Tag Archives: Member Opinions

OPINION by Rep. Brad Hawkins: Investing your tax dollars wisely

By Rep. Brad Hawkins

This year is a budget-development year. The constitution provides the Legislature 105 days in odd-numbered years like 2015 to develop operating, capital and transportation budgets. Each of the budgets covers a two-year period, beginning July 1, 2015 thru June 30, 2017. I want to explain the purpose of each of these budgets and my goals as your legislator.

The operating budget provides for the daily operating expenses of the state, including K-12 and higher education, health and human services and public safety. The good news is that our state is expected to bring in $3 billion more for the 2015-17 budget than it did in the 2013-15 budget because of our recovering economy.

A top priority this year is fully funding basic education as required by the 2012 Supreme Court case known as the McCleary decision. It is important that the budget balances within those revenues and doesn’t ask families to pay more taxes. I’m also supporting funding to help with recovery efforts after the Carlton Complex Fire. I believe it’s a priority of the state to help communities recover after natural disasters.

The capital budget is often called the “bricks and mortar” budget because it pays for public facilities, including the construction of schools, prisons and other state buildings. It also provides loans to local governments from what is called the Public Works Assistance Account. In the past, we’ve seen this fund “swept” into the operating budget. That practice not only erodes the public’s trust in government, it removes essential funding mechanisms that have been very effective for local governments. As your state representative, I’ve also made requests for funding of public infrastructure impacted by the Carlton Complex Fire.

The transportation budget provides for the maintenance, preservation and operation of the state’s highways, bridges and ferries. While most of what you’ve heard about in the news is related to a separate transportation gas tax package, there will also be a budget that funds maintenance and operations within current revenues. This budget is approved every two years and is separate from the gas tax proposal. I don’t support the current gas tax proposal, but I have supported previous transportation budgets within existing revenues.

With less than a month remaining in the session, we will consider proposals from the majority parties in the House and Senate in the coming days. We can and should focus all our efforts on passing these budgets and completing the session on time, by April 26. Equally important is that we make wise, long-term decisions that efficiently invest your hard-earned tax dollars.

###

Rep. Brad Hawkins is serving his second term representing the 12^th Legislative District, which includes Chelan, Douglas, and parts of Grant and Okanogan counties. He lives in East Wenatchee with his wife and two sons.

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

OPINION by Rep. Brad Hawkins: A Legislator’s Response to the Carlton Complex Fire

By Rep. Brad Hawkins

After the devastating Carlton Complex Fire that deeply affected the communities and economy of the Methow Valley, our Legislature is taking action to respond to our natural disaster, including providing funding and changing policies as needed. As your state representative, I am working to turn over every rock to find funding for the recovery efforts and to understand the lessons learned.

The Legislature recently adopted changes to the 2013-15 supplemental budget that appropriated $1.2 million for wildfire recovery. This includes funding for various emergency watershed, debris removal, landscape seeding, and wildlife fencing projects. These state dollars will also help maximize federal funding. I have sponsored House Bill 2022 to create a Natural Disaster Recovery Account in an effort to direct more funding to the recovery effort in the upcoming 2015-17 budget and to prepare the state for future disasters.

My legislative colleagues have been very interested in learning about what happened and how we can best move forward. The Community Development, Housing and Tribal Affairs Committee I serve on hosted a work session at my request about the recovery efforts. Amy Stork, executive director of TwispWorks; Julie Muyllaert, president of the Winthrop Chamber of Commerce; Roni Holder Deifenback, executive director of the Okanogan County Economic Alliance; and members of the Carlton Complex Long Term Recovery Group Carlene Anders and Jon Wyss all traveled to Olympia to share stories about the need for economic recovery.

We shared an emotional video of the destruction. As you may know, the video includes the song “Wildfire” sang by local artist Brittany Jean and shows how the economies of Okanogan County and the Methow Valley were affected. Committee members were visibly emotional after watching the video and hearing from the group. These locals did a great job and made a compelling argument to the committee. We later visited the Speaker of the House to share information at the highest levels of state government about the recovery process and the need for continued state support.

Another response to the fire, aside from financial support, is implementing policies to help our state respond to these disasters more quickly and effectively. I am sponsoring House Bill 1003 that would pull together state resources and agencies to develop a model policy to help school districts restore their facilities following natural disasters. Pateros School District suffered over $2 million of damage to its only school building and school officials shared with me their struggle of not knowing where to start and who to contact to get their school renovated and ready for the school year. My proposal would provide clear information to school districts about who to contact and what funding sources are available. The bill unanimously passed the House of Representatives and is being considered in the Senate.

