Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We have been busy over the past couple weeks in anticipation of last night’s floor cutoff deadline. Now that March 11th has passed, House-approved bills will be heard in Senate committees and Senate-approved bills will be heard in House committees. Policy bills that were not approved by their respective chambers – other than the bills necessary to implement the budget – are done for the year.

As you can imagine, there are many bills of interest to our district, and I appreciate the comments I have received from many of you about them. One major topic of discussion this year has been the minimum wage. Last week, the House passed a measure to increase the minimum wage to $12 an hour over the course of four years. I voted “no” because I’m concerned about the impact it would have on small businesses operating on thin margins and on youth employment opportunities. Washington state currently has the highest minimum wage in the United States, but it could increase even further if the Senate approves House Bill 1355.

As for my bills, my School Infrastructure Recovery Bill, House Bill 1003, passed the House unanimously and now awaits action in the Senate. Another bill I sponsored at the request of Chelan County, House Bill 1752, related to residency requirements for chief examiners, also successfully passed the House. Both bills will soon be receiving Senate hearings. I am also working on multiple budget items related to important projects in our district and the Carlton Complex Fire long-term recovery efforts.

Hearing directly from you is always important to me, so please feel free to contact me anytime if you have information to share. I also want to invite you to a town hall meeting this Friday, March 13 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. The meeting will take place in the 2nd floor Ponderosa Room at the North Central Educational Service District office, 430 Olds Station Road in Wenatchee. I’m specifically inviting educators and school employees to attend, but I encourage anyone to come and participate.

Finally, I want to thank everyone who took the time to complete my survey about the tourism marketing proposal. I received helpful feedback that I’ve shared with some of my colleagues here. Here’s the results of the survey.

Thank you for the opportunity 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

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Sometimes legislators struggle with the intricacies of what a bill would do, the consequences of the bill, and whether the pros outweigh the cons. Not every bill and every vote is a clear-cut “yes” or “no” for any legislator. I’ve recently come across such a bill.

House Bill 1938, the Washington Tourism Marketing Act, would impose fees on tourism-related businesses like restaurants, hotels and retail businesses in order to fund tourism marketing for Washington state. With just this description, one might oppose increased costs on our small businesses. However, there is more to this story.

Washington is the only state in the country without a statewide tourism office – it was closed by the Legislature in 2011 due to budget cuts. Washington’s tourism budget in 2013-14 was $1.1 million (allocated to the Washington Tourism Alliance, a coalition of businesses in the tourism industry). Meanwhile, Oregon’s budget was $13.7 million and Idaho’s budget was $8 million for tourism in the same years. Please see the map below of state tourism budgets provided by the Washington Tourism Alliance.

The Washington Tourism Alliance has worked to put together a funding plan. The result of this planning is House Bill 1938. The fees in the legislation are intended to be collected only from businesses who will benefit from tourism marketing, and the funding would be dedicated to tourism marketing. For a complete review of the bill hearing and the testimony, click here.

The fee structure set up in the bill is based on businesses’ adjusted gross revenues, so smaller businesses would pay less than larger businesses. The fee would apply to food service, attractions and entertainment, retail, transportation and lodging. Annual fees would range from $25 to $3,500 depending on the type of business and size. Here’s the breakdown:

When the proposal came before the House Community Development, Housing and Tribal Affairs Committee on which I serve, and after much thought and consideration, I voted “no.” Despite the potential benefits in increased tourism to businesses, increasing costs for small businesses in our state could hurt their ability to operate and employ people. Then again, if implemented correctly, a tourism marketing program could generate net revenue for the state and our district.

I remain conflicted about this bill. While I want to support tourism which is crucial to our state and especially our district, I am hesitant to increase costs on some businesses that work within very tight margins. Some statewide associations, like the Washington Restaurant Association, support the bill but it is unclear to me how many restaurant owners statewide are following what is being proposed. I also wonder if this fee increase could affect the good work done by chambers in our state and district, who work to promote their area and businesses. Some of our local chambers, for example, have already been doing great work promoting their areas as travel destinations, primarily because state efforts have not been effective or fully funded.

I would like to know what you think. Please take this three-question survey to help me understand your perspective. This bill could come up for a vote by the full House of Representatives. I could choose to vote “no” again, or change my vote to “yes.” It’s also possible that the bill itself could be modified. I value your feedback, so please take the survey to share your thoughts, or contact my office directly.

I’d like to share with you some other ways I’m working to keep constituents informed about what is happening in Olympia. Check out:

• A recent radio interview on KOHO radio Feb. 20 with myself, Sen. Evans Parlette and Rep. Condotta.
• A Quad City Herald column about my school infrastructure recovery bill and other efforts after the Carlton Complex Fire.
• A video update in which I discuss committee cutoff, an update on my school recovery and natural disaster recovery fund proposals, and students from the 12th District who spent time in Olympia serving as pages.

As always, please don’t hesitate to contact my office anytime with your questions, comments and concerns. It’s an honor to serve you.

