Sen. Brown with Sen. Judy Warnick, the Senate Republican lead negotiator on Hirst.
Dear Friends,
The second week of the 2018
legislative session is drawing to a close. It is hard to believe we are nearly
one-quarter of the way through the 60-day regular session.
I spent most of this week with
my colleagues in Senate hearings discussing bills and taking public testimony
on measures before the Senate. Much of the news has not been fun. Many measures
coming forth from the new majority deal with controversial issues that divide
us, rather the issues that unite us, like jobs, education and a responsible
budget.
This was also the case Wednesday
and Thursday when we took to the floor of the Senate chamber to vote on bills.
But I am pleased to report that
two measures we voted on, in a Thursday night session, will have a tremendous benefit
for our entire state, our district and especially our friends in rural
Washington. After months of debate, the Legislature finally approved a fix to
the Supreme Court’s disastrous Hirst decision. Property owners across the state
who rely on small wells for access to water will finally be able to develop and
enjoy their property!
We also passed a capital budget
that invests in mental health, important 8th District priorities and puts more
than $1 billion into K-12 construction!
You can read more about these
developments below.
As always, please let me know
if I can be of assistance to you. Thank you for the opportunity to serve as
your state senator.
Sincerely,
Sharon Brown State Senator 8th District
Marijuana and Preschools Don’t Mix!
Click to watch this week's video update!
After
nearly a year of negotiations, I am happy to announce that the Legislature has
finally approved a compromise deal to bring needed relief for rural families
seeking to drill a small household well.
Under a
2016 Supreme Court ruling known as the Hirst decision, the high court mandated
that counties must evaluate whether there is adequate water available before
permitting new buildings. The ruling ended long-standing policy that instead used
information from the state Department of Ecology to make such decisions.
The
Hirst decision upended decades of water law, defied common sense and had a
devastating impact on rural areas where families need a well for their water
supply. The ruling essentially shut down construction throughout rural
Washington.
Late Thursday night, the Senate passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6091 by a vote of 35 to
14, and later the House of Representatives approved the compromise by a vote of
66 to 30. The bill would provide immediate relief – allowing property-owners in
rural areas to use permit-exempt wells, while local committees in watersheds
come up with longer-term mitigation plan. The deal also includes $300 million
over the next 15 years for projects that improve stream flows.
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With the Hirst fix finally adopted, the Legislature
immediately moved to pass the state construction-spending plan, known as the
capital budget. I am pleased the final approved plan for 2017-19 includes more
than $40 million in funding for 8th District projects.
I fought hard to include $8 million for the Science
Laboratories Infrastructure (SLI) project in Richland. These funds will be used
to purchase two advanced scientific instruments to be housed in a new,
world-class energy- and materials-research facility at the Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory. It’s slated for a design/construction start this year.
If the SLI facility is completed, it is expected to result
in approximately 300 jobs in Washington over a two-year period. State funding
for the project is likely to boost PNNL’s anticipated matching-request for a
U.S. Department of Energy science investment of approximately $89 million in
federal fiscal years 2018-22.
Other 8th District projects funded in the capital budget
include:
- The Whitehouse Addition Homeownership Program
($1.5 million);
- Tri-Tech Skill Center - Core Growth ($10.8
million);
- WSU Tri-Cities - Academic Building ($3 million);
- Kennewick Automated Meter Reading Project ($6
million);
- The Save the Old Tower project in Pasco ($300,000);
- Public Works Assistance for US 395/Ridgeline
Interchange in Kennewick ($6 million); and
- Tri Cities Readiness Center ($800,000).
The capital budget will invest $4.2 billion overall in our
state, including a total of more than $1 billion for K-12 education-facility
construction, renovation or modernization.
Mental-health needs, one of my top priorities, would
receive $132 million in this budget. There is approximately $90 million in
community behavioral health projects and another approximately $42 million in
state hospital projects.
ABATE members visit the Capitol
Members of ABATE – a
non-profit organization dedicated to promoting freedom of choice for motorcycle
riders and fair motorcycle legislation – recently made their annual trip to
Olympia to discuss several bills affecting motorcyclists this year.
On Thursday, I had the
honor of addressing the motorcycle community, including several folks from the
Tri-Cities, from the steps of the Capitol building. It was great to be able to
discuss my support for two pieces of rider-choice legislation. I am the sponsor
of Senate Bill 5156 and I support House Bill 1804 – these bills would allow
motorcyclists 18 years and older to choose when, where, and if they would wear
a helmet.
It is always great to
see faces from the Tri-Cities here in Olympia.
If you or a group you
are associated with is planning a trip to the Capitol, please call my office
and let us know. We would love to see you!
As always, I value
hearing directly from you. I am here to be your voice, and your feedback on
bills before the Senate is very important to me. If you would like to contact me please
write, phone, e-mail, or stop by if you’re in the Olympia area.
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