Though the recovery from this fire could take 10 years or more, I am committed as your state representative to helping however I can. At the legislative level, this is a team effort and my colleagues from the 12^th and 7^th Districts have been working very hard as well to assist in the recovery, including sponsoring the funding of critical projects in the affected areas and advancing bills through the legislative process. I remain both in awe and proud of the people I represent. Your determination and selflessness during this time has been the light in the midst of this darkness, and this will be what gets you through the challenges ahead.

###

Rep. Brad Hawkins represents the 12^th Legislative District, which includes Chelan, Douglas, and parts of Grant and Okanogan counties. He can be reached at his office in Olympia by email at brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov or by phone (360) 786-7832 or toll-free (800) 562-6000. Sign up for his periodic e-mail updates on his website at: www.representativebradhawkins.com.

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

OPINION by Rep. Brad Hawkins: Legislative Session Update – February

Legislative Session Update – February

By Rep. Brad Hawkins

Greetings from Olympia! We are into the second month of the 105-day session here at the Capitol, and committees are busy holding public hearings on bills. Some of those bills will make it to the House floor for a vote by the full House of Representatives. The House and Senate have strict deadlines to move bills through the process with the goal of completing work and approving a balanced budget within the 105 days. The first deadline for the House is Feb. 20, when bills must pass out of policy committees. Another significant deadline is March 11, when bills need to pass the House before heading to the Senate for consideration.

For our district, I have been working on proposals to address recovery efforts related to the devastating Carlton Complex Fire. First, I’m proposing state agencies put together a comprehensive model policy to help school districts restore their school infrastructure following natural disasters. This bill is in response to my work with Pateros School District, which suffered more than $2 million in fire damage to its only school building. I am pleased that this bill recently passed the House unanimously. Second, I’m working to secure funding within existing revenues to help with the recovery effort, namely for small business grants, public infrastructure and tourism promotion. Third, I have requested state funding within the capital budget for water infrastructure projects in Pateros and Brewster.

One of the bills I have sponsored related to local government was approved unanimously in committee. The proposal would allow chief examiners, who administer tests to law enforcement personnel, to reside outside the county in which they work. Chelan County brought this issue to my attention because current law (approved in 1959) has overly strict residency requirements for a chief examiner, which is a staff level position. As you can imagine, some Chelan County residents may actually live a few miles away in Douglas County and vice versa. This is a small, but common sense fix to state law that will help local jurisdictions with appropriate staffing.

Once bills pass the House, they go to the Senate for the same process: committee hearing, committee vote and Senate floor. If the Senate passes the same version as the House without any changes (called amendments), the bill goes to the governor for his signature or veto.

I have met with many constituents who traveled to Olympia to testify on proposals, including law enforcement officials, fire chiefs, teachers, physicians, nurses, students and business owners. If you have plans to travel to Olympia, let me know. Meeting with constituents is my favorite part of this amazing job.

Please feel free to contact my office anytime by phone at (360) 786-7832, toll-free at (800) 562-6000 or by e-mail at brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov. I also encourage you to sign up for my periodic e-mail updates on my website at www.representativebradhawkins.com.

Thank you for allowing me the honor of representing you.

###

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

OPINION by Rep. Brad Hawkins: 2015 session is underway – I’m here to serve you

2015 session is underway – I’m here to serve you

By Rep. Brad Hawkins

This year’s legislative session in Olympia has just begun. In an odd-numbered year like 2015, the state constitution provides 105 days for the Legislature to develop a two-year operating budget.

Education funding will be the paramount discussion following a court case called McCleary and an order from the state Supreme Court to increase funding for basic education needs statewide. I’m committed to ensuring we put education first in the budgeting process to remove the politics from our classrooms. Of course, increasing education funding also requires accountability to the taxpayers and parents who are funding it.

Another Supreme Court case will require us to increase funding for mental health programs. Mental illness affects our families and our communities. It can also be a public safety issue. I believe taking care of those with mental illness falls under those who are “most vulnerable,” and should be fully funded.

