Wednesday was policy cutoff. That means any policy bill that did not move out of committee in its chamber of origin is now considered dead.
As we approach the halfway point of the 2024 legislative session, I want to hear what you think the Legislature should do with the initiatives.
Please take my initiative survey by clicking here.
The results will be released at my next town hall meeting.
- Initiative 2113 would fully restore the ability of law enforcement officers to engage in vehicular pursuit.
- Initiative 2117 would repeal the Climate Commitment Act, the state’s new carbon tax program.
- Initiative 2081 would establish a parental bill of rights, so that parents would have authority over their child’s school and medical records.
- Initiative 2109 would repeal the state’s new capital gains tax.
- Initiative 2111 would prohibit state and local personal income taxes in Washington state.
- Initiative 2124 would allow people to opt out of the new state-run, long-term-care program.
Added costs for the average family
The carbon tax has increased the price of gas by about 50 cents per gallon, costing the average driver about $214 per year. Meanwhile, the long-term care program, which taxes 0.58% of Washington wages, costs the average household about $522 per year. In direct costs alone, these new taxes are squeezing family budgets.
Town hall meeting on Feb. 17
Mark your calendar: Please consider attending my in-person town hall meeting on Saturday, Feb. 17, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at CenterPlace Regional Event Center in Spokane Valley (2426 N Discovery Pl).
I look forward to answering your questions and seeing everyone there. Citizen involvement in government is crucial to good public process.
West Valley and Central Valley school visits
On Monday, I met with school superintendents, board members and students from West Valley and Central Valley school districts.
It’s always a pleasure to meet with folks from back home. We had a robust discussion about how to improve the delivery of education and student performance.
Bad anti-gun bill
Over in the Senate, there’s a proposal to require liability insurance for gun owners: Senate Bill 5963. It would make it more costly to exercise your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms by requiring all firearm owners in Washington to have insurance that covers losses and damages resulting from the accidental discharge of a firearm.
Sadly, automobiles kill more people each year than guns do; however, our state is not doing enough to stop repeat violators of the state’s auto insurance laws. Instead, Democrats are trying to erect barriers to exercising constitutional rights.
My proposal, House Bill 1865, which did not get a hearing, would have empowered law enforcement officers to prevent repeat violators of the state’s auto insurance laws from driving a vehicle without insurance. We should be going after irresponsible lawbreakers, not law-abiding gun owners.
A proposal to end state supervision for high-risk sex offenders
A proposal from the majority party in the House, House Bill 2178, ends community supervision of the state’s worst sex offenders under certain conditions. It would allow level two and level three sex offenders to petition to be discharged from lifetime community supervision if they have not recommitted an offense after a certain amount of time.
This is just the latest in a long list of proposals from legislative Democrats that prioritizes criminals at the expense of victims and community safety. During a short session with so much crime, high childcare costs, drug related deaths and homelessness, we should not be prioritizing bills that go easy on sex offenders or let serial killers serve as jurors.
It’s an honor to serve you
Please contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or comments. I am here to serve you and everyone in the 4th Legislative District.
It’s an honor to serve you.
Sincerely,