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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As you probably know, yesterday marked the start of our third special session for 2013. The governor called this special session so legislators can vote on a package of bills to help the aerospace industry and to tackle transportation issues. However, there are no transportation committee hearings scheduled at this time. Several news outlets have surmised that the bigger transportation issues will not be handled in the next week but final decisions have yet to be made.
As a member of the House Transportation Committee I will keep you abreast of any developments on these issues as I learn about them.
I continue to believe that we need reforms to help ensure state tax dollars are maximized before the Legislature considers reaching deeper into people's pockets with a new gas tax.
Recently, I and other Republicans who serve on the House Transportation Committee produced a video that addresses our unique transportation issues in Washington state. Please watch it here and let me know what you think! The most important element of our transportation system is how it affects your life. I want to hear from you!
Hearings this week
The House Finance Committee met Friday at 1:30 p.m. to discuss House Bill 2089. The governor testified at that hearing. The stated goal of this bill is to maintain and grow jobs in the aerospace industry in Washington state by extending the expiration date of aerospace tax preferences. The majority of testimony was positive and I am optimistic that we will see growth for aerospace jobs. Like other members of the Republican party who testified at the hearing, it is my hope that the changes made by this bill will spill over to impact other businesses and industries in our state and help us continue to improve the business climate in Washington.
Today, two committees will be meeting – one in the House and one in the Senate. You can see the times and agendas for both of those committees here. The House will also convene on the House floor today.
Community
As the holiday's are approaching I encourage you to reach out to those in need in your community. More than ever in these tough times it is essential we support our local food banks to ensure nobody goes hungry. Please consider making a donation to a food bank in Federal Way and other cities in the 30th district. They are in need of all types of food, including diapers, formula and baby food and Thanksgiving dinners. My office can direct you on how to donate and where; my phone number is at the bottom of this email. You can also feel free to send me your thoughts, comments and questions to Linda.Kochmar@leg.wa.gov.
Thank you for trusting me to be your voice in the legislature.
Sincerely,
Linda Kochmar