Developing the 2015-17 budget will be just one of many discussions that occur in Olympia affecting the residents of Washington. The Legislature will continue with the implementation of the voter-approved legalization of marijuana to respect the electorate but ensure public safety. The use of body cameras by local police, drones and 2^nd Amendment rights may also come before the Legislature. Increasing the minimum wage, despite the fact that Washington already has the highest in the nation, may again be on the legislative agenda.

In addition, the governor has indicated he wants to continue to pass a new transportation tax package – this time funded by a carbon tax. In December, Governor Inslee proposed more than $1 billion in tax increases to fund the operating budget. I am troubled about the talk of increasing taxes especially while our state economy continues to stabilize and recover from the recession. What many don’t know is that our state is expected to bring in $3 billion more with current revenue sources over the next two years. Additional revenue indicates that our economy is beginning to recover. It seems prudent for our state to live within its means and balance its budget within these increased revenues.

No matter the issue, I’ll be asking lots of questions to make the most informed decisions, and I’d appreciate hearing from you on legislative matters. Please feel free to contact my office anytime by phone at (360) 786-7832, toll-free at (800) 562-6000 or by e-mail at brad.hawkins@leg.wa.gov. I also encourage you to sign up for my periodic e-mail updates on my website at www.representativebradhawkins.com.

Thank you for allowing me the honor of representing you.

###

Rep. Brad Hawkins just began his second term representing the 12^th Legislative District, which includes Chelan, Douglas, and parts of Grant and Okanogan counties. He lives in East Wenatchee with his wife and two sons.

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

Opinion editorial by Rep. Brad Hawkins: Education front and center in state policy and budgeting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 6, 2014

CONTACT: John Sattgast, Senior Information Officer/Broadcast Coordinator – (360) 786-7257

Education front and center in state policy and budgeting
By Rep. Brad Hawkins
Exclusive to The Wenatchee World

Last year, the Legislature invested an additional $1 billion for K-12 education without raising taxes as a part of its 2013-15 operating budget compromise. It was the first step toward meeting the state Supreme Court’s McCleary decision requirements to provide ample funding for basic education.

As we near the current budget cycle’s midway point, it’s clear the Legislature did the right thing for education. Our local schools are now experiencing the benefits from the education enhancements, which include significant additional funding for K-1 class-size reduction, full-day kindergarten, increased instructional hours, student transportation and more.

In the supplemental operating budget approved March 13, we took additional steps by investing $100 million more into K-12 and higher education.

These steps won’t end the debate about education, nor should they. Improving education is a continual process. Often, too much focus is directed on dollars spent and not improvements that could be made without spending a dollar. Legislators should keep this in mind as the dialog on education continues. We must be cautious not to continually reform our public educational system by layering one massive statewide effort upon another. This is especially true as Washington moves to fully implement next-generation student assessments and a 24-credit graduation framework aimed at helping students achieve a new “college and career ready” standard.

Looking forward, we should seek creative ways to meet the McCleary decision, which is not just about more dollars, but where they come from. It would be good to explore tax reforms without new tax burdens. One approach is a “levy-swap,” which has been promoted by prominent Republicans and Democrats, such as former gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna and House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Ross Hunter. The idea’s premise is that the state funds a school district’s basic educational needs, not local taxpayers through school levies.

If implemented appropriately, a levy-swap or tax exchange would increase the state portion of the property tax while reducing the local levy amount – dollar for dollar. While this would generate no net increase in funding toward education statewide, it would significantly increase the amount of state dollars allocated to education, which is a fundamental issue in the McCleary case. Local school districts that frequently ask voters to voluntarily increase their property taxes to pay for basic education needs, as well as extracurricular activities such as arts and athletics, would be mandated to reduce their local property tax levies commensurate with corresponding state property tax increases. This swap could increase state funding (rather than local funding) by more than $2 billion over time with no net tax increase.

Let’s also remember Washington’s public education is an integrated K-20 system, involving community colleges and other higher education institutions. I am proud Washington has adopted a “road map” of attainment goals for postsecondary education through 2023, thanks to the efforts of Washington Student Achievement Council Executive Director Dr. Gene Sharratt. This makes sense, because if we don’t know where we want to go, how could we possibly get there?

As we seek to improve Washington’s educational system, let’s continue working together, sharing ideas, and being open to thoughtful dialog. As a member of the House Education Committee, I look forward to being part of the process.

# # #

Editor’s note: Rep. Brad Hawkins, R- East Wenatchee, represents the 12th Legislative District and serves on the House Education Committee. He is a former North Central Educational Service District board member and past president of the Eastmont School Board. For more information, visit his website at: www.representativebradhawkins.com.

