Tag Archives: moses-lake

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 from state Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake. Her 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.

An evaluation of the original 2013 legislation by the non-partisan Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee showed the tax preferences have attracted an entire industry to the state.

“We’ve seen tremendous growth in this industry in and around Moses Lake and it is due to smart tax policy like this,” said Warnick. “It only makes sense to extend this practice for the next decade to ensure high-quality employment opportunities in our community.”

Public testimony in support of the legislation noted that only a handful of companies in the world do the kind of repair, maintenance and modification work now being performed in the 13th District served by Warnick. Failing to extend this slate of tax preferences would prompt an exodus of thousands of jobs, she said

Under Warnick’s legislation, large aircraft owned by nonresidents that are undergoing work in Washington would be exempt from registration fees, and sales and use tax; an aircraft excise tax would be paid in lieu of a property tax.

“Our community is the perfect place for this kind of work. People may not know that the Grant County airport has one of the biggest airfields in the world. We have a highly skilled workforce, inexpensive and abundant energy and lots of space to meet the needs of this global industry that is calling Washington home,” Warnick said. “I’m hopeful that this policy will continue to attract talent and economic opportunity to the district and state.”

The Senate approved the legislation by a vote of 47 to 1 and now heads to the House of Representatives.

13th District lawmakers to host telephone town hall March 13

Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, and Reps. Matt Manweller, R-Ellensburg, and Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, are holding an hour-long telephone town hall on Monday, March 13, at 6 p.m. The program is similar to a call-in radio show in which people may call and ask questions over the telephone and participate in surveys.

To participate, residents can call (509) 941-2750 during the event. If listeners have questions during the call, they can press the star (*) key on their telephone keypads.

For more information about the telephone town hall, residents can contact:

Sen. Warnick at (360) 786-7624 or judy.warnick@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Manweller at (360) 786-7808 or matt.manweller@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Dent at (360) 786-7932 or tom.dent@leg.wa.gov

The 13th Legislative District includes Kittitas and Lincoln counties, most of Grant and a part of Yakima County.

For more information about Sen. Warnick, visit:
www.judywarnick.src.wastateleg.org

For more information about Rep. Manweller, visit:
www.representativemattmanweller.com

For more information about Rep. Dent, visit:
www.representativetomdent.com

Warnick legislation to fix flawed Hirst water decision clears Senate

Sen. Judy Warnick’s legislation to fix the Hirst decision was approved Tuesday evening by the state Senate, despite efforts by some opposition Democrats to delay a legislative response that would aid rural homeowners. The decision, issued by the state Supreme Court in late 2016, effectively prevents the drilling of small, household wells without costly studies that must be done before a building permit is issued. Senate Bill 5239, The bill was approved 28 to 21 and now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration.

On the Senate floor, Warnick, who chairs the Senate’s water-related committee, read from the high court’s dissenting opinion: “The practical result of this holding is to stop counties from granting building permits that rely on permit-exempt wells. Not only is this contrary to the clear legislative purpose of RCW 19.27.097, it potentially puts counties at odds with the Department of Ecology and imposes impossible burdens on landowners.”

The Hirst decision effectively halts development in many of Washington’s 39 counties, hitting rural areas the hardest. It would have a chilling effect on rural economic development by requiring local governments to make legal determinations of water availability – work already done by the state Department of Ecology – and sets up a situation where local jurisdictions and the state could be at odds issuing permits for small, household wells.

“During the committee hearing, we had everyday people pleading with us to fix this issue,” Warnick said. “I am confident that this is the right path forward. We have worked with stakeholders, reviewed our state’s water-law history and brought forth this legislation as a good-faith solution for the people in our state who are suffering because of this court decision.”

“Not fixing this flawed decision means hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of lost economic activity for our state and potentially the loss of a person’s life savings,” said Warnick. “Local jurisdictions are looking to us for clarity and guidance and this bill provides that.”

