Tag Archives: Sen. Judy Warnick

Warnick retains chairmanship of now expanded committee

Ahead of the 2017 legislative session, the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus announced committee-chairmanship positions. Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, will remain chair of her now-larger Senate Agriculture, Water, Trade and Economic Development committee. Additional committee assignments will be announced after the Senate Rules Committee votes on the first day of the legislative session, which will be Jan. 9.

“I am excited to continue the work to improve our state’s agricultural and economic environment,” Warnick said. “The expanded committee will now be looking at trade policies in addition to the critical work on water and rural development that impacts my district and the state. These issues are all connected and we need comprehensive solutions. I think this restructured committee will be able to make significant steps to accomplish that.

“This legislative session will be challenging given pressures to address pesticide regulations and the recent state supreme court decision that limits permit-exempt wells, but I am optimistic that we can find common-sense approaches,” said Warnick.

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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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

Join me for the second annual Farm Hall!

Save the Date!

Friday, November 18th

Click here or on the image above to RSVP.

13th District lawmakers to host Grant County town hall meetings

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 12, 2016

CONTACT:
For Rep. Dent – Nick Jacob, Public Information Officer – (360) 786-5097
For Sen. Warnick – Laudan Espinoza, Senior Information Officer – (360) 786-7504

13th District lawmakers to host Grant County town hall meetings

Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, and Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, are holding town hall meetings around Grant County, May 23, 2016, and encourage county residents to attend. Meeting locations and times are as follows:

When: May 23, 2016

9:00 a.m.

Quincy Community Center

115 F Street SW, Quincy

1:00 p.m.

Royal City Community Center

13702 Dodson Rd. So, Royal City

3:30 p.m.

Desert Aire Golf Course Club House

504 Club House Way, Mattawa

For more information about the upcoming events please contact 509.766.6505

Sen. Warnick’s E-newsletter – April 29, 2016

April 29, 2016

Greetings Friends and Neighbors,

Now that the legislative session is over, I am back in district meeting with constituents and gathering input on issues facing our community. This is an important time to prepare for the upcoming legislative session where we will be focusing on building a new state budget for the next two years.

I will be holding town hall meetings in Lincoln County May 2 and I hope you will be able to attend.

10:00 a.m.

Harrington Opera House – on the corner of Willis and South Third Streets

Enter on the South side of the City Hall Building,

19 S. Third Street, Harrington

2:00 p.m.

Wilbur Community Center

5 SW Railroad, Wilbur

New opportunities

Recently, my colleague, the Senate Majority Leader, requested that I be appointed to the Washington State Blue Ribbon Commission on the Delivery of Services to Children and Families, as referenced in Executive Order 16-03 by Governor Inslee.

I am honored to be nominated for this opportunity to work to improve the lives of children and families in our state.

During the interim I am keeping busy. I am a member of numerous committees and boards that meet when the Legislature is not in session. I recently met with those on the Law Enforcement Officers’ and Fire Fighters’ Retirement System, (LEOFF) 2 Board. This group sets policy for the first responders’ benefits in that system. I sponsored a bill this session that became law, Senate Bill 6263 that allows members to receive full retirement benefits for injuries that are currently considered non-duty related, such as responding to federally declared emergencies.

I also serve on the Community and Economic Revitalization Board. It provides funding to local governments for public infrastructure to support private business growth and expansion. This program is critical to rural economic development and many jurisdictions in our district have successfully used these funds to improve their communities.

I continue working with constituents and state agencies such as the state Departments of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Fish and Wildlife to ensure that solutions are found for issues that have been brought to my attention, including:

Farm leases
Grazing leases
Water issues
Carbon emissions rules
Working toward completion of the Odessa Ground Water Replacement program

These executive agencies need to be aware of the impacts their regulations have so that rules won’t negatively affect our local businesses and communities. For example, the state Department of Ecology is drafting a rule regarding the rail transport of biological oil, such as canola. Currently, those types of biological oils are considered the same as crude oil for emergency planning purposes. Unfortunately, legislation that I sponsored to change that was not adopted. Senate Bill 6576 would have not required the same kind of planning for biological oil as is required when transporting crude oil by rail.

Although the Legislature is not in session, I am busy working on issues that affect our community. I look forward to connecting with you while I am back in district and getting your insights on how we can improve our state and community.

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

Sincerely,

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’s E-newsletter – April 13, 2016

Update from Olympia – April 12, 2016

Greetings from Olympia!

I am happy to report that the 2016 legislative session has finished. After a 20-day special session negotiators from the House and Senate were able to reach a compromise on a budget that is a true “supplemental” budget – meaning the adjustments it makes to the budget we adopted in 2015 are only in response to emergencies and other needs that can’t wait for a new budget to be written and approved next year. I spent considerable time at the negotiating table to ensure that people in our state came out ahead in this budget. 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.

When we voted on the budget, I made it clear to my colleagues that I am concerned about the reductions to the Public Works Assistance Account, a valuable resource to small communities so that they can finance their infrastructure needs. I am committed to finding a sustainable solution to fund these projects.

You can read details about the budget here.

