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Dear Friends,
Thank you for subscribing to my legislative email updates. It is a privilege to serve you and keep you updated on the latest happenings in the Legislature. The past two weeks have been very busy, as we have voted on over 200 bills in the House. While there have been many good bills passed, there have been other bills that I would have liked to see fail, as I do not believe they will take our state in the right direction.
I have based all of my votes on the following criteria:
– Does the legislation help or hurt private-sector job creation?
– Is the legislation supported by my constituents?
– Is the legislation constitutional?
Too often, legislation unnecessarily grows the size of government or infringes on your rights. As a House body, we need to work together to come up with long-term sustainable solutions that put the interests of all Washingtonians first. I am committed to working toward this goal.
House Bill 1382 unanimously passed by the House
As many of you know, when I'm not representing you in Olympia, I serve our local communities as a lieutenant firefighter. Giving the members of our fire service the proper training and certification updates is essential for their success and your safety. That's why I was happy to see my bill, House Bill 1382, unanimously approved by the House last week.
Under the measure, the director of fire protection would develop and adopt a plan for the Washington State Patrol's Fire Training Academy to deliver basic firefighter training and testing for all public firefighting agencies in the state. This would be a much-needed reform, and I'm hopeful it will be approved by the Senate as well.
Survey results
In my last email update, I asked you a series of questions on issues important to our district and state. Here are the results:
1) State Senate leaders have unveiled a $15 billion transportation revenue package that includes an incremental gas-tax increase of 11.7 cents over the next three years. Would you support this gas-tax increase if it helped fund projects in the 35th District?
Yes: 31%
No: 59%
Don't Know: 10%
2) Do you believe Washington state should consider hydroelectric power as a renewable resource to stabilize energy prices for consumers, protect air and water quality, and make funds more available for construction projects?
Yes: 85%
No: 7%
Don't Know: 8%
3) Do you believe agency actions by the Department of Ecology and the Department of Fish and Wildlife that affect your private property rights should be supported with empirical science acquired through proper use of the scientific method, peer review, reproduction of results and journal publication?
Yes: 68%
No: 19%
Don't Know: 13%
4) What is the better approach to funding education?
Eighty-three percent of you said the better approach is creating a separate budget for education that does not rely on new tax sources. Seventeen percent of you said we should keep education funding in the operating budget and rely on new tax sources for funding.
Telephone town hall rescheduled
We ended up voting on the House floor until late in the evening last Wednesday, so unfortunately I had to cancel my telephone town hall that was scheduled that night. It important that I not miss any votes as I represent you in Olympia, however.
The good news is that we've already got a new date set. My telephone town hall will now take place on March 25 at 6 p.m. If you wish to participate, the call-in number is (360) 947-3422. The town hall will be interactive, and you will have the opportunity to ask questions and participate in real-time polls. I'm looking forward to chatting with you about the very important issues we face in our district and state.
Video update
In my most recent video update, I discuss my decision process when it comes to whether or not I will support a bill, and I also provide an overview of how a bill moves through the Legislature after being introduced. Take a look!
Town hall meeting this weekend!
This Saturday, March 14, I will be holding a town hall meeting with fellow 35th District Rep. Drew MacEwen. At the community meeting, attendees will have the opportunity to ask us questions, and we will both offer an update on the legislative session. I look forward to seeing you there!
Here are the details:
Where: The Pavilion at Sentry Park
Address: 190 W. Sentry Drive, Shelton, WA 98584
Time: 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Getting in touch
Thank you for the honor of serving you in the Legislature. If you have any comments, questions or concerns that you would like to share with me, please feel free to get in touch any time. My email address is dan.griffey@leg.wa.gov, and my phone number is (360) 786-7966.
It is a privilege to serve you in the people's House.
Sincerely,
Dan Griffey
