 Letter from Leadership
Washington House Republicans have been back in their districts with their families since March 14. I think I speak for everyone when I say, "it's great to be home."
Unfortunately, tragedy found the 39th District on March 22 -- where Rep. Elizabeth Scott, Sen. Kirk Pearson and I call home. The devastating Oso mudslide is an unfortunate reminder that we are sometimes powerless to the force of nature.
While sadness has enveloped our communities, we are also seeing strength, courage and collaboration from so many people and groups. The worst imaginable scenario has brought out the best of our communities. It is truly inspirational.
Many of you have asked how you can help. We really appreciate it. You can find information on how to support relief and recovery efforts in the story to the right.
While the legislative session is over, please remember that we are your state representatives year-round. We are here to answer your questions, listen to your ideas and assist you with state government.
Due to election-year restrictions, this is the last edition of The Current until January 2015. We appreciate you taking time out of your day to read it.
In your service,
Rep. Dan Kristiansen
39th District
House Republican Leader
 The months ahead
We hope you are able to enjoy all of the great things our state has to offer in the months ahead. We will be busy with various endeavors, including legislative meetings and discussing policy proposals with constituents and stakeholder groups. You are always welcome to be a part of the legislative process and contact us directly via the legislative hotline at 1-800-562-6000. You can also e-mail us at: hrcwebmaster@leg.wa.gov.
The best way to stay connected to your citizen Legislature is to subscribe to the Capitol Buzz -- a round-up of news stories from across our state delivered to your e-mail inbox each weekday.
You can also follow us on social media:
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Session facts
- Total bills passed by the House and Senate: 237 (122 House, 115 Senate)
- Numbers of bills delivered to the governor: 229
- Number of bills prime-sponsored by Washington House Republicans delivered to the governor: 42 (learn about some of these measures in our newsroom)
- A list of bills passed in the 2014 legislative session can be found here.
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Governor Inslee's bill action page can be found here.
- Unless otherwise specifically provided for in the bill, the Secretary of State has determined the effective date for the laws of the 2014 legislative session is June 12, 2014.
 Medal of Honor recipients honored on Capitol Campus
April 2 was a special day in Olympia. Three Medal of Honor recipients, all residents of Washington state, had their names added to the Medal of Honor monument on the Capitol Campus. Pictured above, from left to right, are: Staff Sgt. Ty Carter of Yelm; Capt. William Swenson of Seattle; and Sgt. 1st Class Leroy Petry of Steilacoom.
Learn more about the ceremony in this article from The Olympian. You can also watch it on TVW's website here.
For a summary of legislation passed this year to help veterans, please read this article from The News Tribune.
 Justice James Johnson to retire
State Supreme Court Justice James Johnson will retire April 30 due to health concerns. We would like to thank him for his years of service on the bench and wish him well in retirement.
You can learn more about Justice Johnson in this news release.
Several people have applied for the appointment. Learn more here.
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Oso mudslide relief and recovery efforts
This photo gallery only begins to capture both the devastation and response of the Oso mudslide.
Many people have asked how they can stay updated and help in the aftermath of this tragedy. This Snohomish County website has frequent updates on relief and recovery efforts.
For information on fundraising and charitable endeavors, click here and here.
This Facebook page is also helping to coordinate and organize relief efforts.
For those of you who use Twitter, some of the related hashtags are:
- #530slide
- #helposo
- #OsoStrong
In the news
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