Author Archives: ericlafontaine

Supplemental budget passes legislature, adds $2 billion in spending

Record spending continued in the nearly $72 billon dollar supplemental operating budget the legislature passed this year. The good news is the two-year spending plan does not include any new taxes. Unfortunately, it also does not include any real relief for middle-income families who are struggling.

Under Democratic leadership, state spending has doubled over the past decade, all while Washingtonians face an increasing number of crises, including affordability, housing, education, childcare, public safety, and the fentanyl emergency, with little to no progress in sight.

On top of over $2 billion in additional spending, this budget leaves just $2.1 billion in reserves at the end of the four-year outlook period, well under the recommended 10%.

Capital construction and transportation budget wins in the 35th

The Washington State Legislature passed this year’s supplemental capital, operating, and transportation budgets in early March.
We worked collaboratively to secure over $16 million in the supplemental capital budget for local projects, nearly $2 million in the operating budget, and $60 million in transportation budget appropriations.

The millions secured in this capital budget will significantly benefit the district.

The largest appropriations included in the capital budget were $4.851 million in public school funding for modernizing the Pioneer School District, $4.8 million in local and community projects funding for the Bremerton/Mason County Sewer Expansion and the Mason PUD No. 1, Lilliwaup Corner Project, and $1.5 million in housing trust funds for the Boulevard Townhomes Project.

The supplemental transportation budget included $2 million to start the Highway 101 safety jersey barrier project between Wallace Kneeland Blvd and the SR3 interchange. The transportation funding obtained ensures continued progress on the SR3 freight corridor project, SR3/Gorst Road widening, pedestrian improvements for the Warren Avenue bridge, and projects for Intercity Transit.

Power of the people: Legislature passes 3 initiatives

Public safety was one of our biggest priorities in this short session. Your 35th District lawmakers are thrilled we were able to move the needle on this by passing the initiative to the Legislature to restore the ability of law enforcement to pursue criminals.

Our 35th District sheriffs have told us for the past two years what a terrible impact the limitations on pursuits had on public safety and crime in Washington, and we can all see it.

I-2113 is a new law that allows officers to engage in pursuits when they have reasonable suspicion that a suspect has committed any crime, rather than only violent crime, sex offenses, domestic violence assault, and DUI. This will greatly affect our ability to hold criminals accountable in Washington state. In addition to the police pursuit initiative, I-2113, state lawmakers passed two additional initiatives to the legislature, including:

I-2081 (parental rights) – clarifies a set of 15 parental rights related to K-12 education, including ease of access to student health, education, and disciplinary records. It also makes clear parents can opt out of instruction related to sexual activity in accordance with comprehensive sexual health education.

I-2111 (personal income tax) – The people of Washington state have soundly rejected an income tax 10 times over the past several decades. This initiative further solidifies that position by prohibiting state and local personal income taxes.

These three initiatives are the most ever enacted by the legislature and will take effect June 6.

Although the passage of these three initiatives was an enormous victory for Washingtonians,
your 35th district legislators believe the legislature should have taken the time to consider all initiatives before the legislature.

Although the passage of these three initiatives was an enormous victory for Washingtonians, we believe the legislature should have taken the time to consider all six initiatives. It’s important to note that the initiatives brought before the legislature were made possible by hundreds of thousands of citizens signing petitions expressing their concerns with previously enacted laws and the current direction if the state.

The initiatives are:

I-2117 would repeal the state’s costly climate policy, enacted by the majority party in 2021 and took full effect early last year.
I-2109 will repeal the state capital gains income tax passed by the majority party in 2021.
I-2124 would allow individuals to opt out of the mandatory payroll tax for the state-run long-term care program called “WA Cares.”

Learn more about all six initiatives here

Stopping a huge property tax increase

Senate Bill 5770 was among the biggest threats this session. The bill would have raised the more than 20-year-old 1% cap on the growth of state and local property taxes to 3%, allowing cities and counties to increase property taxes by that much every year without voter approval, creating a devastating compounding effect.

The compounding effect of SB 5770:

Increase state and local property tax collections by an estimated $4.4 billion over the next five years; and
Bloat to over $12 billion in new property tax revenue by 2034.