Rep. Hawkins’ media:

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

Opinion editorial from Rep. Brad Hawkins: Education front and center in state policy and budgeting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 26, 2014

CONTACT: John Sattgast, Senior Information Officer/Broadcast Coordinator – (360) 786-7257

Education front and center in state policy and budgeting
By Rep. Brad Hawkins
Exclusive to The Wenatchee World

In the supplemental operating budget approved March 13, we took additional steps by investing $100 million more into K-12 and higher education.

# # #

# # #

Rep. Hawkins’ media:

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

Opinion editorial by Rep. Brad Hawkins: 2014 legislative session delivers many successes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 21, 2014

CONTACT: John Sattgast, Senior Information Officer/Broadcast Coordinator – (360) 786-7257

2014 legislative session delivers many successes
By Rep. Brad Hawkins

It is good to be home in our beautiful 12th District after spending the last 60 days at our state Capitol during the legislative session. Many of those days in Olympia were rainy, by the way. The best part about returning home is both the sunshine and the opportunity to visit with the people I am honored to represent. During my discussions with folks back home, the most frequent question that comes up is, “How did everything go over there in Olympia?”

I’m pleased to report that lawmakers worked together and achieved many successes in a very short amount of time. Here are some examples and highlights:

Bipartisan Budget Success

For the second year in a row, state legislators successfully came together to pass a bipartisan budget (without raising taxes) that was widely supported in both the House and the Senate. The 2014 supplemental operating budget was approved in the House by a vote of 85-13, and in the Senate, 48-1. We didn’t have a budget deficit this year or much additional revenue to invest, but we accomplished our work together and on time. This we can all be proud of.

Individual Legislative Success

In my first term, I quickly learned the importance of working with legislators from both parties – and working hard for my legislation. As a result, three of my bills have successfully cleared the House and Senate. One was signed into law last year during my first session. The other two bills were sent to the governor toward the end of this session.

The two for this year include:

House Bill 2105 is a government transparency measure. It makes a modest change to the state’s Open Public Meetings Act to require public agencies to post their meeting agendas online at least 24 hours in advance. Interestingly, the Open Public Meetings Act was first enacted in 1971 and requires public agencies to issue notice of their meetings (such as the date, time, and location), but does not speak to posting meeting agendas. My bill is an effort to modernize the law to reflect our current online society. This measure has been delivered to the governor and he is expected to sign it soon.
House Bill 2106 is related to primary ballots and partisan county offices. This bill will relieve counties of the burden of running primary elections for county partisan offices when only one person files to fill an unexpired term. I introduced it in response to the Chelan County election last August in which a countywide election was required, even though only one person’s name appeared on the entire primary ballot. The governor has signed this measure into law.

Education Funding Success

The supplemental operating budget we passed this year 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 citizens. The budget also continues a freeze on college and university tuition increases for the second straight year! These are remarkable successes for families with kids in school, especially considering our modest, but steady economic recovery.

Taxpayers Protection Success

As a result of slightly more revenue flowing into the state than anticipated, we set aside $315 million in the state’s ending-fund balance. Combined with $582 million in the budget stabilization account, we now have nearly $900 million in total reserves (savings). This will protect taxpayers from unanticipated costs/emergencies in the budget.

Although millions of dollars in tax increases were proposed, the Legislature adjourned without raising taxes. Plus, we adjourned on time (the first time in five years) without a special session. These are big wins for taxpayers!

Businesses Stability Success

We not only stopped tax increases against employers, we also successfully halted legislation harmful to job creation, such as Gov. Inslee’s minimum wage increase proposal. Although at $9.32 an hour, Washington has the highest state minimum wage in the nation, the governor wanted to raise that to $12 an hour. Our district depends on small businesses already operating under a very thin margin, including many tourism- and service-related businesses. A minimum wage increase, as proposed under House Bill 2672, would have been devastating to North Central Washington employers and would have hurt the ability for young first-time wage earners to get a job. Fortunately, this bill died in a House committee.

Constituent Service Success

I greatly appreciated your phone calls, e-mails and letters throughout the session. I believe the biggest success in our office is delivery of good customer service to my constituents. My legislative assistant and I worked hard to make sure every constituent received a personal response. I also spent as much time as possible with people from back home who visited the state Capitol. Constituents who travel over the mountain passes in the middle of winter obviously place a high priority in coming to the Capitol, so I want to honor them by setting aside the appropriate time to hear their thoughts and ideas.

