Sen. Brad Hawkins will hold his fifth annual 12th District “listening tour” Sept. 14-15, offering a “virtual” approach for residents wishing to meet with him.
“As the state senator for the 12th District, it is very helpful for me to hear directly from constituents, which is why I started conducting annual listening tours,” said Hawkins. “Because of the ongoing challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and the governor’s recent mask mandate, I’ve decided to use a virtual approach again for this year’s listening tour. I look forward to hearing people’s ideas, thoughts, and concerns. It’s very helpful for me to hear directly from the people I serve.”
During past listening tours, meetings included businesses, local governments, and community groups.
The Sept. 14-15 meetings with Hawkins will take place by Zoom videoconferencing or as traditional conference phone calls. The meetings will be scheduled approximately 20 minutes apart to accommodate as many groups as possible. Meetings each day will begin at 8 a.m. and the last one will end at 5 p.m.
Those who are interested in scheduling an appointment to meet with Hawkins should contact his office at brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov or 360-688-8951. Hawkins’ staff will provide technology details for Zoom or phone meetings with him.
Hawkins said his annual listening tour allows him to hear ideas and concerns that can be turned into successful legislative action.
“During the 2017 listening tour, Leavenworth officials told me an issue about disposing of brush and yard clippings and worked with me to enact a new law in 2018 to address it,” said Hawkins. “A funding request related to the Saddle Rock trail in Wenatchee became reality when it was included in the state capital budget three years ago, and a road paving project to a popular fishing location in Okanogan County was recently funded. Last session, a Methow Valley biochar demonstration project was funded for forest management purposes along with funding for renovations at the City of Wenatchee’s Community Center utilized by Pinnacles Prep School. All of them were ideas discussed with constituents during past listening tours.”
As in the past four years, Hawkins has invited legislative staff to join him on this year’s tour, including his office staff, communications staff and issue specialists. “People appreciated us making these resources available to their communities, and it’s good for our staff to hear directly from people about the issues of interest in our region,” said Hawkins. “If we need to research concerns or begin developing ideas, we are ready to do that.”
CAPTION: The first stop on Sen. Hawkins’ 2018 listening tour took him to the City of Leavenworth to meet with the City Council. His Senate Bill 6055 was signed by the governor in 2018 to assist the city in disposing of its brush and yard waste. City officials joined him in Olympia for the bill signing (click here).