I am your new Washington StateRep. Bryan Sandlin, representing the 15th Legislative District. The district includes east Yakima County and parts of Adams, Benton, Grant and Franklin counties.
It has changed significantly since the last election due to the redistricting process Washington state goes through every decade. So, if you are unsure which legislative district you live in, you can find out by entering your address into the Legislature's District Finder tool here.
I will be sending updates throughout the session and interim. Please feel free to share with others who may be interested in following the Legislature and staying informed about our state government. If you do not want to receive legislative updates you can use the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page.
I want to thank you for sending me to Olympia to represent you. I am humbled and privileged to walk on the Capitol campus every day knowing I am representing the citizens of our district.
Rep. Sandlin and other legislators enter the House of Representatives chamber on opening day Jan. 9, 2023.
Committee assignments
I am serving on four committees in the House of Representatives this session including two fiscal committees, the Appropriations Committee and the Capital Budget Committee. I am serving as the assistant ranking member on the Capital Budget Committee.
I didn't expect to be appointed to two fiscal committees as a freshmen, but I am excited to be contributing input on state spending. The amount of spending by our state over the last decade is unprecedented. (See the chart below). We need a more fiscally responsible and sustainable operating budget.
There are major challenges facing us this session. While there are many issues we are working on there are four areas of focus my Republican colleagues and I would like to address.
Public safety: Crime continues to increase. Some of our solutions include:
House Bill 1363 would restore vehicle pursuit for law enforcement.
House Bill 1380 would help put more law enforcement officers on the streets. Washington state ranks last in the nation of officers per capita.
House Bill 1415 would confront drug addiction. It would recriminalize the possession of hard drugs, like fentanyl and heroin by making the knowing possession of a controlled substance a gross misdemeanor offense.
Empower all families: The learning loss from the pandemic needs to be addressed, while providing more school choice. We have also introduced legislation to expand the working families tax credit.
The housing situation in our state has impacted homelessness. The increase in homeless in our state over the last decade has increased significantly.
For more details on our priorities click here. It provides an overview of the issue and includes legislation we have introduced to address our priorities. We will continue to update this page as the session progresses.
Co-sponsored legislation
I have co-sponsored a number of pieces of legislation this session. Below is a breakdown of some of those bills.
House Bill 1019 would create the Pesticide Advisory Board. The board that advised the Washington State Dept. of Agriculture on pesticide-related actions was eliminated in 2010.
House Bill 1044 would provide capital financial assistance to small school districts with demonstrated funding challenges.
House Bill 1523 would authorize agricultural employers to select 12 weeks a year to employ workers for up to 50 hours a week before overtime applies.
House Bill 1573 would extend tax preferences for dairy, fruit and vegetable, and seafood processors.
House Bill 1601 would provide parental rights as they relate to the care, well-being, education, and upbringing of their children.
If you have any questions on any of these bills please let me know.
Rep. Bryan Sandlin and family on opening day of the 2023 legislative session.
Good and bad bills
If you are interested in a good and bad House bill list House Republicans are tracking click here. It is not an exhaustive list and will continue to change as the session progresses.
Following the Legislature
There are a number of ways you can follow what is happening in Olympia. I encourage you to do so. It is important for me to hear from you so we can represent you effectively.
Here are some websites and links that will help you stay engaged this legislative session.
My legislative website | Here you can find contact information, bio, news releases, email updates, radio appearances, and much more.
Please do hesitate to reach out to me. I look forward to keeping you updated during the session.
It is an honor to serve the great 15th District!
Bryan Sandlin
State Representative Bryan Sandlin 15th Legislative District representativebryansandlin.com 405 John L. O'Brien Building | P.O. Box 40600 | Olympia, WA 98504-0600 Bryan.Sandlin@leg.wa.gov 360-786-7874 | Toll-free: (800) 562-6000