In fact, your ideas, comments and suggestions are important to me throughout the entire year. Your input is vital to the success of the legislative process and the process of delivering successful results as we have done in this 2014 session. I look forward to delivering many more. Please contact my office in Wenatchee at (509) 662-5733 any time I can be of service to you. Visit my website for more information at www.representativebradhawkins.com.

It’s good to be back home again. Thank you for the honor of allowing me to serve and represent you!

# # #

EDITOR’S NOTE: Rep. Brad Hawkins, R-East Wenatchee, represents the 12th Legislative District. He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. He serves on the House Education, Transportation, and Business and Financial Services committees.

PHOTO CAPTION: Rep. Brad Hawkins, R-East Wenatchee, testifies on a bill during a committee hearing at the state Capitol.

Rep. Hawkins’ media:

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

Opinion editorial/Q&A with Rep. Brad Hawkins – 2014 Legislative Session

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 18, 2014

CONTACT: John Sattgast, Senior Information Officer/Broadcast Coordinator – (360) 786-7257

A conversation with Rep. Brad Hawkins – Q&A on the 2014 Legislative Session
For the Wenatchee Business Journal (WBJ)

WBJ: What were your goals, expectations and concerns going into this year’s session? How did it turn out?

HAWKINS: After last year’s multiple special sessions, my goals and expectations were to approve responsible supplemental budgets and to complete our process on time. Early into this session, I realized most legislators shared this sentiment, so I didn’t have much concern about whether we could complete our work on time.

The durations of the session are specified in our state constitution and related to our budgeting process. Washington state operates under two-year budgets, so the Legislature meets each January, but alternates between a 105-day session (for budget development) and a 60-day session (for budget adjustments). Last year’s 105-day session took longer than anticipated, but we ended with a good, bipartisan compromise budget. The 60-day sessions, such as the one we just completed, are designed to fine-tune the budgets.

Our state was fortunate heading into this year’s session to not have a budget deficit. That meant we didn’t have to debate a lot of cuts in spending, as the case in previous years. On the flip side, the state’s revenue forecasts were basically flat, so we didn’t have much additional money. In the end, it all worked out because the state did what was expected, which was to fine-tune the current budget and pass a limited number of policy bills.

WBJ: What were your favorite pieces of legislation? What happened to them?

HAWKINS: I am not one to introduce a lot of bills just for the sake of it. There is far too much of that in Olympia. The bills I sponsor are ones that I have worked closely on and have bipartisan support. That process takes a lot of work, so those pieces of legislation quickly become my favorites. I prime-sponsored three bills this session. Two of them made it to the governor’s desk and became law.

One of my bills signed by the governor, House Bill 2105, is a government transparency measure. It makes a modest change to the state’s Open Public Meetings Act to require public agencies to post their meeting agendas online at least 24 hours in advance. Interestingly, the Open Public Meetings Act was first enacted in 1971 and requires public agencies to issue notice of their meetings (such as the date, time, and location), but does not speak to posting meeting agendas. My bill was an effort to modernize the law to reflect our current online society.

My other bill, House Bill 2106, is related to primary ballots and partisan county offices. This bill will relieve counties of the burden of running primary elections for county partisan offices when only one person files to fill an unexpired term. I introduced it in response to the Chelan County election last August in which a countywide election was required, even though only one person’s name appeared on the entire primary ballot. I worked hard to get these bills all the way through the process in the short 60-day session.

WBJ: What is your biggest accomplishment of the session?

HAWKINS: When I sought out this job, I promised to put public service before politics. That is what I always try to remember. We set a high standard in my office for customer service. Any successful business operates the same way, which I am sure your readers can appreciate. So my biggest accomplishment of the session is knowing I did everything possible to deliver good customer service to my constituents.

Legislative offices receive numerous phone calls, e-mails, and letters – sometimes hundreds each day. My legislative assistant helps separate the constituent contacts from the non-constituents, and our goal is for each constituent to receive a personal response. In addition to the constituent correspondence, we also spend as much time as possible with people from back home who visit the state Capitol. I try to put myself in the shoes of the people who travel to Olympia over the mountain passes in the middle of winter. They obviously place a high priority in traveling to the Capitol, so I want to honor them by setting aside the appropriate time to hear their thoughts and ideas.

