Hello, Friends and Neighbors!

I’ll start by thanking the hundreds who have already completed my survey about replacing the I-5 bridge over the Columbia. If you haven’t done so yet, please click on this link and have a look at the questions, which will help me get a sense of how you use the bridge and the priorities you have for replacing it. It should only take a few minutes, and the feedback will guide my work on the bi-state committee created to look at bridge-replacement options.

Here in the second week of the legislative session our work is focused at the committee level, which is typical – and that will continue through most of February. The Senate has 14 policy committees this year, plus a new subcommittee on behavioral health, and the two budget committees; all are busy conducting public hearings and the occasional work session on Senate bills chosen by the respective committee’s chair.

I’m the prime sponsor of nine bills so far. Three (Senate Bill 5150, SB 5362 and SB 5428) are scheduled for committee hearings next week, while four (SB 5147, SB 5148, SB 5149 and SB 5151) have already had public hearings and been voted “out of committee,” as it’s known. Here’s a rundown:

• SB 5148 – Why should hunters in our state be able to wear blaze pink as their required high-visibility clothing? I can think of two good reasons. Depending on the time of year, the leaves on the trees can be almost as bright as the fluorescent orange that is the only safety color presently allowed in Washington. Blaze pink doesn’t look like anything else in the forest or field, and more visibility means more safety. Also, having pink as a choice for hunting wear (I wore a pink hunting vest when testifying on my bill) can only help to attract more women to hunting, and maybe more young people in general. The more people who hunt, the more hunting equipment sold in our state, and the more federal dollars that come back to us through a long-standing federal law. The Senate committee on natural resources had a hearing on the bill yesterday, then went ahead and voted to move it forward before the meeting ended — something rarely seen this early in a session, and a welcome show of support.

• SB 5147 – The term “pink tax” refers to the extra amount women pay on items that are marketed to women, and this bill goes after a particular category of items – it would exempt feminine-hygiene products from Washington’s retail sales and use tax. Some see it as a fairness issue, but I’ll go a step farther: why should women have to pay tax on products that are medically necessary? This is the fourth year I’ve introduced this common-sense measure, and the Health and Long-Term Care committee passed it unanimously this week. Because it affects taxes, the bill’s next stop is the Ways and Means committee, of which I’m now a member.

• SB 5428 – This is my Mental Health for Heroes Act, which has been passed by the Senate each of the past two years but has yet to win approval from the House. As veterans and their families transition back into civilian life, it is important for them to have access to services to help with unique issues such as mental trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder. My bill would help veterans attending a four-year university or college in Washington who are in need of mental-health counseling; it will receive a public hearing next week in the Senate higher-education committee.

• SB 5149 – I continue to believe state law should allow the use of electronic-monitoring technology to not only track perpetrators but also alert victims of domestic violence (or sexual assault or stalking) in real time when the person being monitored is nearby. This is the second time I’ve introduced this measure, which won unanimous support from the Senate last year only to stall in the House. Our Law and Justice committee endorsed the idea again this week.

• SB 5150 – Washington’s public four-year colleges and universities can have their own security forces, and K-12 districts can have school resource officers on campus, but our community and technical colleges have been left hanging. They’re not allowed to maintain a law-enforcement presence on their campuses, so security means dialing 9-1-1. Last year my CTC-security bill didn’t get off the ground, but this year the higher-education committee has a new chair, and SB 5150 will receive a public hearing next week.

• SB 5151 – Technology has helped make government more transparent in many ways, but the state’s Growth Management Hearings Board needs some help on that front. My bill, as endorsed by the Local Government committee, would require the GMHB to develop a “rational system” for filing its decisions and orders. It’s my intent to improve the public’s access to the board’s actions – which carry a lot of weight regarding land use – so people can examine and learn from them.

• SB 5362 – I’m taking another run at addressing the pervasive problem of vehicle-license fraud in our state. An estimated 20,000 vehicles in Clark County alone are illegally licensed in Oregon or other states, causing the state to lose out on over $16 million annually. The Washington State Patrol and the Washington Association of Police Chiefs and Sheriffs both support my bill, which would basically allow a one-time deferred prosecution as an incentive to get people to comply with the licensing law. Last year my bill cleared the Transportation committee but didn’t get to a vote in the Senate chamber; the journey for this year’s measure begins next week with another hearing in Transportation.  

Meet the 17th District Senate team!

Let me introduce you to the members of the team for 2019:

• Amber Hardtke, Senior Legislative Assistant (left) — Amber is my LA year-round, and I’ve been pleased to have her by my side for my entire tenure in the Legislature. She has two children, and along with her husband, is an avid world traveler. Amber has over 20 years of service to the citizens of Clark County under her belt, so if you have any questions about my work in the Legislature or our community, she can get you taken care of!

• Abby Crowell, Session Aide (right) — Abby is a senior at the University of Puget Sound, where she studies Business and Politics & Government. She is originally from Eugene, Oregon and enjoys competing for the UPS Track & Field Team. If she looks familiar, it’s because Abby was my intern last session. She did such an outstanding job that when it came time to hire for this year, there was no one else I’d rather have back in my office than Abby!

• Inna VanMatre, Intern (seated) — Inna is a senior at Washington State University – Vancouver, where she is majoring in Environmental Science with a minor in Business Administration. Inna was born in Ukraine and her family immigrated to Vancouver when she was just four years old. She enjoys playing the violin, hiking, sailing, and skiing. Inna is doing a great job and I’m so excited I was able to welcome a 17th District resident to my session team this year!

Click here to see the full list of bills I’ve introduced and co-sponsored so far this session. If you plan to come to the Capitol before the session ends on April 28, please let me know!

