincerely,

Signature

Judy Warnick,

13th District Senator

Share my E-newsletter

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.

13th District legislators applaud no-new-tax bipartisan budget that cuts tuition, boosts teacher pay

The Legislature approved a new two-year operating budget Monday evening that makes historic investments in all levels of education, cuts tuition at state-run colleges and universities and provides increases in teacher compensation, without raising taxes. Senate Bill 6052 was approved by a vote of 38-10 in the Senate and 90-8 in the House in time to take effect tomorrow and prevent any suspension in government services.

“This budget is a great example of what we can accomplish when we work together,” said Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake. “The Senate led with a basic principle: make higher education a priority. I am glad that our final budget demonstrates that with the first-ever tuition reduction in our state. This policy increases access to college for working families, easing the burden of student debt and tying future tuition growth to what families can afford.”

Education spending – meaning early learning, K-12 and higher education – climbs by 19 percent in the new budget, which puts $2.8 billion more specifically toward K-12 education. That will have K-12 districts receiving 47.5 percent of the state budget, a level not seen in 30 years.

“This is a very good budget that fully funds education, takes care of our most vulnerable citizens, and keeps our communities safe – while keeping the lid on taxes,” said Rep. Tom Dent, R- Moses Lake. “The budget makes historic investments in K-12 education, reduces K-3 class sizes, gives teachers cost-of-living adjustments, and makes major investments in early learning and the state’s mental health system.”

The budget invests in emergency drought funding, which is vital for the 13th District, and extends tax incentives for food processors and server farms, which bring significant revenue and jobs to the area.

“It is truly a great budget for the taxpayers of our state,” said Rep. Matt Manweller, R-Ellensburg. “Citizens will not be asked to pay a new carbon tax, cap-and-trade tax or capital-gains tax as proposed by the governor and Democrats. We accomplished all of these significant policy goals, investing in the people of our state, without raising taxes.”