Ranking Republican | Environment, Energy & Technology Committee
Committees include: Business & Finance | Labor & Commerce | Transportation
Dear friends and neighbors,
The 2024 legislative session kicked off January 8 for the short 60-day session. The purpose of a short legislative session is to adjust the previous year’s budgets as well as provide the opportunity to present new legislation.
Here are a few bills I have sponsored this legislative session:
SB 5826 | Requires customer charges to be listed on utility billing statements if the charges result from the Climate Commitment Act. This gives customers more transparency on how they are being charged.
SB 5855 | Protects consumers by requiring summaries for certain agreements and policies present in an electronic format. This provides consumers with a better understanding of what they are agreeing to.
SB 6160 | Makes it a Class C felony if someone fails to disperse from a public roadway when instructed to do so. This is in response to the recent protest that shutdown I-5 .
SB 6270 | Supports computer science programs in Washington grade schools. This provides our future workforce with the skills to compete in the field of computer science.
I have also co-sponsored SB 5803, which supports our recruitment and retention of Washington National Guard members, and SB 5851, which creates more public awareness concerning the Holocaust and genocide education in public schools and designates April as International Genocide Prevention and Awareness Month.
 OLYMPIA, Wash – On January 16, Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs certified I-2117, an initiative to repeal provisions of the Climate Commitment Act by prohibiting any carbon tax credit trading. The initiative received over 472,000 signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
As ranking member and lead Republican on the Environment, Energy and Technology Committee, Washington State Senator Drew MacEwen requested the Committee Chair, hold a public hearing.
 OLYMPIA, Wash – On January 6, protesters illegally blocked the northbound lanes of I-5 in downtown Seattle. Traffic was stalled for almost five hours and backed up for nearly six miles, forcing some to abandon their cars. At the time, no protestors were arrested, and I believe that our State Patrol did not have the necessary political support to properly and efficiently disperse the crowd.
To prevent this from occurring again, I have introduced new legislation that will strengthen penalties for unlawfully obstructing traffic and give State Patrol the proper support to do their job.
While I fully support the right for people to protest on topics they feel passionately about, I do not support protests that infringe on other people’s rights, which is what occurred on January 6.
Inside Olympia with Austin Jenkins hosted an interview with Sen. Drew MacEwen, the ranking Republican on the Environment, Energy, & Technology Committee. and Committee Chair Joe Nguyen. The discussion highlighted several topics including the Cap and Trade Program.
Judah Cushman serves as page for Sen. MacEwen
 Judah Cushman and Sen. MacEwen.
OLYMPIA, Wash. – Judah Cushman, a homeschooled 9th grader from Rochester, spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Cushman was one of 13 students who served as a Senate page for the first week of the 2024 Legislative session.
He was sponsored by 35th Legislative District Sen. Drew MacEwen, who represents Mason, and parts of Thurston and Kitsap Counties.
SRC On Air: Sen. Drew MacEwen talks with KMAS host Jeff Slakey about rising energy prices from cap-and-trade, his bill to increase penalties for blocking highways, and more. #waleg
As your Senator my most important role is to serve you, the constituents of the 35th District. It is my responsibility to take an objective view and provide recommendations and solutions that have the best opportunity to benefit the entirety of our district. It is also my duty to reject and offer alternatives to legislation that can lead to negative impacts for our constituency.
I encourage you to be involved. If you have a challenge with a state agency, a comment or concern about pending legislation or the direction of state government, I hope you will contact my office. You can reach me and my legislative assistant Rob Barnes at (360) 786-7668. You can send me an email at Drew.MacEwen@leg.wa.gov, or a letter at P.O. Box 40435. And you can stay in touch by visiting my website, at https://drewmacewen.src.wastateleg.org/.
Drew MacEwen
Senator, 35th Legislative District
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