Successful businesses know their customers extremely well, so I try to extend that principle to my service in Olympia. I know that if I can stay in close contact with constituents throughout my years of service, then I can represent their interests effectively. I believe I was successful in doing so again this year, so that is what I consider my biggest accomplishment.

WBJ: What is the biggest near-miss (positive or negative) for business owners this session?

HAWKINS: The biggest near-miss (in a positive way) for business owners this session was Gov. Inslee’s unsuccessful effort to raise our state’s minimum wage. I was surprised at the proposal because Washington’s $9.32 per-hour minimum wage is the highest state minimum wage in the nation. Our minimum wage was approved by a statewide vote in 2000 and is indexed to inflation and other cost factors.

Soon after the governor’s speech, Democrats introduced House Bill 2672 to increase the minimum wage to $12 an hour. This proposal would be devastating to North Central Washington. For an area of the state such as ours that depends upon small businesses already operating under a very thin margin, proposals to increase the minimum wage are cause for concern.

Maintaining a reasonable minimum wage is also necessary to help young workers gain experience in the job market with entry-level employment. Getting the younger generation working is good for them and for our state’s economy, especially our local economy which has many service- and tourism-related businesses. I’m not sure if the proposal to increase the minimum wage was actually a “near-miss,” but it seemed to have some momentum early in the session. It passed out of the House Workforce and Development Committee. Fortunately, it died after no action was taken in the House Appropriations Committee.

# # #

EDITOR’S NOTE: Rep. Brad Hawkins, R-East Wenatchee, represents the 12^th Legislative District. He serves on the House Education, Transportation, and Business and Financial Services committees. Rep. Hawkins can be contacted through his website at www.representativebradhawkins.com or at his district office in Wenatchee at (360) 662-5733.

Rep. Hawkins’ media:

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

Rep. Brad Hawkins: Agriculture is the cornerstone of Washington’s economy

Traveling our 12th District, orchards and fields are found as far as the eye can see. Tourists often enjoy a stop at fruit stands along the highways to pick up fresh fruit on their way home or vacation in our area specifically to visit local vineyards and wineries. For those of us who live here, agriculture is not just an occasional occurrence, but a part of our everyday life and culture. Clearly, agriculture is an integral part our local economy.

While Western Washington often focuses on the aerospace and technology sectors, which indeed are important, agriculture remained one of our state’s strongest sectors throughout the recent recession. In fact, Washington’s agriculture accounts for 13 percent of the state’s economy and employs about 160,000 people. I definitely support airplanes and computer software, but I always try to remind folks in Olympia about the importance of agriculture to our state economy and some of the issues confronting our communities.

In order to be successful, ranchers, growers and producers face several challenges. First, growers and ranchers need access to adequate water and land to feed animals and grow crops. This is an obvious need, but one that sometimes is under-emphasized in Western Washington. Many groups are interested in the stewardship of our natural resources, but few can doubt that our farmers are the original conservationists. After all, it is in their best interest to take care of the land and water resources to protect their livelihood, grow crops for others to consume and leave sustainable land for future generations.

Fortunately, the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee is one of the most collaborative in the Legislature. The members who serve on the committee use sound judgment and take a balanced approach to passing legislation. Democrats and Republicans work well together to ensure wise decisions are made, and spend time getting to know the issues.

While I do not serve on this committee, I never miss an opportunity to advocate for agriculture when given the opportunity. During the Transportation Committee on which I serve, legislators were asked to share experiences about products from our districts that utilize our state transportation system. I invited representatives from Columbia Marketing International (CMI) from Wenatchee and officials from the Port of Quincy to share information about the increased popularity of the Cold Train, a refrigerated rail transport facility in Quincy. This facility helps ship our wonderful goods to various domestic markets.

More than 800 containers per month of Washington state fresh produce and frozen food are currently being shipped on the refrigerated Cold Train to the Midwest and East Coast. Of those, about half are the Washington apples of which we are so proud. The importance of rail ?in getting our goods to market in a safe and efficient way ? cannot be understated for our agriculture industry. It was an honor to help facilitate and help make this presentation before the full House Transportation Committee. We even provided committee members some fresh apples to they could fully appreciate and enjoy what our agricultural economy has to offer!

Sharing information is key to ensuring that agriculture remains strong now and for generations to come.

###

Rep. Brad Hawkins serves as a representative to the 12th Legislative District, which includes all of Chelan and Douglas counties as well as parts of Grant and Okanogan counties.