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August 1, 2018
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As
we have experienced too often in the past, the hot and dry summer weather makes
North Central Washington increasingly susceptible to wildfires. When we add the
threat of lightning strikes or bad individual decisions, wildfires are
typically a when-not-if scenario in our region.
In
recent weeks, we’ve seen wildfires strike in several locations in the 12th
Legislative District. While fortunately not as bad as ones in past years, the
current wildfires include the Cougar Creek fire about 20 miles northwest
of Entiat, the Chelan Hills fire south of the Beebe Bridge, the Gilbert fire northwest of Twisp, and the Cutthroat fire about 13 miles west of Mazama.
 Wildfire crews and other first responders are
currently engaged in four major fires in NCW.
Like
so many of you, I’m thankful for the hard work, skill and courage that
firefighters show as they battle these blazes. And although the focus is
on fire suppression at the moment, I am also appreciative of the increased
interest and collaborative efforts to reduce wildfire risk in our state.
Click here for the latest on the local wildfire situation from the Wenatchee World, and click here for how the state Department of Natural Resources and its director, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, are responding to wildfires statewide. For more, including information on burning restrictions, please visit DNR's Wildfire Resources webpage. You can also
visit the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center’s webpage.
KPQ’s
J. Michael Knight hosted me in studio twice this July.
Experiencing
both sides of doing a radio interview
As
our state senator, I welcome our radio stations’ interest in interviewing our
elected and local government officials. I enjoy the opportunity to help keep
listeners updated on what’s happening in the Legislature. This July, I had
the rare opportunity to be both the “interviewee” and “interviewer” with J.
Michael Knight, KPQ’s radio personality and host of “The Agenda” show. On July
9, Michael interviewed me in studio, asking me about my years growing up in the
Wenatchee Valley, my role as a legislator, what to expect with the 2019
session, and even my favorite music artist!
Click
here to listen to KPQ’s J. Michael Knight interview me.
Michael
always does an excellent job of not only putting his guests at ease but also
making them the focus of the program. I thought it might be nice for his loyal
listeners to get a chance to learn more about him. So as that interview wrapped
up, I offered to come back in studio to interview Michael himself.
A
bit to my surprise, he quickly accepted. Before I knew it, we had a date set on
July 24 for us to switch roles. I asked Michael about his background, what the
“J.” stands for, how he became interested in radio, and what brought him
to Wenatchee. Conducting a live on-air interview is not easy, even though our
local radio hosts make it appear so. I mentioned to Michael following the show,
both as a laugh but totally serious, that I look forward to “just answering”
the questions from now on. We had a great time.
Click
here to listen to me interview KPQ’s J. Michael Knight.
Strong
economy hopefully means strong state budget
I’m
thankful for Washington’s growing economy. A strong economy means more
jobs. I’m encouraged by the low unemployment numbers both in Chelan and Douglas
counties and statewide.
A
vibrant economy also means strong state revenue collections through existing
taxes, like the sales tax. Strong revenue collections enable the Legislature to
not only adopt sound operating budgets, but also to put aside surplus revenue
in case of a future dip in the economy.
Whenever
the state economy slumps, it can mean a significant drop in state revenue,
raising the possibility of spending cuts to state services and state employee
layoffs. That’s why it was prudent that Washington voters approved the creation
of the state’s Budget Stabilization Account (better known as the “Rainy Day
Fund”) so extra state revenue collected during strong economic times can
automatically be put aside to provide a buffer for the budget when tough
economic times arise.
Recent
state revenue forecasts have been very positive but, as we look ahead, the
state should continue to focus on creating and passing responsible
budgets, investing taxpayer dollars wisely, and build our budget reserves
so important state services and programs are better insulated against any
cooling of the state’s economy.
I
appreciate the opportunity to serve as our state senator and wish you and your
families a safe and happy August.
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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