Washington is currently ranked fifth worst in the country for housing affordability and seventh worst for rent affordability. The potential passage of SB 5770 would only exacerbate the housing crisis.

Thankfully the collective efforts of Republicans in both chambers killed the bill.

Natural gas ban passes

During the last week of the 2024 legislative session, the Washington State Legislature passed House Bill 1589, a bill requested by Puget Sound Energy. This bill insulates the state’s largest monopoly utility company from paying the price for impractical state-mandated carbon reduction goals by allowing PSE to cut off gas service to its customers, forcing households to convert their homes from gas to electric.

After passing the Senate, despite an issue with unconstitutional language, it arrived in the House, where debate lasted until 2 a.m. Despite unconstitutional language again found in the bill, it was passed in the House. It was signed into law in April.

As the ranking Republican on the Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee, I believe this policy is bad for Washingtonians. Here’s why.

It reverses the concept of state utility regulation. Homeowners and businesses will bear the cost of converting from gas to electricity. The cost of electrifying a home is estimated to be between $30,700 and $74,400, depending on what needs to be replaced or upgraded.

It will also eliminate an affordable energy option for Washington residents. Currently, natural gas costs about 33% less than electricity. The increased costs would be a regressive tax on those who can least afford it. Washington is already facing a long-term shortage of affordable housing, and the policy would make it worse and increase the cost of homeownership and rentals. Energy bills will dramatically increase, and under House Bill 1589, ignoring all other cost factors – such as inflation and the effects of cap and trade – PSE predicts residential electricity rates will increase 37% by 2045, followed by residential natural gas rates increasing 151%.

Lastly, an emergency clause was also placed on this bill, preventing Washingtonians from pursuing a referendum in November, this bill is poor policy for everyone.

35th district lawmakers secure millions in state budget funds

OLYMPIA… Last week, the Washington State Legislature passed this year’s supplemental capital, operating, and transportation budgets, which update the 2023-2025 biennial budget passed last session.

Thirty-fifth district lawmakers, State Senator Drew MacEwen and Representatives Dan Griffey and Travis Couture worked collaboratively to secure over $16 million in capital budget appropriations, nearly $2 million in operating budget appropriations, and $60 million in transportation budget appropriations, respectively.

“The millions we were able to get in this capital budget will make a significant difference in our community, “ MacEwen said. “I am proud to be a member of this 35th District team and what we have been able to accomplish together.”

The largest appropriations included in the capital budget were $4.851 million in public school funding for modernizing the Pioneer School District, $4.8 million in local and community projects funding for the Bremerton/ Mason County Sewer Expansion and the Mason PUD No. 1, Lilliwaup Corner Project, and $1.5 million in housing trust funds for the Boulevard Townhomes Project.

In the transportation budget, $2 million was approved to start the Highway 101 Safety Jersey Barriers from Wallace Kneeland Blvd to the SR3 interchange. The transportation funding obtained ensures continued progress on the SR3 freight corridor project, SR3/Gorst Road widening, pedestrian improvements for the Warren Avenue bridge, and projects for Intercity Transit.

“To all of the 35th District residents who reach out to us about the challenge of commuting on our roadways – we hear you,” MacEwen said. “There will be more to come.”

Rounding out this year’s budget achievements included funding in the operating budget to support our local public utility districts with the costs incurred during WSDOT’s fish barrier removal projects.

Parascand serves as page for Sen. Drew MacEwen

Carmela Parascand and Sen. Drew MacEwen

OLYMPIA… Carmela Parascand, a 10^th-grader at Black Hills High School, recently spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Parascand was one of 32 students who served in the Senate during the Ninth week of the 2024 legislative session.

She was sponsored by 35th Legislative District Sen. Drew MacEwen, who represents Mason, parts of Thurston and Kitsap counties.

“Carmela did an amazing job as a page this week and I am so happy she was able to be a part of this experience and learn first-hand about the legislative process,” said MacEwen.

The Senate Page Program is an opportunity for Washington students to spend a week working in the Legislature. Students are responsible for transporting documents between offices, as well as delivering messages and mail. Pages spend time in the Senate chamber and attend page school to learn about parliamentary procedure and the legislative process. Students also draft their own bills and engage in a mock committee.

