WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Rep. Wylie’s e-newsletter for February 22, 2013

It’s been a busy week in the Legislature.  Today is our first cut-off, which is the last day a policy bill can be considered in committee in its house of origin.  Fiscal bills get an extra week beyond that – the fiscal bill deadline is next Friday, March 1st.   The session follows a cut-off calendar, which determines the deadlines for public hearings and executive action on bills, as well as floor action in both the House and Senate.


Watch my latest video update!

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Click on the image to play the video.


We’ve been busy!

We passed two bills on the House floor: HB 1043, saving the GET (Guaranteed Education Tuition Program) by eliminating the differential tuition law that made the program unsustainable. This is a program that helps ensure that parents can invest in their child’s education even if not of high income.

The second bill, SB 5147 makes changes in the law regarding runaways and youth shelters, and Governor Inslee plans to sign it in to law on Wednesday, February 27th. It builds on lessons learned and strikes a good balance between reuniting anxious parents with their children and ensuring time to build trust between caseworkers and children.

My bill to help the City of Vancouver and other cities finish economic development projects slowed by the Great Recession was approved by the Technology & Economic Development Committee and will now move to the House Finance Committee for a public hearing scheduled for Tuesday, February 26th.

I was able to add more rigorous evaluation and a sunset to a tax break that moved through my Technology and Economic Development Committee. Tax incentives are sometime known as loopholes and I have pledged to ensure they are really worthwhile as they are nearly impossible to remove because of the two thirds requirement.


Connecting Washington: Transportation proposal unveiled this week

You’ve heard on the news about the proposed transportation package. It would fund nearly $10 billion in transportation projects and maintenance across the state, and it has strong support from folks who agree that improving our transportation infrastructure is the key to growing our state’s economy.

Details of the proposal, including a project breakdown, can be found on the House Democrats website. The main features of the plan include:

  • Protecting existing infrastructure through maintenance and operation work, road repairs, and funding to city and county governments to address local needs.
  • Investing in new transportation projects  that reduce congestion and improve safety in every corner of the state
  • Improving freight mobility to help businesses move products to market more efficiently and affordably
  • Fully funding the Washington State Patrol to ensure our highways are safe and well taken care of
  • Providing transportation choices by empowering local and regional transit agencies, investing the bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements, and stabilizing the Washington State Ferry System

STEM means jobs

It’s a big deal when the Governor himself testifies in support of a bill.  That’s what happened this week when Governor Jay Inslee came to the House Education committee and spoke in support of House Bill 1872, which puts more focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education in our state. 

The measure creates a STEM Education Innovation Alliance made up of leaders from business and education fields. The alliance will provide vision and guidance for STEM education initiatives in early learning, K-12, and postsecondary education.  

An estimated 30,000 Washington jobs will go unfilled in the next five years without increased investment in STEM education. If we don’t train Washington students for these jobs, employers will import talent from other states and countries instead.  

In a recent survey by Washington STEM, 79 percent of respondents agreed that more companies will move to or expand to Washington if the state had a reputation for workers with great science and math skills. Nine out of ten agreed the next generation of Washingtonians will have more opportunities if they have strong STEM skills.


Vancouver visitors to Olympia

We have many visitors from Vancouver and I sure appreciate them making the trek to Olympia.  Last week Carol Boyer, Susan Saul & Paul Lambshead met with me regarding the Washington Trails Association.

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Thanks for taking the time to read my latest e-newsletter – I’ll check in with you again soon.

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