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Dear Friend:
While the legislative session is over, the work of House Republicans continues. This interim, we are meeting with stakeholders, writing op-eds, sending out news releases, talking to reporters, going on radio programs, and continuing committee work. Our offices are also assisting and responding to constituents, which is another important part of our job.
House Republicans are also working to refine the agenda we released earlier this year. Our mantra is real solutions. We backed that slogan up, including a detailed operating budget framework, the REAL Recovery for Washington Act, public safety measures, emergency powers reform, and other bills and amendments. We welcome your input as we prepare for the 2022 legislative session.
June revenue forecast
With the June revenue forecast revealing incredibly strong state collections, it is time to find ways to reduce financial burdens on working families. Or, as our finance lead Rep. Ed Orcutt is quoted as saying in this piece in The Seattle Times, "I think it’s time to start looking at tax relief.”
For the last three years, Democrats have been more focused on increasing taxes -- including a new income tax on capital gains and a new payroll tax. You will hear more about these measures in the news in the months to come. Republicans fought against these bills. You can watch some our House floor debate highlights here.
State reopening on June 30
The state is scheduled to reopen on June 30. Unfortunately, the governor ignored several Republican calls to safely reopen the economy sooner -- to the detriment of many small businesses, livelihoods, and communities.
The governor was unbending to the very end and, just yesterday, unilaterally decided to extend his controversial eviction moratorium. This will be devastating to many small rental property owners. Some of our members sent out statements on this issue, which you can find here.
As I have said repeatedly, the longer we wait to unwind all of these executive orders, the more difficult it will be for the economy and taxpayers to get back to normal.
Emergency powers reform
Despite the reopening on Wednesday, the governor has refused to end his state of emergency like many other states -- including Gov. Cuomo of New York. Each month, the governor's actions create a stronger case for emergency powers reform.
House Republicans attempted to bring emergency powers reform legislation to the floor for a vote, but every House Democrat voted against it. We will continue to talk about the issue this year and into the 2022 legislative session.
The Capitol Buzz and The Ledger
Every weekday, our Communications staff compiles and emails out the Capitol Buzz to subscribers, members, and staff. It is a great snapshot of stories and an easy way for you to stay informed on what's happening in the Legislature, state government, and politics.
We take the top stories in the Capitol Buzz and link them to a section in our legislative news aggregator, The Ledger. I strongly encourage you to visit, bookmark, and share this website.
Here are some of the headlines from these platforms this week:
Remembering Mark Doumit
Our state lost a great man this week: Former Sen. Mark Doumit. I was shocked and saddened to learn about his passing. In a statement, I reflected on my friend of nearly 40 years, including the example he provided to both Republicans and Democrats, and the impact he had on negotiations on policies for the environment, economy, and salmon recovery. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife and three sons.
You can learn more about Mark's life and legacy in this story from The Daily News. If you would like to hear from him in his own words, TVW featured this Inside Olympia video from 2005 on its Facebook page yesterday.
Looking ahead to July
Just a reminder that the state Capitol is scheduled to reopen to the public on July 1. You can learn more here.
I hope you stay safe and cool this week. Look for another edition of this communication on July 30.
Sincerely,
Rep. J.T. Wilcox
House Republican Leader
(360) 786-7912
JT.Wilcox@leg.wa.gov
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