Join us in ONE WEEK!

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Your 24th district delegation, Sen. Kevin Van De Wege, Rep. Steve Tharinger and I will hold a telephone town hall next Tuesday, March 28 from 6 to 7 pm.

We’ll give you an update on the issues we’re working on this session and answer your questions live. Shortly before 6 p.m., a random cross-section of district constituents will be telephoned and invited to participate in the town hall; if you want to participate, please stay on the line. If you do not receive the call but would like to participate, please dial in by calling 877-229-8493 toll-free and using the ID code 116281. Or, to ensure you get the call, you can sign up at Vekeo.com/WHDC24 I hope you can join us!

Carbon Credits

Commissioner of Public Lands, Hilary Franz and I authored an opinion piece on the sale of carbon credits (House Bill 1789) for the Seattle Times. You can read it on the newspaper website or on my web page.

The legislation, sponsored by one of my committee vice-chairs, Rep. Kristine Reeves, passed the House on March 7 and is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology on March 22.

This bill will enable the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to tap into a new source of revenue by accessing the state’s newly-created carbon exchange. We can do this while supporting and enhancing our state’s vital forest lands, farmlands and aquatic lands.

By selling credits for the carbon stored in our working forests and farmlands, and for the natural ecosystem services our landscapes provide, we can add more revenue for beneficiaries of state trust lands, increase the value of working forests and farmlands, and give a much-needed boost to habitat restoration initiatives that have never been adequately funded.

Click here or on the image below to watch this short two-and-a-half minute video where I discuss the legislation and the process. It is not an easy concept to grasp, but it is actually a pretty big deal, and I am very excited that we passed this bill with solid bipartisan support (82-13).

Assault Weapons

Time and time again, when Washingtonians are polled on their stance regarding firearms, the vast majority wants us to do something about assault weapons. I am a gun owner and a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, but I am also keenly aware of the fact that assault weapons are the No. 1 choice for mass shooters.

I voted in favor of House Bill 1240 because it is a common-sense measure. Under this legislation, the assault weapons listed in the law will be banned from sale, distribution, trade, and manufacture in Washington state. If you already own one or more of these weapons in your gun safe, you can keep them. Nobody is coming for the guns we already own.

Where are my bills?

Wednesday, March 8, marked house of origin cutoff, which means that any bills not passed out of the House are likely dead, though they will get automatically reintroduced next year.

Below is a quick snapshot of where my bills are:

House Bill 1010 concerning the sanitary control of shellfish, was heard in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks on March 13.

House Bill 1138 concerning drought preparedness, was heard last Thursday in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks.

House Bill 1235, modifying provisions impacting Department of Fish & Wildlife licensing requirements, is scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks on March 20.

House Bill 1419, concerning county treasurers’ duties, was passed unanimously by the Senate Committee on Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs on March 16 and is now in Senate Rules.

Bipartisanship: We have the stats!

In my March 6 newsletter, I told you that most of the bills we pass are bipartisan and now I have the numbers to back that up: After a week and a half of all-day floor action, we sent 328 bills to the Senate, of those, 257 passed with 80 votes or more, including 196 that passed unanimously.

Thank you for reading my newsletter, I hope you found it informative. Please don’t hesitate to contact my office with your questions or concerns.

Don’t forget about our telephone town hall in one week!

Sincerely,

CONTACT ME

LEG 132B | PO Box 40600 Olympia, WA 98504
Mike.Chapman@leg.wa.gov
(360) 786-7916 | Toll-Free Hotline: 1-800-562-6000 | 1-800-635-9993 (TTY)
housedemocrats.wa.gov/chapman

Legislative Assistant: Brady.Hood@leg.wa.gov

Committees
Agriculture and Natural Resources (Chair)
Consumer Protection & Business
Transportation