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,

2015 Session Calendar

• Jan. 12 – first day of session
• Feb. 20 – policy committee cutoff
• Feb. 27 – fiscal committee cutoff
• March 11 – House floor cutoff
• April 1 – policy committee cutoff for bills from opposite chamber
• April 7 – policy committee cutoff for bills from opposite chamber
• April 15 – Floor cutoff for bills from opposite chamber
• April 26 – Last day of session, also known as “sine die”

We’re now in the fifth week of session, and committees have been busy hearing many bills before they move to the floor for consideration by the full House of Representatives. Feb. 20 is our first deadline in this 105-day session. By that date, bills must pass out of policy committees or they may be considered “dead” for the year.

Watch my recent video update here where I discuss constituents who have visited Olympia, state funding for economic recovery after the Carlton Complex fire, and work sessions in the House learning from the Carlton Complex fire.

I am pleased to share that House Bill 1003, my School Infrastructure Recovery bill, passed the House unanimously this week. This bill would pull together state resources and agencies to develop a model policy to help school districts restore their facilities following natural disasters. This bill is in response to Pateros School District, which suffered over $2 million of damage to its only school building during the Carlton Complex Fire. Click here to learn more about HB 1003.

Every Friday morning, my seatmates, Rep. Cary Condotta and Sen. Linda Evans Parlette, and I call into our three local radio stations to talk about the latest events and discussions in Olympia. I encourage you to listen in!

• 7:20-7:30 a.m. – KOHO 101.1 FM (Leavenworth/Wenatchee)
• 7:45-8:00 a.m. – KOZI 1230 AM (Chelan)
• 8:05-8:20 a.m. – KPQ 560 AM/102.1 FM (Wenatchee)

Last week, I was pleased to host Emily Stevens from Okanogan High School as a student page in the House.  Read more about her time in Olympia here.

There have been many constituents from the 12th District traveling to Olympia to testify on bills. Here’s some photos of their visits:

If you’re planning a trip to Olympia, please contact my office – I enjoy meeting with constituents!

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,

The House Education Committee heard my proposal to provide a model policy for schools following a natural disaster that affects infrastructure. Pateros Superintendent Lois Davies and Jon Wyss, chair of the Carlton Complex Fire Long Term Recovery Group, traveled to Olympia to testify. You can read more and watch the full hearing here. Unfortunately, after the hearing and a conference north of Olympia, Superintendent Davies was traveling home on Stevens Pass and got in a serious collision. She’s been in the hospital with her injuries, and I hope you’ll join me in keeping her in our thoughts and prayers for a full recovery.

On Monday, the House Education Committee voted unanimously to move my School Infrastructure Recovery Bill out of the committee and on to the House Rules Committee for consideration for the House floor calendar, where it could receive a vote by the entire House of Representatives. I’m pleased to have the committee’s support on this bill that I pre-filed in December, and that this is the first bill the committee has supported this year.

Recent News of Interest:
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• Rep Hawkins Introduces Carlton Complex Fire Bill (KPQ-AM)
• Pateros damage prompts bill for schools hit by natural disasters (KING 5)
• My interview on TVW about legislation as a result of the wildfires (Washington’s public affairs station)

Watch my recent video update where I give a tour of my office in Olympia and discuss my goals for the session.

Today, the House held work sessions on the wildfires that affected our area. Locals from Okanogan County testified on what went right, and what lessons can be learned in both the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and the Community Development, Housing and Tribal Affairs Committee. Everyone representing the recovery group has done an outstanding job and I’ve been proud to work with them.

Also today, a public hearing was held on my Carlton Complex Fire

Economic Recovery Bill. I appreciated having an opportunity to make the case for using an existing fund to provide some economic recovery for Okanogan County and each of the people testifying gave compelling evidence for the need for the funding. You can read about the hearing here. We are working hard to take our message about recovery to the highest levels of the Legislature and state government. I am very thankful and appreciative of the welcome we are receiving, including from the Speaker of the House today.

Okanogan County officials and Rep. Brad Hawkins talk with House Speaker Frank Chopp about recovery after the Carlton Complex fire. Jan. 29, 2015.

During House floor debate, the House adopted an amendment to the 2013-15 budget that included $1.2 million from the operating budget for recovery funding. In my opinion, this is what a supplemental budget should be used for – addressing

emergencies that arise. I will continue to work with the recovery effort to obtain more support from the state to help residents and businesses so dramatically affected by the fire.

As always, please feel free to contact my office anytime with questions, concerns or suggestions. It’s an honor to serve you.

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,

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

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

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

2014 Legislature adjourns!

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I am pleased to share that the Washington State Legislature has completed the 2014 legislative session on time! We adjourned our 60-day session last evening.

My colleagues and I approved the supplemental operating budget late yesterday afternoon, which makes adjustments to the current 2013-15 budget. The budget measure, Senate Bill 6002, was approved in the House by a vote of 85-13, and by the Senate, 48-1. I voted in favor of it. The supplemental operating budget does not include tax increases (or tax incentives) that some legislators proposed.