“This bill is not just about wells or water law. It is about people and the significant and negative impact this decision has had on their property and future,” Warnick added.

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Water Update – The Legislature is back in session

January 17, 2017

Greetings Friends and Neighbors

Warnick Commitee

It has been a busy first week of the legislative session. Now that all the pomp and circumstance is over it is time to roll up my sleeves and get to work. Wednesday I was selected by my colleagues to serve as the Vice Chair of the Senate Republican Caucus. In this capacity I will help preside at internal meetings and coordinate committee activities as liaison between leadership and committee chairs.

My committee, Agriculture, Water, Trade and Economic Development, met for the first time this past Thursday to consider some legislation pertaining to water, one of my top priorities. Read more two of the bills that were heard and a link to the video of the proceedings.

Senate Bill 5010 – Promoting water conservation by protecting certain water rights from relinquishment.

This bill would give agricultural water users credit for their conservation efforts. Right now there is somewhat of a negative incentive for people to use more water than they need because it is a use-it-or-lose-it system under current law.

Senate Bill 5003 – Clarifying authority of the department of ecology regarding minimum flow.

This legislation would give more flexibility to the state Department of Ecology to make more water available. This comes on the heels of some cities not being able to get water even after implementing mitigation efforts. It clarifies existing law.

I am also working with my colleagues on legislation to address the recent Hirst decision by the state Supreme Court. This decision amounts to a war on rural Washington by making household wells almost impossible to obtain. The decision not only places a burden on prospective homeowners to pay for costly studies, but it may also set up conflict between the state and counties regarding the availability of water. This decision has wide-ranging effects and not just on new home building. It could also impact education funding through lower property taxes and lost revenue and chill rural economic development.

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

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Contact Me

Olympia Office:

103 Irv Newhouse Bldg.

P.O. Box 40410

Olympia, WA 98504

District Phone:

509.766.6505

Olympia Phone:

360.786.7624

E-mail:

Judith.Warnick@leg.wa.gov

Website:

Click here to visit my website

Sen. Warnick E-newsletter – December 2016

December 2016

Greetings Friends and Neighbors

I want to thank everyone that attended our second annual Farm Hall, November 18th. It was a success. We had many from around eastern Washington attend to provide their insights on the challenges our agricultural and rural communities are facing.

We discussed a variety of topics, but as the Chair of the Senate Agriculture, Water and Rural Economic Development Committee, I focused on the recent Hirst Decision from the state Supreme Court. In essence, this ruling puts a significant burden on rural areas with permit-exempt wells, limiting growth and shifting state responsibilities onto already resource limited counties.

I recently sat down for an interview on TVW on this topic. Please click here to watch.

Blue Ribbon Commission on Children and Families

While the Legislature has been out of session, I have been working on a variety of projects and interim committees. One that has taken up a great deal of my time has been the governor’s blue ribbon commission on children and families. This group of legislators, state agencies, and community stakeholders has been looking at ways to improve delivery and coordination of state services. The ultimate goal is to create a new state agency that, “…will align state policies across agencies and have accountability for better using the state’s resources to improve the lives of children and families.”

I do support making sure that those in need have access to state services, but the state needs to do a better job coordinating with community and faith-based resources. I am concerned with the costs of creating a new state agency which may be prohibitive. You can read the final report of the Commission here and read a recent editorial from the Seattle Times Editorial Board on the work here.

Saying Goodbye

Kyle

Over the Thanksgiving Holiday, my long-time legislative assistant and friend, Kyle Lynch, lo

st his battle with cancer. He passed away in the presence of his loving family. If you’ve called my office you’ve likely spoken with Kyle. He was a great advocate for our community and a kind and devoted family man. He will be missed.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Dec.17 at Moses Lake Presbyterian Church, 1142 W. Ivy Ave. Members of the community can read and share memories of Kyle here.

Signature

Judy Warnick,

13th District Senator

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