Dear friends and neighbors,
I hope this message finds you well and enjoying the summer sunshine. I have really been enjoying being home with my family and friends since the start of interim. Being back in the district has also meant lots of tours and meetings with constituents—it has been so nice to reconnect with the people of the 40th after the long session in Olympia. I am always looking for opportunities to meet with groups or individuals whether to talk about specific issues or just to chat. Feel free to contact me to set up a meeting.
I am grateful for all of the emails, calls, letters and visits I received during the session. Your input is important in helping me best represent our district. And, believe it or not, now is also the time to start talking about important topics for next session, so please stay in touch.
Get ready for summer with the new Discover Pass for State Parks
Budget cuts hit our state parks system hard, with $60 million cut from the Parks’ two-year budget. This amounts to approximately two-thirds of the money they receive from our state’s general fund. Over 100 parks faced closure this year as legislators looked for ways to make up the lost funding. In the end, the only solution that would bring in the necessary dollars to keep parks and recreational lands open and accessible to the public is to move to a user fee system.
Washington now joins 41 other states that already charge park access fees, including neighboring states Idaho and Oregon.
The new access fees went into effect July 1, 2011. Fees are for vehicles only. An annual “Discover Pass” allows entry to all state parks, as well as recreational lands managed by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources. Day passes are also available for purchase.
Check out the Discover Pass website for more information or contact my office with questions.
Keep your emails coming
My office received thousands of emails from constituents over the course of the session. These contacts are a great way to gauge what’s on the minds of the people of the 40th. I was often surprised by the topics that garnered the most messages. For example, I received relatively few emails about K-12 education despite being a lifelong education advocate and Vice Chair of the Education Committee. On the other hand, I received many emails about humane treatment of animals from wolves and cougars to chickens.
I was interested to see what the most common topics have been. Here are the top 5 most common email topics:
- Cuts to family planning and the health safety net
- Gateway Pacific Terminal at Cherry Point
- Closing tax loopholes to fund essential programs, especially House Bill 1847 and 2078
- Issues for working families, especially collective bargaining and worker’s compensation
- Cuts to public higher education
These are the things that were on your minds. Messages about these topics and many more helped to guide my decisions. Whether I receive one email or hundreds, hearing from you is essential to representing you.
I will continue to send these updates occasionally during the interim. Although I will not be sending out a costly printed mailer, I hope that these messages will keep you informed. Please feel free to share them with your friends and to suggest ideas of topics to include in the future. It’s an honor to serve you.
Regards,
Kristine