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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As the scheduled 60-day session reaches its halfway point today, I am pleased to report that many of our Freedom Agenda bills are alive and well, and have made it past the committee cutoff deadlines. Your support has helped to make The Freedom Agenda the most successful slate of conservative legislation since the Republican Contract in the mid-1990s. Below is a status report of our bills moving through the process. Also, be sure to take action on our “Action Bill” to ensure more freedom. We must also remain vigilant to protect the unprotected, to serve the underserved, and to provide a voice for those who cannot speak – and that includes our unborn children. See below about one of the worst bills of this legislative session, and our fight to stop it and protect women and children.
I encourage your involvement, attention and participation in our Republican form of government. Here’s how:
Watch my Legislative Video Update. Every two weeks, I record a video update of the current activities in the Legislature. It is also shown at various times on Spokane City Cable 5.
Check out all of my prime- and co-sponsored bills here.
Listen to our Freedom Agenda podcast on Sound Cloud.
Visit my website: www.representativemattshea.com
Join me for a telephone town hall meeting, Feb. 19, from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Call toll-free: 1-800-757-3703.
With 30 days remaining in this legislative session, we are determined to carry the torch of freedom to the very end – standing strong for LOWER TAXES, LESS GOVERNMENT and MORE FREEDOM.
Thank you for joining with us. And thank you for the honor of allowing me to serve and represent you in the state Legislature.
Sincerely,
Matt Shea
State Representative
4th Legislative District
Freedom bills make progress through the Legislature
“The best road to progress is freedom’s road,” said John F. Kennedy more than 50 years ago. It remains true today, even though many liberals who hold JFK up as their hero, continue to seek ways to shackle freedom and halt progress. I am proud to say we are making considerable progress in the Legislature with our Freedom Agenda bills. Here’s the latest status of those bills that are advancing:
ACTION BILL – House Bill 1771 restricting the use of drones
House Bill 1771 would establish state safeguards for the purchase and use of public unmanned aircraft systems (PUAS), also known as drones. Under the measure, a state agency would have to get permission from the Legislature before it obtained a PUAS. A local agency would need to get permission from a local governing body. For example, a city police department would need approval from a city council to obtain a drone.
The bill has 19 co-sponsors, including eight Democrats, and support from the American Civil Liberties Union. It passed the House Public Safety Committee last year. Unfortunately, it has been stuck in the House Rules Committee for nearly a year. We need to get this bill moved to the House floor for a vote!
Call the toll-free Legislative Hotline at 1-800-562-6000. Ask to leave a message for your state representative. Tell your lawmakers to move House Bill 1771, the “Drone Bill,” out of the House Rules Committee and onto the House floor for a vote!
BAD BILL OF THE WEEK – Abortion insurance mandate – House Bill 2148
House Bill 2148 would require all health insurance companies in Washington to provide coverage for abortions. If approved, Washington would be the first state in the nation with this abortion mandate. It would force people who want health insurance in Washington to purchase from an insurer who provides money to pay for abortions. It is anti-choice because it would take away the right of women to choose whether or not they want this type of coverage. It is an attack on religious liberty, freedom and conscience-protections in the U.S. and Washington constitutions.
Here are some points I have made on this issue:
Despite our best efforts to stop this legislation, it passed the House last Wednesday, 54-44. The measure is now in the Senate, where we are working to stop this horrific and destructive bill.
E-mail: matt.shea@leg.wa.gov
Web site: www.representativemattshea.com
Olympia Office (January-April)
437 John L. O’Brien Building – P.O. Box 40600 | Olympia, WA 98504-0600
(360) 786-7984 or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000
District Office (May-December)
502 S. Sullivan Rd., Suite 207
Spokane Valley, WA 99037
(509) 921-2353