The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

I am honored to once again serve as the ranking Republican on the House Finance Committee. This is the committee that decides revenue and funding issues. We will be very involved with the budget discussions this year. Already I am meeting with budget staff weekly from the House, Senate, and governor's office.

This year, I am also serving on the House Technology and Economic Development Committee. This committee looks at energy policy and economic development. I look forward to helping shape the state's future energy policy. This committee will face the challenges of the governor's proposed climate initiative, addressing the unintended consequences of Initiative 937 (The Energy Independence Act), and many other technological issues: For example, legal use of drones, setting new appliance efficiency standards and the protection of consumers' financial information.

The Legislature faces many challenges this session. These include:

EDUCATION FUNDING: We must meet the state's paramount duty to fundeducation in a manner that adheres to the state constitution and satisfies the requirements of the Washington State Supreme Court under the McCleary decision. The estimated new cost to satisfy this requirement to fully fund K-12 this biennium ranges from $1 billion to $4 billion.

CLASS-SIZE REDUCTION INITIATIVE: Voters narrowly approved Initiative 1351 to reduce class sizes in public schools. However, the initiative provided no means to pay for the costs, which are estimated to be an additional $4 billion to $7 billion. In addition to these costs, there is the challenge to fund new classrooms and find qualified teachers to fill the new positions. Legislators will either likely have to suspend the initiative (requires a two-thirds vote), deeply cut services or raise taxes to pay for the directive.

JOBS AND THE ECONOMY: Although the economy across the state has mostly stabilized, it has not completely recovered. I still have concerns for the middle class who continue to struggle. They see the brunt of the increased taxes and regulatory burdens.

TRANSPORTATION FUNDING:  There will likely be a transportation package to address infrastructure needs this biennium. The larger question is how will it be funded? Can we get the necessary reforms? The next phase of the Highway 12 expansion, the Red Mountain Interchange, the Lewis Street Overpass in Pasco, and the bridge repair in Waitsburg are all important projects that could be funded through a new transportation package. Also important to our district is the extension of Highway 167, which will help ensure our products are able to move quickly and efficiently through our ports.

It is an honor to serve and represent you!