Latest news from Rep. Drew Hansen — April 18, 2013

Hello!
This week marked the deadline for bills (other than budget bills) to make it through the Legislature, so I’m writing to give you a quick update what I’ve been doing in this legislative session. I’ve been focused on jobs—protecting existing jobs, creating new opportunities for jobs, and training people for jobs.
As of this week’s cutoff, the Washington State Legislature passed five of my bills with strong bipartisan support, four of which directly relate to jobs. The bills are:
• HB 1109 (early course registration for veterans entering college, which helps veterans make sure they get full GI bill funding as they train for new careers) (98-0 House; 48-0 Senate)
• HB 1245 (protecting jobs in our shellfish and recreation industries by preventing derelict vessels from sinking and damaging our waterways) (96-1 House; 44-3 Senate)
• HB 1247 (helping small businesses upgrade their employees’ skills through community college courses) (98-0 House; 46-0 Senate)
• HB 1472 (supporting AP Computer Science in schools and addressing the state’s programmer shortage) (95-3 House; 46-1 Senate)
• HB 1806 (aid to indigent veterans) (98-0 House; 48-0 Senate)
I’ve been grateful for the support and interest my bills have received from newspapers across the state—from the Kitsap Sun (here and here), the Spokane Spokesman-Review (here) and the Seattle Times (here). I’m also grateful that my bills have received praise from Republicans as well as Democrats:
Senator Barbara Bailey (R-Oak Harbor), called HB1247 “a good jobs bill that will help our small businesses train their employees and save money in the process.” Sen. Mark Mullet (D-Issaquah) said on the Senate floor that HB 1472 was his favorite measure of the session to come from the House. “We have been having fewer students take AP computer-science classes over the last 10 years,” Mullet said. “This is such a simple fix — and really good policy.”
That’s all for now. It has been a productive session, and it’s an honor to represent you in the Washington State House of Representatives. Thank you for taking the time to read this email, and please feel free to write me anytime: drew.hansen@leg.wa.gov.
Best,
Drew