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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We are now on the 36th day of the 2013 legislative session. Over 800 bills have been introduced and we are quickly approaching our first deadline or “cut-off”. The date for House bills to be voted out of policy committees is Feb. 22. You can view the cut-off dates for the entire legislative session by clicking here. Once this first cut-off passes we will have a clearer idea of which bills are likely to continue through the process.
On Friday, I took my first votes on the House floor. The House of Representatives voted on two items: House Bill 1043, which is a good step toward saving a program that helps parents and kids afford college and House Bill 1250, which updates safeguards for runaway children. I voted in favor of each of these bills.
I was also privileged to speak on the House floor on behalf of our Japanese-Americans for Remembrance Day. February 15 is the day when we remember the internment of our fellow Americans of Japanese decent. I felt honored to stand and talk about the experience of my good friends and remember all our nation has learned from the past.
LEGISLATION THIS WEEK
This week was full of hearings and voting on legislation within the five committees I serve on. I'd like to share some information about a few of the bills I believe are important to our district. They are:
- A bill which would help cities by transferring liability for water used in fire suppression back to the water purveyors. House Bill 1512 would allow cities, counties, and utilities to do what has been working for them for the past 100 years. I voted to support this bill and it passed out of House Local Government Committee.
- A bill that would give cities back their share of revenue from liquor sales. House Bill 1368 would help restore moneys that local governments had for public safety before Initiative 1183; a revenue stream that cities have shared with the state for 80 years. I voted to support this bill and it passed out of House Local Government Committee.
- A bill I co-sponsored which would return money to the community in order to fund local efforts to stop prostitution. The bill would support increased enforcement and rehabilitative services for victims of human trafficking. House Bill 1291 focuses on prevention of prostitution or commercial sexual abuse of a minor. This bill was voted out of House Public Safety Committee unanimously.
I will keep you informed of how this legislation progresses and other legislation that is important to our district.
GUESTS AND CONSTITUENTS
While I am in Olympia the needs of our district are at the forefront of my mind. I have had the opportunity to meet with many constituents and groups from our communities. One of the highlights of my week was meeting with the students from Sherwood Elementary school (picture above). These bright young people were very interested in the way our government works and are a great reminder of why providing a quality education is our state's highest priority.
Additionally, I was truly honored to host Ye eun Kim as a “job shadow” for two days. Ye eun traveled all the way from South Korea despite being only 14 years-old. She attended meetings where I spoke with policy advocates and lobbyists. She was introduced in caucus, met with staff in the House and Senate, attended a public policy luncheon and attended several committee hearings. It was wonderful having her here.
TOWNHALLS
If you have not had the chance to visit Olympia and meet with me I encourage you to attend the townhalls I will be hosting. The days and locations for these events are below. I will continue to give you more information about the townhalls as we get closer to the dates. Anyone who is a constituent of the 30th district is invited to participate in these public forums.
They will be held: March 16, 2013:10:00-11:30 at Federal Way Council Chambers (City Hall) and 1:30-3:00 at Algona Council Chambers (City Hall); and on March 23, 2013:10:00-11:30 at the Milton Community Center.
I will also be attending a town hall meeting on February 19, sponsored by Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer on an important domestic violence issue from 6 – 8 p.m. inside the Little Theatre Auditorium at Thomas Jefferson High School. We hope you can attend.
I am here to be a resource for you. If there is any element of state government that I can help you with, my door is always open. My goals are to keep our communities safe, decrease taxes, increase employment and improve your quality of life. If you have any questions or comments, please call me at (360) 786-7898, or e-mail me at Linda.Kochmar@leg.wa.gov.
You can see more of what I am doing for our district by watching my legislative video update. To watch my most recent video update just click on the image to the left. You can also visit my Web site for the latest information on bills I am working on, news releases and more. Please feel free to pass along this e-mail to others you think would be interested. They can sign up for my updates by clicking here. I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Linda Kochmar