Overcoming the Governor’s veto

In a misguided attempt to pressure budget negotiators into reaching an agreement before the end of our regular 60-day session, Governor Inslee vetoed 27 Senate bills – including one that I sponsored, Senate Bill 6148. Fortunately, the Legislature worked together to override these vetoes at the end of the 20-day special session. Senate Bill 6148 clarifies the types of vehicles that may be towed from a self-service storage facility when occupants fail to pay for their storage spaces. The new law maintains all the legal-notice requirements to protect property but gives needed flexibility to these business owners.

A successful end of session

Signing

Senate Bill 6513 signing

In a formal ceremony on March 31, the governor signed three of my other bills that passed this year; they touched on a variety of policy issues, from water access to pest control and first-responder benefits.

The first bill, Senate Bill 6605, concerns the permitting of solid-waste facilities in eastern Washington. The new law requires the state Department of Agriculture to review permits for new facilities to ensure that invasive species, pests and disease are not introduced from quarantined areas west of the Cascades.

Senate Bill 6263 would allow members of the of the Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters (LEOFF 2) pension plan to receive full retirement benefits for injuries that are currently considered non-duty related, such as responding to federally declared emergencies.

Senate Bill 6513 addresses a state-wide issue relating to water access. The new law directs the state Department of Ecology to act on certain water-rights applications in the state’s water resource inventory areas for the Wenatchee and Elwha-Dungeness River basins.

This legislative session was eventful and busy. I worked hard to get all of these pieces of legislation to the governor’s desk which can be a challenge in a short legislative session.

Click here to read more.

Higher education innovation

The Senate Majority Coalition Caucus continues to make higher education a priority. When we began leading in the Senate, our Senate majority implemented the first tuition freeze in nearly 30 years. In the subsequent biennial budget we fought for and won the first tuition reduction in state history.

That tuition cut will go into full effect in this coming school year because, in the supplemental budget that was adopted March 29, the Senate made sure our higher education institutions had their budgets “backfilled” with revenue. This preserves the tuition cut for a second year – something that House Democrats did not want to do.

Our efforts at making college more affordable and accessible makes Washington a leader among the states. We continue to see exciting and innovative things happen at our state-run colleges and universities like a recent partnership at Central Washington University.

Recently, the Microsoft Corporation, the Real Madrid Foundation and Central Washington University announced a new initiative, “Game On!” that combines sports and computer sciences.

Click here to read more about this innovative program.

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

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Governor signs trio of Warnick bills

In a formal ceremony this past Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee signed three bills sponsored by Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake. The bills touched on a variety of policy issues: water access, pest control and first-responder benefits.

“This legislative session was eventful and busy,” Warnick said. “I worked hard to get these three pieces of legislation to the governor’s desk which can be a challenge in a short legislative session.”

The first bill, Senate Bill 6605, concerns the permitting of solid-waste facilities in eastern Washington. The bill requires the state Department of Agriculture to review permits for new facilities to ensure that invasive species, pests and disease are not introduced from quarantined areas west of the Cascades. Of particular concern is the risk that pests like the apple maggot would have on Washington’s nearly $4 billion apple crop.

“Having the state Department of Agriculture involved in the siting of facilities will make the process even better,” said Warnick. “This legislation promotes responsible waste management that takes into account the interconnectedness of our state’s economy.”

Senate Bill 6263, also signed Thursday, would allow members of the of the Law Enforcement Officers and Fire Fighters (LEOFF 2) pension plan to receive full retirement benefits for injuries that are currently considered non-duty related, such as responding to federally declared emergencies.

The final Warnick bill signed by Inslee, Senate Bill 6513, addresses a stat-wide issue relating to water access. Warnick, who serves as the chair of the Senate Agriculture, Water and Rural Economic Development Committee, made water access and quality issues a primary focus during the 2016 legislative session. The new law directs the state Department of Ecology to act on certain water-rights applications in the state’s water resource inventory areas for the Wenatchee and Elwha-Dungeness River basins.

“Finding consensus on water issues is challenging,” said Warnick. “However, there are communities in our state that need us to act. This bill moves us in the right direction toward allowing already planned water use.”

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.”

“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.

Legislature approves Warnick bill to protect crops from pests and disease

Legislation sponsored by Sen. Judy Warnick, R- Moses Lake, to prevent the spread of destructive pests and disease through compost was approved unanimously by the state House.

“This is an important bill for our state,” Warnick said. “It provides necessary protections for our agricultural industry to ensure that this cornerstone of our economy continues to thrive. It is a great bill and I’m pleased that the House made it better with a minor amendment.”

Senate Bill 6605 would create a process for the state Department of Agriculture to review applications for moving waste for composting from facilities in quarantine areas to areas not under quarantine. The goal is to review information to ensure that facilities are not at risk of spreading plant pathogens, disease or pests.

Last year, the value of Washington’s apple crop alone was $3.7 billion, with total economic value to the state being $8 billion. Of the 142 million boxes produced, 30 percent are exported.

“Having the state Department of Agriculture more involved in the oversight of facilities will make the process even better,” said Warnick. “This legislation promotes responsible waste management that takes into account the interconnectedness of our state’s economy.”