Greetings Friends and Neighbors
 I want to thank everyone that
attended our second annual Farm Hall, November 18th. It was a success.
We had many from around eastern Washington attend to provide their
insights on the challenges our agricultural and rural communities are
facing.
We discussed a
variety of topics, but as the Chair of the Senate Agriculture, Water and
Rural Economic Development Committee, I focused on the recent Hirst
Decision from the state Supreme Court. In essence, this ruling puts a
significant burden on rural areas with permit-exempt wells, limiting
growth and shifting state responsibilities onto already resource limited
counties.
I recently sat down for an interview on TVW on this topic. Please click here to watch.
|
Blue Ribbon Commission on Children and Families
While the Legislature has been out of session, I have been working on a variety of projects and interim committees. One that has taken up a great deal of my time has been the governor's blue ribbon commission on children and families. This group of legislators, state agencies, and community stakeholders has been looking at ways to improve delivery and coordination of state services. The ultimate goal is to create a new state agency that, "...will align state policies across agencies and have
accountability for better using the state’s resources to improve the
lives of children and families."
I do support making sure that those in need have access to state services, but the state needs to do a better job coordinating with community and faith-based resources. I am concerned with the costs of creating a new state agency which may be prohibitive. You can read the final report of the Commission here and read a recent editorial from the Seattle Times Editorial Board on the work here.
 Saying Goodbye
Over
the Thanksgiving Holiday, my long-time legislative assistant and
friend, Kyle Lynch, lost his battle with cancer. He passed away in the
presence of his loving family. If you've called my office you've likely spoken with Kyle. He was a great
advocate for our community and a kind and devoted family man. He will be
missed.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Dec.17 at Moses Lake Presbyterian Church,
1142 W. Ivy Ave. Members of the community can read and share memories of Kyle here.
|
 Judy Warnick,
13th District Senator
Share my E-newsletter
Do you know others who live in
our district who may not be receiving my e-news updates? Please feel free to
forward this e-mail invitation to them or click on the share button below. If you have received this without directly subscribing, please visit my website by clicking here and sign up to receive my e-newsletters!
Contact Me
Olympia Office:
103 Irv Newhouse Bldg.
P.O. Box 40410
Olympia, WA 98504
District
Phone:
509.766.6505
Olympia Phone:
360.786.7624
E-mail:
Judith.Warnick@leg.wa.gov
Website:
Click here to visit my website
| 