2014 supplemental operating budget overview
The $33.8 billion budget makes $155 million of new investments, with about two-thirds of the new dollars directed to education. It provides approximately $64 million more to K-12 education, $35 million more to higher education, and $56 million more to protect our most vulnerable. The budget funds much-needed materials, supplies and operating costs for our K-12 schools, and continues a freeze on college and university tuition increases for the second straight year.

As a result of slightly more revenue flowing into the state than anticipated over the past year and the budget adjustments, the ending-fund balance in this supplemental operating budget is approximately $315 million, which is up by $257 million from the two-year budget approved last June. The financial reserves include the $315 million ending-fund balance, plus $582 million in our budget stabilization account, for a total of $897 million in total reserves.

For more information about the supplemental operating budget we passed, please click here. More information on all of the budget proposals can be found here.

Update on House Bills
Of the three bills I prime-sponsored this year, two advanced all the way to the governor’s desk.

• House Bill 2105 would make a modest update to Washington’s Open Public Meetings Act to require public agencies to post meeting agendas online at least 24 hours in advance. It has passed the Legislature and has been sent to the governor for his signature. I expect the governor to sign the bill soon. Read more about this legislation here.
• House Bill 2106 makes a much-needed update to state election law to relieve counties with partisan county offices of the burden of holding a primary election if only one person files to fill an unexpired term. This bill resolves an issue for Chelan County and many other counties in our state. The photo at right is of Gov. Jay Inslee signing the bill. Read more about the measure here.

I worked hard for many months on both bills and I am glad they received bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate.

Interview with Dr. Gene Sharratt
Earlier this week, I had the honor of interviewing Dr. Gene Sharratt about higher education. Dr. Sharratt is a former superintendent of North Central Educational Service District in Wenatchee and is now on the governor’s cabinet as the executive director of the Washington Student Achievement Council.

I am pleased to say the Legislature recently approved House Bill 2626 regarding statewide student achievement goals.  Washington is among the small number of states that have actually adopted a “road map” of attainment goals for post-secondary education through 2023.

Learn more about the Washington Student Achievement Council by clicking here. Watch the video interview by clicking here or by clicking on the image at right.

District office to re-open soon!

Now that the 2014 session has come to a close, I will be closing my office in Olympia and re-opening it in Wenatchee. You’ll find the district office address and my contact information below. Please contact my office any time you have questions, comments or suggestions about state government and legislation.

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

It is my honor to serve you. See you back home!

Sincerely,

Brad Hawkins
State Representative
12th Legislative District

State Representative Brad Hawkins
12th Legislative District

E-mail: brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov
Web site: 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 (March-December)
11 Spokane Street, Suite 205A | Wenatchee, WA 98801
(509) 662-5733
 

March 7, 2014

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Less than one week remains of the 60-day legislative session, which is scheduled to end March 13. We’ve been very busy on the House floor debating and passing Senate bills. Today at 5 p.m. is the deadline for both the House and the Senate to consider bills from the opposite chambers. With the exception of bills necessary to implement the budget, all measures that have not passed from their opposite houses by today are likely “dead” for the session.

Hawkins’ primary election and open government bills sent to the governor

I am very pleased to report that two of my prime-sponsored bills not only made the cut-off, but they have passed both the House and Senate and are heading to the governor’s desk to await his signature.

• House Bill 2105 would require public agencies to post their meeting agendas online at least 24 hours in advance.
• House Bill 2106 would relieve county election offices of the requirement to hold a primary election when only one candidate for a position has filed to fill an unexpired term for partisan county offices.

You can read more about these bills in my press releases:  House Bill 2105 release | House Bill 2106 release. You can also listen to an audio interview I did on the bills here.

Budget highlights

House Democrats and the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus (SMCC) have released their supplemental operating budget proposals. The four-year balanced budget legislation that we passed last year requires each budget to be “balanced” out to four years. While there are similarities in the two budgets, negotiations are ongoing. The starting point for each side is much closer than in years past. This bodes well for the Legislature finishing its business on time.

Many of my colleagues voted against the House budget. I joined with them because the House budget is built on proposed tax increases of $100 million on bottled water, e-cigarettes, prescription drugs, etc. We felt the SMCC budget was more closely aligned with our priorities of funding education first, public safety and protecting the most vulnerable – plus, it contains no tax increases. In the end, the SMCC budget passed the Senate with a bipartisan vote of 41-8. In the House, the vote was 53-44. I expect the final negotiated supplemental operating budget will look more like the SMCC plan than the House proposal.

You can watch the entire three hour floor debate on the budget by clicking here.  You can read more about the proposed supplemental budgets here.

My interview with Gov. Jay Inslee

It was my honor to recently interview Gov. Jay Inslee. I brought him apples from Wenatchee and we talked about various issues, including agriculture, education, the state’s economy and his views for the future of Washington. I invite you to click on the graphic to the right and watch the interview. Or you can watch it here.

Please contact my office anytime with questions, comments or concerns. It’s an honor to serve you.

Sincerely,

Brad Hawkins
State Representative
12th Legislative District

State Representative Brad Hawkins
12th Legislative District

E-mail: brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov
Web site: 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 (March-December)
11 Spokane Street, Suite 205A | Wenatchee, WA 98801
(509) 662-5733