Washington State House Republicans

Chamber article from Rep. Dan Kristiansen: Grading the Legislature’s performance this year

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:19:00 +0000

Dan Kristiansen Home | About Dan | Dan’s Newsroom | Sponsored Bills | 39th Legislative District Map

If the Legislature was graded by employers for its performance this year, the report card might read: Incomplete and needs improvement.

However, there are state lawmakers who are working to help employers and their employees. For example, House Republicans proposed a package of solutions that focus on workers’ compensation reform, streamlining government processes, creating accountability for rulemaking, and other reforms. House Bill 1403, which will provide a more user-friendly structure for businesses needing licensing information, is the only solution to be signed into law. You can learn more here: http://houserepublicans.wa.gov/files/uploads/HouseRepublicanEconomicSolutions2013.pdf

The biggest threat to employers in the ongoing special session is House Bill 2038. The centerpiece of the House Democrats’ plan to raise taxes by $879 million is to permanently extend the B&O surtax on service businesses. This includes a large category of Main Street employers.

House Republicans and the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus are united against these tax increases. We have shown how the operating budget can be balanced without raising taxes.

Here are some other bills of interest to businesses:

Good bills:

Work permits for the employment of minors | Senate Bill 5056 | signed into law
Changing unemployment insurance shared work program | House Bill 1396 | signed into law
Authorizing certain corporate officers to receive unemployment benefits | House Bill 1056 | signed into law
Mandating cities use the state business licensing service | Senate Bill 5656 | passed Senate, died in the House
Amending provisions governing structured settlements by removing age barriers and clarifying legislative intent | Senate Bill 5127 | passed Senate, died in the House

Bad bills:

Implementing family and medical leave insurance | House Bill 1457 | died in the House
Ensuring fairness to employers by protecting employees | House Bill 1440 | died in the House
Establishing minimum standards for sick and safe leave from employment | House Bill 1313 | died in the House

Please stay tuned. Hopefully by the end of the special session, the Legislature will have earned a better grade.

Rep. Dan Kristiansen
39^th District
House Republican Leader

Web site: www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/kristiansen

335C Legislative Building – P.O. Box 40600 | Olympia, WA 98504-0600
(360) 786-7967 or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000

Rep. Manweller appointed to Select Committee on Pension Policy

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:40:53 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 22, 2013

CONTACT: Kurt Hammond, Public Information Officer- (360) 786-7794

Rep. Manweller appointed to Select Committee on Pension Policy

Thirteenth District Rep. Matt Manweller has been appointed to the Select Committee on Pension Policy by Speaker of the House Frank Chopp.

“I am pleased to be part of this committee and look forward to working on solutions to strengthen the state’s pension system,” said Manweller, R-Ellensburg. “We owe it to our retirees that the pension system is financially stable, but we also need to examine ways to lower costs or make the system more efficient. The pension system is a big part of our operating budget.”

The Select Committee on Pension Policy studies pension issues and policies affecting the state’s public employee retirement systems and makes recommendations to the Legislature. The committee looks at specific areas of interest including contribution rate setting, retirement eligibility requirements, pension funding methods and balanced long-term management. The committee also receives the results of actuarial audits administered by the Pension Funding Council and reviews and makes recommendations to the Pension Funding Council regarding changes to retirement assumptions or contribution rates.

Legislative members serve from the close of the session in which they are appointed, until the close of the next regular session held in an odd-numbered year. If a successor is not appointed during a session, the member’s term continues until the member is reappointed or a successor is appointed.

For more information about Rep. Manweller, visit: www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/manweller.

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Rep. Manweller’s media:

Washington State House Republican Communications
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov
455 John L. O’Brien Building
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600

Governor signs Smith bill to promote economic development through business and government streamlining projects

Wed, 22 May 2013 19:23:47 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 22, 2013

CONTACT: Kurt Hammond, Public Information Officer- (360) 786-7794

Governor signs Smith bill to promote economic development through business and government streamlining projects

A bill that will implement a program to streamline regulations across multi-governmental jurisdictions for specific sectors of businesses was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday, May 21.

Tenth District Rep. Norma Smith, economic development leader for Washington House Republicans and prime-sponsor of the bill, said this is an important step in regulatory reform.

