Author Archives: Laudan

01-23-15: KPQ Legislative Hotline with 12th District legislators (audio)

KPQ’s Steve Hair talks with Rep. Cary Condotta, Rep. Brad Hawkins and Sen. Linda Evans Parlette on several legislative issues, including legalized marijuana legislation, a new local government caucus, constituent visits to Olympia, Carlton Complex Fire recovery funds, preserving the Stehekin School District, and a surcharge on concert tickets to the Gorge.

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

Hawkins’ legislation seeks to help schools recover after wildfires (audio)

RADIO BROADCAST FEED TRANSCRIPTJan. 15, 2015

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

Hawkins’ legislation seeks to help schools recover after wildfires

Legislator: Rep. Brad Hawkins; Dr. Lois Davies, Pateros School District superintendent
Date Recorded: 01-15-5
Run Time: 2:00 minutes

SUGGESTED LEAD: Legislation is under consideration in Olympia that would help schools recover after natural disasters, such as the Carlton Complex Fire last July in North Central Washington. John Sattgast reports from Olympia.

(Voicer: CarltonFire-HB1003-SattgastVoicer-011515.mp3 – Run time 2:00 minutes)

Sattgast: More than 250 thousand acres burned. Nearly 100 homes were destroyed in Okanogan County, including 40 in Pateros. And losses exceeded 27-million dollars, including more than two-million dollars in damages to the Pateros School District. The district’s superintendent, Dr. Lois Davies witnessed the devastation as the town of 650 people was engulfed by a massive wall of fire.
(Voice cut: CarltonFire-HB1003-Davies-CLIP1-011515.mp3 – Run time :12 seconds – Out cue: . .consume our town.)

Davies: “We went from the daylight of a, of a summer afternoon into the twilight of smoke-covered skies, as the fire rolled down the hill, much like a waterfall, and then came across the hill and began to consume our town.”

Sattgast: Davies was in Olympia Thursday and testified before the House Education Committee in favor of House Bill 10-03. East Wenatchee Republican State Representative Brad Hawkins introduced the measure to help school districts identify existing government emergency funding sources.
(Voice cut: CarltonFire-HB1003-Hawkins-CLIP2-011515.mp3 – Run time :13 seconds – Out cue: . . available to them.)

Hawkins: “They were a bit overwhelmed – understandably so with just who to contact and what agencies might be on point and what if any financial resources might be available to them.”

Sattgast: In the days following the fire, the school served as a Red Cross distribution center, helping victims get clothing and feeding more than 2,000 people. But the building itself had sustained smoke damage and holes were burned through the roof. Superintendent Davies looked everywhere for assistance, but found no single coordinated place to go for help.

(Voice cut: CarltonFire-HB1003-Davies-CLIP3-011515.mp3 -Run time :20 seconds – Out cue: . .of their sources.)
Davies: “Everywhere I asked, ‘Is there a checklist that I can look to see what do I need to see so that we can safely open school?’ I worked with the Health Department and others. Everyone gave us ideas and thoughts and support. We were very appreciative. But we did not have a checklist, nor did we have a resource list from any of their sources.”

Sattgast: Hawkins’ bill would provide a model policy for school districts to know who to contact, what to do first, and how to get financial and informational support. He’s hopeful the measure can be a starting point for schools in the event of a natural disaster. The measure is awaiting action by the House Education Committee.

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

01-16-15: 12th District lawmakers talk with KOZI Radio about first week of 2015 session (audio)

Sen. Linda Evans Parlette, Rep. Cary Condotta and Rep. Brad Hawkins talk with KOZI Radio’s Ken Johannessen about the first week of the 2015 session, including a new requirement in the Senate for a two-thirds majority vote on new taxes, and legislation to help school infrastructure recovery in cases of disaster.

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

01-16-15: 12th District lawmakers discuss first week of session on KOHO Radio (audio)

KOHO Radio’s Dan Longager asks about the first week of session, including initial impressions and priorities of the 2015 session during an interview with 12th District lawmakers – Sen. Linda Evans Parlette, Rep. Cary Condotta and Rep. Brad Hawkins.

