 Letter from Leadership
We would like to pass our condolences on to the family of former Governor Booth Gardner. He passed away last Friday, but his imprint on Olympia will remain forever. To learn more about Mr. Gardner's life and legacy, you can find an article from The News Tribune here. We also passed House Concurrent Resolution 4404 in honor of him today.
With three cutoff deadlines behind us, state lawmakers have been focusing on committee work and considering bills from the opposite chamber. As of this week, 362 bills had passed out of the House -- with just 16 percent being sponsored by the minority party (Republicans). In the Senate, 278 bills have passed out -- with 32 percent sponsored by the minority party (Democrats). Our next deadline is policy committee cutoff (opposite chamber) on April 13.
Many House Republicans held town hall meetings last Saturday and a few of us will host events tomorrow. In Spokane (pictured above), we had 70 people attend our event at Lincoln Heights Elementary School.
We heard many common themes from all parts of the state: focus on creating jobs; do not increase taxes; be responsible with taxpayer dollars; and improve our education system. These themes align closely with our legislative priorities.
Please forward this e-mail to your family and friends. They can also sign up here. Have a wonderful weekend. I plan on watching some college basketball. Go Zags!
Sincerely,
Rep. Jeff Holy
6th District
Assistant Whip
In the news
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"While this forecast is somewhat better than expected, we’re not out of the woods yet. It shows the economy in Washington state is still underperforming, even though there are glimpses of some improvement."
—Rep. Terry Nealey, on the revenue forecast released Wednesday. To read his full statement, click here.
 Media relations
Click on the picture above to watch our media availability with the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus on Wednesday.
How would you balance the state budget?
Want a shot at balancing the state budget? The Seattle Times has an interactive Web page that allows you to prioritize state spending. This exercise gives you an idea of the decisions before state lawmakers. You can find it here.
 Freshman spotlight: Rep. Linda Kochmar
Rep. Linda Kochmar (pronounced "coach-mar") may be new to state government, but not government in general. The former mayor of Federal Way brings a local government perspective to the Legislature and her committees. To learn more about Linda, click here.
A picture is worth a thousand words
Click on the pictures below to learn about the stories behind them.
  
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Revenue forecast shows economic recovery remains fragile
The Economic and Revenue Forecast Council released its revenue forecast on Wednesday. This nonpartisan report on state tax collections and economic conditions is used for budget preparation. Revenue forecasts are released on Feb. 20 in even-numbered years, March 20 in odd-numbered years, June 27 and Sept. 27.
The revenue forecast can best be described as "flat" and "mixed." While some sectors are showing improvement, including manufacturing and construction employment and car sales, our economy on whole continues to underperform. This is very disappointing.
While the focus tends to be on revenue and budget statistics, the real story is the number of struggling individuals and families. There are still too many people unemployed, underemployed or afraid they could lose their jobs.
An important number to remember is: $2 billion. This is how much more money our state will have to spend in the 2013-15 budget cycle compared to the last two-year cycle. We remain committed to a prioritized, no-new-taxes budget and solutions to improve our economy.
The week ahead
Monday
Hospital safety net assessment. House Bill 2016. House Appropriations Committee. House Hearing Room A at 3:30 p.m.
Limiting transportation bond terms to 15 years. House Bill 1989. House Transportation Committee. House Hearing Room B at 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday
Social networking accounts and profiles. Senate Bill 5211. House Labor and Workforce Development Committee. House Hearing Room D at 10:00 a.m.
Thursday
Teacher Principal Evaluation Project. House Education Committee. House Hearing Room A at 8:00 a.m.
Federal immigration policy and secure communities. House Public Safety Committee. House Hearing Room D at 10:00 a.m.
Friday
Addressing the Bracken decision under Washington's estate tax. House Bill 1920. House Finance Committee. House Hearing Room A at 8:00 a.m.
Requiring mutual consent for teacher placement. Senate Bill 5242. House Education Committee. House Hearing Room A at 1:30 p.m.
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