“This measure launches a pilot project that would pull together businesses from a specific sector within a geographic locale with the multiple layers of government – city, county, state agencies, and other stakeholders. Together, they will inventory all regulatory hurdles to drive change and make recommendations to streamline regulations and reduce governmental barriers impacting that sector,” said Smith, R-Clinton. “The state Department of Commerce is willing to be the lead, and feels that there is much benefit to be reaped from the effort. It would involve the governor’s lean management office and the Office of Regulatory Reform. There are private companies interested and willing to partner for success.”

The first sector to be reviewed under the legislation will be manufacturing.

“Advanced manufacturing and production is critical to our state’s economy,” Smith said. “The idea for this legislation came from a manufacturer who had significant difficulty in successfully locating a facility in Washington state.”

The department must also submit annual reports to the Legislature on project outcomes and streamlining recommendations identified that require statutory changes for implementation.

For more information about Rep. Smith, visit: www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/smith.

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Rep. Smith’s media:

Washington State House Republican Communications
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov
455 John L. O’Brien Building
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600

Capitol Buzz: May 22, 2013

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:11:00 +0000

AGRICULTURE & WATER

Kennewick Irrigation District anxiously looks toward Legislature (Tri-City Herald)

BORDER STATES

Portland rejecting water fluoridation (AP/The Everett Herald)

BUDGET & TAXES

BUSINESS, LABOR & ECONOMY

COURTS, CRIME & LAW ENFORCEMENT

Overcrowded Kitsap Jail releasing some inmates (AP/Kitsap Sun)

EDUCATION (K-12) & SCHOOL SAFETY

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS & SERVICES

ENERGY & UTILITIES

OPINION: Gateway Pacific Terminal coal port train traffic could impact Boulevard Park (Shannon Wright/The Bellingham Herald)

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

OPINION: Say no to a U.S.-Canada border-crossing fee (Donald Alper, Western Washington University/The Seattle Times)

GAY RIGHTS

Lawyers representing Richland flower shop owner want discrimination case tossed (Tri-City Herald)

HEALTH CARE

HIGHER EDUCATION

IMMIGRATION

LEGISLATURE

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

MEDIA

EDITORIAL: Government spying to plug leak keeps citizens in dark (Walla Walla Union-Bulletin)

MILITARY

POLITICS

BALLOT MEASURES

BLOG: Tim Eyman, in Spokane, speaking for the rights of the left (Bruce Ramsey/The Seattle Times)

LOCAL

STATE

Tea party group rallies in downtown Bellingham to protest IRS (The Bellingham Herald)

STATE GOVERNMENT

TRANSPORTATION

TRIBES

Tribal judge refuses to block disenrollment of 306 Nooksacks (The Bellingham Herald)

Read our policy on which stories we include in this daily service here.

Washington State House Republican Communications
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov
455 John L. O’Brien Building
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600

La Conner High School students serve as pages in the state Legislature

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:10:02 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 22, 2013

CONTACT: John Sattgast, Senior Information Officer/Broadcast Coordinator – (360) 786-7257

La Conner High School students serve as pages in the state Legislature

Keith Carlton and Jacek Knudson, freshman students at La Conner High School, served as legislative pages in the Washington House of Representatives. They were sponsored by Rep. Dave Hayes, R-Camano Island.

As pages, Keith and Jacek observed the Legislature in action and were responsible for delivering messages and documents to legislators in their offices, committee meetings and the House chamber during floor sessions. They also attended the Legislature’s page school, where they learned about how a bill becomes a law and other legislative actions.

To become a page, applicants must have a legislative sponsor and be between the ages of 14 and 17. Additionally, pages are required to obtain written permission from their parents and school.

Keith is the 15-year-old son of Kevin and Mary Beth Carlton of La Conner. He is involved in several activities, including scuba diving, skiing and with the youth group in his church.

Jacek is the son of K.C. and Lori Knudson of La Conner. He is also 15. Jacek enjoys basketball, football, track and skiing. In addition, he is the freshman class president at La Conner High School.

For more information about the House page program, visit: http://www.leg.wa.gov/House/Pages/HousePageProgram.aspx

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PHOTO #1: Legislative page Keith Carlton with Rep. Dave Hayes.