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

01-16-15: 12th District lawmakers discuss session’s first week on KPQ Radio (audio)

Sen. Linda Evans Parlette, Rep. Cary Condotta and Rep. Brad Hawkins talk with Steve Hair on the KPQ Legislative Hotline about the first week of the 2015 session, including the governor’s state of the state address and their new roles in the Legislature.

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

Public hearing in Olympia discusses legislation to help schools recover after wildfires

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jan. 15, 2015

CONTACT: Sarah Stewart, Public Information Officer – (360) 786-7720

Public hearing in Olympia discusses legislation to help schools recover after wildfires

The Carlton Complex Fire not only burned hundreds of thousands of acres of land, hundreds of homes, and dozens of businesses, it also damaged the only school in Pateros. With just a few weeks until the school year was scheduled to begin, school administrators had to scramble to replace the roof, carpeting, ceiling tiles and more, while obtaining funding, working with insurance, and obtaining a waiver from the state to start school just five days late.

Rep. Brad Hawkins, R-East Wenatchee, wants to ensure schools have a better guide on how to handle natural disasters that affect school buildings.

Hawkins sponsored House Bill 1003 to help schools recover after natural disasters. If passed and signed into law, the bill would provide a model policy for school districts to know who to contact, what to do first, and how to get financial and informational support. A hearing was held in the House Education Committee today, and Pateros School District Superintendent Lois Davies drove to Olympia to testify in favor.

She spoke about how the school was saved from the devastating wildfires last summer four times, but still had smoke-filled hallways and embers that landed on the roof. Even with the damage, the school served as the resource center for the entire community. They served meals three times a day through early August until they had to shift from being an emergency center to teaching students again.

“We had more than $2 million in damage and had less than a month to get ready for the school year,” said Davies. “Everywhere I asked, ‘Is there a checklist?’ Everyone gave us support, but we didn’t have a resource list from anywhere. This would provide a consolidated, coordinated effort to come up with a model policy.”

Davies said she gets calls from other superintendents across the state on what to do and who she called for support. The model policy would save superintendents and school board members time and anxiety after a disaster, she said.

Jon Wyss, chair of the Carlton Complex Fire Long Term Recovery Group, traveled from Brewster to testify in support of the bill as well.

“All of the schools in the area have disaster plans for emergency exit, if there’s a fire, get out. But there’s not a plan that’s put in place for any school district in the state that I know of to prepare your community for recovery efforts and to be the lifeline to get your community back and stable,” said Wyss. “This bill would provide guidance and a checklist much like you have to evacuate a building.”

“After visiting the school several times and seeing the damage, Superintendent Davies expressed her appreciation of all the support she received from various groups and state agencies, but she also shared her confusion with who to call and how to handle various situations to get the school up and running in a very short amount of time,” said Hawkins. “My hope is that this bill will give school districts a starting point for what to do, who to call, and what resources are available if there is a natural disaster that directly affects another school’s infrastructure and school year. After this tragedy, we are all looking for good to come out of what happened so things are better the next time a natural disaster strikes.”

Watch the full hearing online here. The school recovery measure awaits action by the House Education Committee in order to move forward.

Hawkins also recently introduced House Bill 1125 to provide recovery funding from an existing account called the Economic Development Strategic Reserve Account. The Carlton Complex Fire Long-Term Recovery Group would receive $500,000 for economic recovery in Okanogan County.

“This funding is about helping households and businesses financially – although no financial token can make up for the heirlooms, the history, and memories people lost in the fires,” Hawkins said. “I’ve been so inspired and encouraged by the resolve of the people in my district through these difficult times. They have helped each other in spite of losing things themselves, and they have been determined to carry on and rebuild. These recovery dollars will help them to do that, but it is just the beginning of what could be a decade-long recovery.”

The recovery funding bill has been referred to the House Community Development, Housing & Tribal Affairs Committee, and awaits to be scheduled a public hearing. Hawkins said he hopes to have a work session in Olympia on last year’s wildfire season at the same time this bill is heard. Additional information will be provided when known.

The 2015 session is scheduled to adjourn April 26.

For more information about Rep. Hawkins, visit: www.representativebradhawkins.com.

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Rep. Hawkins’ media:

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

Rep. Hawkins’ update: first week of session

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The 2015 session began Monday, and I was sworn into my second term as your state representative. It’s an honor to continue serving you in Olympia.

