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Greetings from
Olympia!
This week brought another of the deadlines for bills to
continue through the legislative process. The House Democrats unveiled their
spending proposal to meet the state’s obligation to fund education and pay for
other state services for the next two years. Unfortunately, it is just a
spending wish list because it requires billions in more taxes that the House majority
does not intend to bring up for a vote. While it does make investments in many
areas of state government, the House proposal still spends less money on
education – despite over $3 billion in new taxes – than the Senate’s complete
and funded budget that does not include a general tax increase.
Our state is expected to collect $3 billion more in taxes
generated from economic activity. Our budget prioritizes spending on education.
As one of my colleagues noted, we put the first dollar, not the last dime,
toward education, unlike the House Democrats’ proposal.
House Democrats fail
to act for our state’s rural families
If you’ve been watching the news, you may have heard about
the Hirst court decision. This ruling
from the state’s Supreme Court in late 2016 effectively stopped home building
in rural parts of our state. The court threw out decades of water law and
placed the burden on local jurisdictions to make determinations about water
availability before issuing permits. This is something that the state already
does and a task counties don’t have the resources or technical expertise to do.
So what happens? The costs of the studies required are placed on property
owners hoping to build a life on their parcel and even if they pay the
thousands of dollars for the studies, there is no guarantee a permit will be
issued.
I sponsored Senate Bill 5239 to fix the Hirst ruling and
bring some common sense back to Olympia. I am dismayed that the House Democrats
failed to act before the deadline to approve the bill. They did not bring any
solutions and ignored the numerous people who testified in public hearings
about their plight. Some invested their life savings, only to be told they
couldn’t drill a well.
The House majority has essentially said they don’t care.
While the wealthy may be able to afford the studies, average property owners
are stuck without relief.
I am committed to fixing this issue before the Legislature
adjourns on April 23. When I
came to Olympia to begin the 2017 legislative session, I knew that education
was going to be at the forefront of our work, but the impacts of Hirst became very clear and the time to
act is now.
I issued a statement on the House’s failure that you can read
here.
You can learn more about the issue, and see what newspapers
and stakeholders are saying by visiting these websites.
www.FixHirst.com
www.src.wastateleg.org/hirst-fix
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It is an honor to serve as your state Senator. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your state government. Please watch your email, as I look forward to providing you with regular updates
throughout the session.
 Judy Warnick,
13th District Senator
Contact Me
Olympia Office:
103 Irv Newhouse Bldg.
P.O. Box 40410
Olympia, WA 98504
Olympia Phone:
360.786.7624
District
Phone:
509.766.6505
E-mail:
Judith.Warnick@leg.wa.gov
Website:
Click here to visit my website
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