PHOTO #2: Legislative page Jacek Knudson with Rep. Dave Hayes

Rep. Hayes’ media:

Washington State House Republican Communications
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov
455 John L. O’Brien Building
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600

NEWS: Hawkins transparency bill signed into law

Tue, 21 May 2013 23:47:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 21, 2013

CONTACT: Ashley Wilson, Public Information Officer – (360) 786-7761

Hawkins transparency bill signed into law

Today Gov. Jay Inslee signed House Bill 2058 into law sponsored by Rep. Brad Hawkins, R-East Wenatchee. The legislation will promote more transparency in government spending and is Hawkins’ first bill to become law. Relating to transparency in enacted state capital and transportation budget
appropriations and expenditures." border="0" alt="Governor Inslee signs House Bill No. 2058
Relating to transparency in enacted state capital and transportation budget
appropriations and expenditures." align="right" src="http://houserepublicans.wa.gov/wp-content/uploads/20130521_LegWA_0086ab_thumb.jpg" width="596" height="398"/>

The legislation will leverage existing government data to create a user-friendly online map which will display capital and transportation spending by legislative district and county. The statewide capital and transportation budget expenditures are over $12 billion per biennium. Hawkins believes this information should be more accessible to taxpayers.

The bill is a joint venture by Hawkins and fellow freshman legislator Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane, and was a crash course in the way legislation is developed, amended and finally approved.

“Representative Riccelli and I worked hard on this idea all session. We learned plenty together about the twists and turns of the legislative process along the way. This common sense idea became law because of hard work, bipartisan cooperation and freshmen optimism,” said Hawkins.

“I am happy Representative Hawkins and I were able to work closely together to move this important piece of legislation forward,” said Riccelli. “This shows that transparency and accountability in government is an idea both parties in Olympia can support. It is heartening for two newly elected legislators to see that sound policy can still trump politics these days.”

The bill goes into effect on July 28, 2013. Upon signing the bill into law, Gov. Inslee said “I appreciate the great bipartisan work that got this bill to my desk by Representatives Hawkins and Riccelli and others.”

For more information about Rep. Hawkins, visit: www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/hawkins.

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Rep. Hawkins’ media:

Washington State House Republican Communications
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov
455 John L. O’Brien Building
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600

Governor signs Hawkins’ bill to provide greater public access to capital and transportation spending (audio)

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:43:35 +0000

RADIO BROADCAST FEED TRANSCRIPT

May 21, 2013

CONTACT: John Sattgast, Broadcast Coordinator – (360) 786-7257 / Studio – (360) 786-5046

Governor signs Hawkins’ bill to provide greater public access to capital and transportation spending

Legislator: Rep. Brad Hawkins
Date Recorded: May 21, 2013
Run Time: 55 seconds

SUGGESTED LEAD: A measure by an East Wenatchee lawmaker to increase transparency in government spending was signed by Gov. Jay Inslee Tuesday. John Sattgast reports from Olympia.

(Voice cut: Hawkins-HB2058-SattgastVoicer-052113.mp3 – Run time :55 seconds)

MP3 File

Sattgast: It was freshman Republican Representative Brad Hawkins’ first bill to receive the governor’s autograph – a measure he co-sponsored with Spokane Democrat Marcus Riccelli to help taxpayers know where their money is being spent in the capital and transportation budgets. House Bill 2058 will create a user-friendly online map which would display capital and transportation spending by legislative district and county.

(Voice cut: Hawkins-HB2058-Clip1-052113.mp3 -Run time :21 Out cue: . . .where their tax dollars are going.)

MP3 File

Hawkins: “The capital budget and the transportation budget is about 12-and-a-half billion dollars per biennium. And what we envision will take place will be as they hover over a particular county or a legislative district, they will get a chance to see the enacted capital budget and transportation spending in that area or region. Should give people an understanding of where their tax dollars are going.”

Sattgast: 12th District State Representative Brad Hawkins, who said the measure received bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. The bill takes effect July 28th. John Sattgast, Olympia.

Find more audio content on our Web site.

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Washington State House Republican Communications
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov
451 John L. O’Brien Building – P.O. Box 40600 – Olympia, WA 98504-0600
Broadcast studio: (360) 786-5046