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March 26, 2018
 Leavenworth Mayor Cheri Farivar presented Governor Inslee with a copy of "Miracle Town," a popular book about her town's transformation, following this past week's signing of Senate Bill 6055. She was joined by Councilmember Margaret Neighbors, City Administrator
Joel Walinski, and Councilmember Sharon Waters.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
It has been nearly three weeks since the end of the 2018 legislative
session, but things have continued to stay very busy in Olympia. In Washington, our governor traditionally signs most bills approved during a
legislative session. This year’s Legislature approved nearly 300 bills, a small
number compared to the more than 2,000 bills introduced.
Despite the relatively small percentage of bills that become law, the
governor does have a lot of signing to do after bills pass the Legislature. The
signing ceremonies allow stakeholders to gather, and serve to mark
the end of a bill’s journey through the process.
Two of the three bills that I prime-sponsored this past session were signed by
the governor last week. As always, the governor was very gracious with the
guests who attended. Seeing the bills signed was a nice way to conclude a busy
session.
Leavenworth bill to
take effect June 7
The first was Senate Bill 6055, a bill that stems from my
October listening tour of our 12th Legislative District. The first meeting of
the tour took place at Leavenworth City Hall. That’s when city officials told
me how a boundary change for Washington’s apple maggot quarantine area had
limited their disposal options for brush and yard waste.
It was fitting that some of those city officials joined me,
less than six months later, to see the signing of my bill that gives Leavenworth
the opportunity to burn brush and yard waste four times a year rather than
hauling it away to western Washington for disposal.
SB 6055, which won unanimous approval from the Senate and
House of Representatives, will do more than help Leavenworth with an immediate
issue. It also will allow the state Department of Ecology and other agencies to
collect data and help decide whether burning is a long-term option in such
situations.
Yard waste is not a typical topic of legislation, but this
is more than a local concern. Between the apple maggot quarantine, Ecology’s
regulatory authority concerning air quality and the fact that three other
municipalities are affected by the boundary change, the legislative arena was
the place to address this. I am grateful for the significant amount of hard
work, compromise, and bipartisan support that led to a successful outcome.
 Bill-signing ceremonies are public events, and all ages may take part. My Senate Bill 6211 was among more than 20 bills the governor signed this past Friday morning.
Law supporting ‘Good
Neighbor’ pact is already in effect
Although most new laws take effect three months after the
legislative session wraps up, there are exceptions when the policy change can’t
wait that long. In those cases the bill includes “emergency” language that
allows it to go into effect when it’s signed – meaning the signing is necessary,
not ceremonial.
My second bill to pass this year, Senate Bill 6211, is an example of legislation
that could not wait to become law because it is a time-sensitive step in the
collective efforts to improve the management of Washington forests and reduce
the risk of wildfire.
The new law creates a special account in the state treasury
that allows the state Department of Natural Resources handle revenue and
authorize spending under the Good Neighbor Authority agreement signed by
DNR and the U.S. Forest Service in 2017. The agreement allows the
state to conduct forest management work on federal lands.
With important forest health projects ready to go, we
designed SB 6211 to become law upon the governor’s signature. I was thrilled by
the strong bipartisan legislative support it received, and so was Commissioner
of Public Lands Hilary Franz, who herself has been a champion of forest health.
“I want to thank Senator Hawkins for being such a determined
advocate for Washington’s forests,” said Commissioner Franz. “With this account
now officially in place, I’m excited to put Department of Natural Resources
crews right to work making all of Washington’s forests healthier, more
productive and more resilient,” she said.
Like my Leavenworth bill, SB 6211 also won unanimous
legislative approval. It’s the second forest health related law created in two
years by legislation I introduced, the first being the law created by Senate Bill 5546 in 2017. That stakeholder-driven
policy directs DNR to establish a framework for assessing and treating fire-prone lands. It was inspired by the Wenatchee-based
Wildfire Project and sets a specific goal of assessing and treating 1 million
acres over 16 years, most likely through prescribed fire and mechanical
thinning.
It is my great privilege to serve as your state senator. If you have any
questions or comments, please contact my office anytime using the information
below. If you are planning a trip to Olympia and would like to visit the
Capitol Building, my office would be happy to help your group when you are
here.
Thank you for allowing me to represent you in Olympia!
Sincerely,
Brad Hawkins
State Senator
Brad Hawkins
12th Legislative District
E-mail:
brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov
Website: senatorbradhawkins.org
107 Newhouse Building
- P.O. Box 40412 | Olympia, WA 98504-0412
(360) 786-7622 or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000
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