While there will be several high-profile issues discussed this year in the Legislature, at the top of my mind are the wildfires last summer in our district. I joined the recent meeting in Brewster over the phone and was able to hear many concerns about how the wildfires were handled by the state and how better local control can help during fire season.

I’m proposing solutions to help with the recovery and to prepare for future wildfire seasons.

House Bill 1003, my School Infrastructure Recovery Bill, would help schools after natural disasters. After the fires, the Pateros School District, which suffered over $2 million in damage to its only school, struggled with who to contact for funding assistance, what to do to repair its building, and how to restore the proper learning environment for kids. School officials and the community came together in a remarkable way to start the school year. My bill would pull together state agencies to help develop an optional policy for school districts who suffer natural disasters, including mudslides, wildfires, or flooding.
House Bill 1125, my Carlton Complex Fire Economic Recovery Bill, would provide $500,000 toward recovery efforts in Okanogan County. The dollars would come from existing funding from the Economic Development Strategic Reserve Account administered by the Washington State Department of Commerce. The funds would be directed to the Carlton Complex Fire Long-Term Recovery Organization, which is doing great work in Okanogan County.

These are just small ways to improve things for our communities following the wildfires. This process is a team effort, and I am thankful that my House colleagues Reps. Cary Condotta, Joel Kretz and Shelly Short are co-sponsoring these efforts. Recovery could take 10-15 years, and we are committed to supporting wildfire victims as well as ensuring future fire seasons are handled better.

I’m hoping to have a work session held in Olympia at the end of this month to discuss the wildfires. I’ll keep you updated so you can attend if you are interested and able to travel and share your story.

Education funding, transportation projects, and the governor’s tax proposals will also dominate discussions in the Legislature. As always, I appreciate hearing from you about these and other issues that affect you.

Please contact my office anytime with questions, comments or concerns.

Sincerely,

Brad Hawkins

State Representative Brad Hawkins
12th Legislative District
E-mail: brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov
Web site: www.representativebradhawkins.com
122G Legislative Building – P.O. Box 40600 | Olympia, WA 98504-0600
(360) 786-7832 or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000

11-21-14: Reps. Cary Condotta and Brad Hawkins discuss expectations of 2015 session on KOZI Radio (audio)

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

With the 2015 legislative session quickly approaching, I thought it would be good to connect with you. I have continued to work hard representing you this interim (the time between legislative sessions), meeting with local officials and attending community events. Unfortunately, the major events in our district this summer were the severe wildfires, most notably the Carlton Complex Fire.

In the news

My interview Oct. 1 on KPQ’s “Your Turn” discussing education
My interview Nov. 21 on KPQ with Sen. Linda Evans Parlette discussing the upcoming session
My interview Nov. 21 on KOZI with Rep. Cary Condotta discussing the upcoming session

Wildfires

During the height of the wildfires, I traveled to various community meetings and evacuation shelters to hear from victims and connect people on the ground with state officials. It was heart-wrenching to see the damage done to our land, buildings and homes. At the same time, I was inspired by the resolve of communities to rebuild and the service of neighbors and emergency personnel.

One shining example was in Pateros, where the community utilized the school to receive and distribute supplies for those affected by the fires. My family provided some things, and found the gym packed with supplies of every kind from across the state and even the nation! Later, I attended a Pateros School District board meeting and the school’s opening day. It was amazing to see how many renovations occurred to get the school year started. More than $2 million in damage occurred to their building, but they are coming back stronger thanks to the help of insurance, private donations and state emergency funding. The entire staff is amazing, including teachers who returned to teaching and supporting their students after losing their own homes just weeks before. Keep it up, Pateros School District!

Of course there are many more stories just like this throughout the district. Many areas in Okanogan County have been significantly affected. Many individuals, organizations, and local officials have stepped up in incredible ways and for that we are all very grateful. Though the wildfires have passed, this is just the beginning of the recovery. It’s going to be a long road, but I’m confident in the spirit and resolve of our communities.

