Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I’m disappointed to share that the Legislature was unable to come to a compromise on our state budget during the regular session. Today, we are adjourning two days early, and the governor has called for a special session to start Wednesday, April 29. I would have preferred we work through the weekend and start the special session right away on Monday.

The state constitution allows for a special session to last up to 30 days. Technically, all items are eligible for debate and discussion, but I hope lawmakers will keep their focus on the budgeting process. We need to find a responsible solution on the budget soon, so schools and state and local agencies depending on the budget can have certainty in planning.

As your representative, I’m committed to finding a solution on our state budget, but the final budget needs to be a responsible one that spends your tax dollars wisely. The state has more than $3 billion in additional funding within existing tax revenues, and I believe this is enough to provide more funding for basic education and other priorities of the state.

Often in these situations, politicians fault “the other side” for certain delays or circumstances. I will not play those games. The reality is that every member of the Legislature shares in the responsibility of approving our state budget. Every member is tasked with representing the collective interests of their districts and finding common ground that helps move our state forward. It took many extra weeks to achieve a bipartisan budget two years ago, but our state is much better off because of it. I truly hope it doesn’t take as long this time.

Thank you for the privilege of serving as your state representative.

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

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Today is the 95th day of the 105 day session. Budget leaders have been meeting with the governor to negotiate a compromise budget. With just 10 days left in the session, we can and should complete the session on time by passing a sustainable budget.

Recently I had the opportunity to call into KPQ’s show “It’s Your Turn” from Olympia to discuss a variety of issues before the Legislature. Click here to listen to my interview.

Below is an update on all three of the state budgets (operating, capital and transportation).

Operating budget

There are several important differences between the House and Senate budget proposals. Most notably, the $1.5 billion in tax increases in the House Democrat proposal and no tax increases in the Senate Republican proposal. However, there are also several similarities in the budgets, including more than $1 billion in new dollars for basic education and increased mental health funding. I hope there is a good foundation to find compromise and finish the session on time.

Capital budget

The capital budget as it passed the House included funding for the Brewster and Pateros water systems and the Twisp civic building. All three projects are in communities affected by the Carlton Complex Fire. To look up other projects in the 12th District, check out this interactive map. This link is the result of my first bill passed into law to make capital and transportation budget information more user-friendly and transparent. Click here to read information about this bill. To find our projects, follow these instructions:

1. Under “Session,” select “2015-17 Capital Budget.”
2. Select a “Version” you want to view.
3. Then under “Area,” select the “legislative district” button and choose the 12th District from the dropdown menu. You can leave the “location” box blank.
4. Each project is indicated by a dot on the map. However, if you’d like to see a complete list of projects, hover over the district and select “View Leg District Project List Report.”

Transportation budget

One of the critical uses for our transportation budget is the maintenance and preservation of our existing roadways and bridges. This is not the same bill as the gas tax package. I’m pleased the transportation budget as it passed the House includes funding for Methow Valley bridges which are currently listed as “structurally deficient” by the state Department of Transportation. It also includes two provisions I included related to the Rocky Reach Trail property transfer and the much-needed Cascade Interchange Project in Douglas County.

You can look up all 12^th District projects that are included in the transportation budget:

1. Go to this link: https://fiscal.wa.gov/TransportationMaps.aspx
2. Under “Session,” select “2015-17 Transportation Budget.”
3. Select a “Version” you want to view.
4. Then under “Area,” select the “legislative district” button and choose the 12th District from the dropdown menu. You can leave the “location” box blank.
5. Each project is indicated by a dot on the map. However, if you’d like to see a complete list of projects, hover over the district and select “View Leg District Project List Report.”

I’m looking forward to finishing up our work here in Olympia, approving responsible budgets, and returning home to the beautiful 12th District. If you have any questions on legislative matters, please contact my office anytime. It’s an honor to serve as your state representative.

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