Tag Archives: judy-warnick

Warnick appointed to drought committee as governor declares emergency

Sen. Judy Warnick has been appointed to the Joint Legislative Committee on Drought. Her selection came ahead of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Friday-morning declaration of a drought emergency for the east side of the central Cascade Mountains.

“I spoke with the Department of Ecology about the impending drought declaration and am glad that the governor is prioritizing this issue,” said Warnick, R-Moses Lake. “There may be funding available and we will look at any options to make sure that we can respond proactively to issues raised by the drought.”

According to Inslee’s office, the state Department of Ecology has requested $9 million to address drought relief via emergency water-right permits, transfers and changes to current water rights.

Prior to the drought declaration Warnick, chair of the Agriculture, Water and Rural Economic Development Committee, had scheduled a work session March 23 to discuss drought issues.

“Water access and conservation is something that affects our entire state,” Warnick said. “Drought conditions place pressure on our food supply, our families and communities. We need to find creative and collaborative solutions to make sure we can continue to provide water in critical areas. I will be bringing up these issues in my committee and fighting for relief when the drought committee meets.”

Washington has 62 watersheds, 34 of which are projected to have less than 75 percent normal water supply. Ecology has been working with municipalities to review the watersheds, several of which are in the 13th District.

Sen. Warnick’s E-newsletter – Feb. 24, 2015

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February 24, 2015

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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,

Signature

Judy Warnick

13th District State Senator

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First Speech

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.

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Capitol

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.
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Ports

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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Stay Connected!

Please forward this e-newsletter to friends and family who may be interested in receiving information from the Capitol. Visit here to sign up.

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IN THIS ISSUE

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

Contact Me

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

 

13th District lawmakers ask President Obama to intervene to bring West Coast port labor dispute to an end

With thousands of jobs and billions of dollars on the line for Washington state, lawmakers representing the 13th District say the time for the president to act is now.

The three lawmakers signed a letter to President Obama this week, asking him to intervene in the West Coast port labor dispute. In the letter, Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, Rep. Matt Manweller, R-Ellensburg and Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, cite the “devastating effect” the slowdown is having on Washington state employers, employees and the state’s economic stability.

The slowdown is currently costing U.S. agriculture millions of dollars, as representatives from the Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union have not come to an agreement on a new contract for dockworkers.

“If a resolution is not reached quickly, not only will the national economy suffer, [but] our state’s operating budget could be well short of the tax collections expected from our trade and manufacturing sectors,” wrote the lawmakers.

Washington is the most trade-dependent state in the nation, and exports $15.1 billion annually in food and agriculture products through Puget Sound ports.

“We need immediate action if we are to salvage what remains of our market share for trade around the globe and to ensure our manufacturers can continue to produce high-demand products.”

To read the lawmakers’ complete letter, click here.

Ag committee looks at Warnick bills that would protect farmland

Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, has introduced three pieces of legislation aimed at preserving and clarifying the use of agricultural lands in the context of the state’s shoreline-management and growth-management laws. All three received public hearings Tuesday before the Senate Agriculture, Water and Rural Economic Development Committee.

“Agricultural land cannot be created. It can be developed but it’s hard to get it back,” Warnick told the committee, which she chairs. “I wanted to start a discussion about how land use affects our farmers and looking at options to preserve these vital lands.”

Under the Growth Management Act of 1990 and Shoreline Management Act of 1971, local jurisdictions are required to adopt master plans relating to land use and development. Although preservation of agricultural land is a goal of the GMA much land designated as agricultural land is subject to conflicting rules.

Warnick’s bills are:

  • Senate Bill 5168, which would clarify the definition of “agricultural land” and protect current and future agricultural use from wetland conversion, fish habitat creation or inundation.
  • Senate Bill 5169, which would focus on preventing the conversion of agricultural land to wetland or fish habitat or making it subject to tidal inundation.
  • Senate Bill 5170 – Clarifies the definition of “agricultural land” under the SMA and protects agricultural land.

“Conservation of our state’s natural resources is important and no one knows that more than our farmers,” Warnick said. “The GMA and SMA take into account the importance of preserving agricultural land but there are still challenges. We need a healthy debate on this issue but we also need to ensure a valuable resource like agricultural land is preserved.”

Washington Lawmaker Seeks To Ban E-Cigarette Sales To Minors

By Ruby de Luna

This week a state senate committee will hear a proposal that would make it illegal to sell e-cigarettes and vapes to minors.

Last fall Sen. Judy Warnick got a tip from a police officer from her district in Moses Lake. He noted that students were buying e-cigarettes easily. “They were modifying them so they could use marijuana in those cigarettes,” Warnick said.

Warnick said there wasn’t much the officer could do about it. There are no rules that prohibit selling e-cigarettes to minors. “He had no recourse,” she said, “he could not charge the store owner for selling.”

Selling cigarettes to minors is illegal. Warnick’s bill would put e-cigarettes and vapes in the same category.

She worries that kids starting with these products will wind up with a bigger habit. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in 2013 more than a quarter million students in middle and high school who had never smoked cigarettes used e-cigarettes.  They’re almost twice as likely to switch to conventional cigarettes, the report said.

In Seattle’s University District Marina Westendorf manages E-Cig and Vape on Northeast 45th Street. She says she has no problem with Warnick’s proposed regulation. There’s a sign at the entrance that says no one under 18 is allowed. And she cards people before she even lets them try samples.

“I wouldn’t sell alcohol to someone under 21,” Westendorf said. “I wouldn’t sell cigarettes to someone under 18. Nicotine is addictive, regardless of what form you get it in.”

Other stores like Westendorf’s do self-regulate. But Warnick said her bill would make that practice consistent — no matter where kids try to buy e-cigarettes.

 

https://kuow.org/post/washington-lawmaker-seeks-ban-e-cigarette-sales-minors