Below are some of the photos I took as I traveled through the affected areas:

Preparing for session

In preparation for session each year, I have made a habit of meeting with various local officials to get a sense for their legislative priorities. In October, I met with Wenatchee Mayor Kuntz and the city staff; attended the Twisp Festival; participated in the Buddy Walk to raise awareness for down syndrome; and discussed issues with Department of Transportation, Chelan County PUD and Port of Chelan County staff. In November, I met with Douglas and Grant county commissioners as well as the Cascadia Conservation District; attended the Cashmere Middle School mock Congressional hearing; met with the Coalition for Children and Families of North Central Washington, Wenatchee’s Link Transit and the Associated General Contractors.

This month, I have met with local family physicians, insurance agents, the Wenatchee World editorial board and the Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce. I also attended an education town hall meeting for educators and parents with my seatmates, Sen. Linda Evans Parlette and Rep. Cary Condotta.

I’m also getting ready to move my family to Olympia for the session which begins Jan. 12. I’ll write again to share the 2015 session outlook, and my goals for the year.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your state representative.

Please feel free to contact my office anytime. Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Brad Hawkins

Rep. Hawkins’ April 10 e-mail update

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your 12th District state representative. It is truly an honor and a privilege. I have enjoyed keeping in contact with you through my e-mail updates and video updates. However, due to election-year restrictions, legislators are not allowed to send these updates throughout the summer and fall. As a result, this will be my last e-mail update until after Dec. 1.

As your elected representative, I have worked hard to represent our district’s values, participate in responsible policymaking and approve balanced budgets. I have also established good working relationships with my colleagues in Olympia. These experiences have been helpful and will continue to benefit our district in the years ahead.

I have also enjoyed actively participating in the committee process. As you may know, legislators are assigned to certain policy committees based on their experience and district needs. The House appointed me to the Education, Transportation, and Business and Financial Services committees. This is a good mix of committees for our district, and I have been able to make an immediate contribution to policy discussions within these committees.

My goals include preserving funding for public safety, protecting vulnerable citizens, adequately funding our educational system, minimizing tax burdens, and improving opportunities for businesses. These must continue to be top priorities so that Washington’s economy can grow in the years ahead. I will continue to comment on these topics, such as my guest column on education in the Wenatchee World (read the article here), my legislative update to our local weekly papers (read the article here), and my recent conversation with the Wenatchee Business Journal (read the article here). If we can keep our focus on growing the economy and providing services efficiently, our state will prosper in the years ahead.

Since this will be my last e-mail update for the year, I’d like to provide you with some helpful links and phone numbers for you to utilize as needed:

Washington State Legislature (toll-free hotline): 1-800-562-6000
- Website: www.leg.wa.gov
- Budget information website: www.fiscal.wa.gov
Office of the Governor: (360) 902-4111
- Website: www.governor.wa.gov
Superintendent of Public Instruction: (360) 725-6000
- Website: www.k12.wa.us
State Information Hotline (toll-free): 1-800-321-2808
- Website: www.access.wa.gov
TVW (TV Washington) – Programming information: (360) 725-3999
- Website: www.tvw.org
Department of Transportation: (360) 705-7000
- Website: www.wsdot.wa.gov
- North Central Region office – Wenatchee: (509) 667-3000
Department of Ecology – Central Region office, Yakima: (509) 575-2490; Olympia headquarters office: (360) 407-6000
- Website: www.ecy.wa.gov
- Office of Columbia River (Water-related services), Wenatchee: (509) 575-2490
Department of Labor and Industries: (360) 902-5800 or toll-free for Eastern Washington: 1-800-292-5920
- Website: www.lni.wa.gov
- East Wenatchee local office: (509) 886-6500
Department of Social and Health Services (toll-free): 1-800-737-0617
- Website: www.dshs.wa.gov
- Wenatchee Community Service office (toll-free): 1-877-501-2233

We have also reopened our district office which is located at 11 Spokane Street, Suite 205A, Wenatchee. You can reach us by phone at (509) 662-5733.

I look forward to seeing many of you around the district in the months ahead. Thank you again for the opportunity to serve as your state representative!

Sincerely,

Brad Hawkins
State Representative
12th Legislative District

State Representative Brad Hawkins
12th Legislative District

E-mail: brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov
Website: www.representativebradhawkins.com

Olympia Office (January-March)
122G Legislative Building – P.O. Box 40600 | Olympia, WA 98504-0600
(360) 786-7832 or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000

District Office (April-December)
11 Spokane Street, Suite 205A | Wenatchee, WA 98801
(509) 662-5733