Hello, Friends and Neighbors!

I’ll start by thanking the hundreds who have already completed my survey about replacing the I-5 bridge over the Columbia. If you haven’t done so yet, please click on this link and have a look at the questions, which will help me get a sense of how you use the bridge and the priorities you have for replacing it. It should only take a few minutes, and the feedback will guide my work on the bi-state committee created to look at bridge-replacement options.

Here in the second week of the legislative session our work is focused at the committee level, which is typical – and that will continue through most of February. The Senate has 14 policy committees this year, plus a new subcommittee on behavioral health, and the two budget committees; all are busy conducting public hearings and the occasional work session on Senate bills chosen by the respective committee’s chair.

I’m the prime sponsor of nine bills so far. Three (Senate Bill 5150, SB 5362 and SB 5428) are scheduled for committee hearings next week, while four (SB 5147, SB 5148, SB 5149 and SB 5151) have already had public hearings and been voted “out of committee,” as it’s known. Here’s a rundown:

• SB 5148 – Why should hunters in our state be able to wear blaze pink as their required high-visibility clothing? I can think of two good reasons. Depending on the time of year, the leaves on the trees can be almost as bright as the fluorescent orange that is the only safety color presently allowed in Washington. Blaze pink doesn’t look like anything else in the forest or field, and more visibility means more safety. Also, having pink as a choice for hunting wear (I wore a pink hunting vest when testifying on my bill) can only help to attract more women to hunting, and maybe more young people in general. The more people who hunt, the more hunting equipment sold in our state, and the more federal dollars that come back to us through a long-standing federal law. The Senate committee on natural resources had a hearing on the bill yesterday, then went ahead and voted to move it forward before the meeting ended — something rarely seen this early in a session, and a welcome show of support.

• SB 5147 – The term “pink tax” refers to the extra amount women pay on items that are marketed to women, and this bill goes after a particular category of items – it would exempt feminine-hygiene products from Washington’s retail sales and use tax. Some see it as a fairness issue, but I’ll go a step farther: why should women have to pay tax on products that are medically necessary? This is the fourth year I’ve introduced this common-sense measure, and the Health and Long-Term Care committee passed it unanimously this week. Because it affects taxes, the bill’s next stop is the Ways and Means committee, of which I’m now a member. 
• SB 5428 – This is my Mental Health for Heroes Act, which has been passed by the Senate each of the past two years but has yet to win approval from the House. As veterans and their families transition back into civilian life, it is important for them to have access to services to help with unique issues such as mental trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder. My bill would help veterans attending a four-year university or college in Washington who are in need of mental-health counseling; it will receive a public hearing next week in the Senate higher-education committee. 
• SB 5149 – I continue to believe state law should allow the use of electronic-monitoring technology to not only track perpetrators but also alert victims of domestic violence (or sexual assault or stalking) in real time when the person being monitored is nearby. This is the second time I’ve introduced this measure, which won unanimous support from the Senate last year only to stall in the House. Our Law and Justice committee endorsed the idea again this week. 
• SB 5150 – Washington’s public four-year colleges and universities can have their own security forces, and K-12 districts can have school resource officers on campus, but our community and technical colleges have been left hanging. They’re not allowed to maintain a law-enforcement presence on their campuses, so security means dialing 9-1-1. Last year my CTC-security bill didn’t get off the ground, but this year the higher-education committee has a new chair, and SB 5150 will receive a public hearing next week. 
• SB 5151 – Technology has helped make government more transparent in many ways, but the state’s Growth Management Hearings Board needs some help on that front. My bill, as endorsed by the Local Government committee, would require the GMHB to develop a “rational system” for filing its decisions and orders. It’s my intent to improve the public’s access to the board’s actions – which carry a lot of weight regarding land use – so people can examine and learn from them. 
• SB 5362 – I’m taking another run at addressing the pervasive problem of vehicle-license fraud in our state. An estimated 20,000 vehicles in Clark County alone are illegally licensed in Oregon or other states, causing the state to lose out on over $16 million annually. The Washington State Patrol and the Washington Association of Police Chiefs and Sheriffs both support my bill, which would basically allow a one-time deferred prosecution as an incentive to get people to comply with the licensing law. Last year my bill cleared the Transportation committee but didn’t get to a vote in the Senate chamber; the journey for this year’s measure begins next week with another hearing in Transportation.

Meet the 17th District Senate team!
Let me introduce you to the members of the team for 2019:

• Amber Hardtke, Senior Legislative Assistant (left) — Amber is my LA year-round, and I’ve been pleased to have her by my side for my entire tenure in the Legislature. She has two children, and along with her husband, is an avid world traveler. Amber has over 20 years of service to the citizens of Clark County under her belt, so if you have any questions about my work in the Legislature or our community, she can get you taken care of! 
• Abby Crowell, Session Aide (right) — Abby is a senior at the University of Puget Sound, where she studies Business and Politics & Government. She is originally from Eugene, Oregon and enjoys competing for the UPS Track & Field Team. If she looks familiar, it’s because Abby was my intern last session. She did such an outstanding job that when it came time to hire for this year, there was no one else I’d rather have back in my office than Abby! 
• Inna VanMatre, Intern (seated) — Inna is a senior at Washington State University – Vancouver, where she is majoring in Environmental Science with a minor in Business Administration. Inna was born in Ukraine and her family immigrated to Vancouver when she was just four years old. She enjoys playing the violin, hiking, sailing, and skiing. Inna is doing a great job and I’m so excited I was able to welcome a 17th District resident to my session team this year!

Click here to see the full list of bills I’ve introduced and co-sponsored so far this session. If you plan to come to the Capitol before the session ends on April 28, please let me know!