Rep. Richard DeBolt legislative update | The 2020 session begins!

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Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The Legislature reconvened today for the 2020 session. It's an honor to be back at the state Capitol serving the people of the 20th District. For most of the short 60-day session, lawmakers will focus on making adjustments to the state's already approved biennial operating, transportation, and capital budgets.

Supplemental budget proposals

The intent of these supplemental budget proposals is to make minor, mid-course corrections or “tweaks” to the allotted funding for state agencies, projects and policy areas. Often, however, over the years they've become an opportunity to grow government bureaucracy and spending. As your state representative, I will be carefully scrutinizing every bottom line on these funding requests. It's time to expect more from your state government—including the expectation that the government can and should live within its very ample means.

No more taxes!

In 2019, lawmakers entered the session with a $3 billion revenue surplus, yet the majority party still raised taxes by more than $2 billion over the next four years. Once again, they've introduced proposals in 2020 to impose a state income tax, a carbon tax, road usage (“miles-traveled”) tax, and more. This needs to stop. That means no more tax increases.

Instead of expensive policies that require more funding, the hard-working taxpayers of the state deserve a break—no means no. I will continue to fight against policies that empty taxpayers' pocketbooks to feed the ever-expanding bureaucratic agenda in Olympia. 

Flood prevention and restoration funding

The Chehalis Basin has a long history of flooding in our regain—including 18 floods in the last 20 years. The human suffering, property loss and environmental damage need to be mitigated. That's why I'm sponsoring a bill this session that would authorize $480 million in bonds to finance Chehalis Basin flood damage reduction and aquatic species habitat restoration projects.

House Bill 1054 would help finance these projects over five biennia with a dedicated account for taxable bond proceeds. The Legislature would approve projects that could be financed by the bonds prior to their sale. Stay tuned! I'll be providing information on the progress of my bill throughout the legislative session.

Want to testify on a bill?

We want to hear from you! For information on how to testify in Committee, click here. Contact my office if you have any questions. I'm happy to help you through the process.

Stay connected!

During the legislative session, I'll be sending updates on bills being debated in Olympia. In addition, I've listed several helpful links below that can keep you informed and updated on the activities of your state Legislature:

• My legislative website | Here you will find my contact information, bio, news releases, email updates, videos, opinion pieces, bills, and other information.
• The Washington State Ledger | News aggregator | View breaking news, policy updates and opinions from the House Republican Caucus.
• TVW | The state's own version of C-SPAN, TVW broadcasts floor and committee action live online.
• Legislature's website | You can find bill reports, committee agendas, and information about upcoming activities in the Legislature here.
• Capitol Campus activities and events | Find a calendar of legislative events here.

Want to learn how to track a bill?

Here's a set of easy instructions. You can also view all the bills I'm sponsoring or co-sponsoring by visiting my webpage and clicking on “Sponsored Bills.”

• Go to leg.wa.gov
• On the left-hand panel, click “Bill Information.”
• If you know the bill number, enter it in the search field and hit enter.
• Don't have a bill number? Under the section “Bills by Topic,” you'll find alternative tracking tools. You can search based on topic, bill number, and initiative.
• If you click on the House Floor Calendar, this helpful tool gives you a detailed list of all bills scheduled to be heard on the House floor each day.
• Need more information? Please feel free to contact me if you need more details on specific bills.

Thank you!

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions, concerns or comments about legislation or state issues. Better yet, if you are planning a visit to Olympia, come see me. I'm always glad to hear from you!

Thank you for the privilege of serving you in Olympia.

Sincerely,

Richard DeBolt

State Representative Richard DeBolt
20th Legislative District
RepresentativeRichardDeBolt.com
425A Legislative Building | P.O. Box 40600 | Olympia, WA 98504-0600
richard.debolt@leg.wa.gov
360-786-7896 | Toll-free: (800) 562-6000