“I wanted to become a page because I knew I wanted to learn more about the process since I can see myself playing a role in politics someday,” said Parascand. She also stated that her favorite part was being on the Senate floor and having that personal experience.

Parascand, 15, enjoys reading, playing in her school jazz band, as well as competing in both tennis and bowling for her school. Carmela is the daughter of Megan and Matt Parascand.

Students interested in the Senate Page Program are encouraged to visit:

Find out more about the Senate Page program here.

2024 sessions ends with victories for Washingtonians

Dear friends and neighbors,

The 2024 legislative session has ended in Olympia. We made progress on many fronts, and of course, there were some disappointments.

Highlighting this year’s session were the six initiatives presented to the legislature by the state’s citizens, the most in state history. Each of these initiatives garnered over 400,000 signatures and reflected individuals from all political affiliations. While it was exciting to see citizens’ efforts to make their voices heard, it was disappointing that the legislature only acted on three of the six. In what I believe is a disservice to the public, the three initiatives were only given 1-hour public hearings, limiting public input. Fortunately, the three that were acted on were passed, and they are I-2081, Parental Rights in Public Education; I-2111, Banning Personal Income Taxes, and I-2113 Concerning Vehicular Pursuits by Peace Officers. The three initiatives not acted on by the legislature will appear on the November Ballot: I-2117 Concerning Carbon Tax Trading, I-2124 Concerning Long-term Care Insurance, and I-2109 Concerning Taxes on Long-term Capital Assets.

One of the most significant achievements was defeating Senate Bill 5770, which would have allowed cities and counties, without a vote of the people, to raise property taxes at a factor of 3% annually rather than the current rate of 1%. In a time when everyone is reeling from inflated costs of food, fuel, and energy, this bill was unwanted. The Senate Republicans held a press conference inviting their constituents to come and voice their opposition to this legislation which ultimately led the majority party to scrap the bill altogether. Although this was a significant win for the people, it was ironic to see a bill presented that would make housing more unaffordable during an affordability crisis.

The most significant disappointment, and one that will undoubtedly have significant impacts on future utility and housing affordability, was the passage of House Bill 1589. When presented in the Senate, this bill had to be redrafted in its entirety after it was ruled to be unconstitutional during the floor debate by the lieutenant governor. After an all-night redraft, legislatures were given a mere four hours to review this monumental bill before the debate resumed. After narrowly passing in the Senate, it was moved to the House, where it was passed at around 2 am. Once again, its constitutionality was brought into question, but the majority party ignored this and moved the bill forward. This means that the bill will likely be heading to the courts after it is signed into law by the governor. Key points to this bill that should concern everyone. It was passed with an emergency clause, meaning the people of this state cannot file a referendum on the action; how democratic is that? It also allows a foreign-owned company, Puget Sound Energy (PSE), to pass all related costs on to its consumers during the transition from Natural Gas to Electricity. Should PSE decide to ban natural gas altogether, it is estimated the costs to retrofit existing homes will range from $40K to $74K, once again increasing the cost of housing. In addition, one can expect food and energy prices to grow with this bill. All central food warehouses and grocery stores are heated and cooled with natural gas; retrofits will be in the tens of millions. Lastly, the capacity to produce electricity with alternative sources such as hydro, wind, and solar is currently limited and removing the natural gas option will create demand issues. Ultimately, this policy will force everyone’s utility rates to skyrocket.

This year was like the previous ten, with large budget surpluses and a legislature that wanted to raise taxes again. Although this year was like many others, something proved to be very different: public sentiment and pushback against the ever-growing desire to tax and spend. There were six initiatives by the people, and the first session in my twelve years was when this legislative body did not pass a new tax. I would say this is a win for the people and, hopefully, an indication of what will come.

Sincerely,

Drew MacEwen

State legislature passes 3 initiatives, 3 remain for November ballot

OLYMPIA… The Washington State Legislature passed three of the six initiatives presented to the legislature by the people of Washington. The passage of these three initiatives marks the most ever enacted into law by the legislature. Initiatives passed by the legislature do not require the governor’s signature and will become law 90 days after the session’s close.

“Although the passage of these three initiatives was an enormous victory for Washingtonians, I believe the legislature should have taken the time to consider all initiatives before the legislature,” Sen. Drew MacEwen said.

It’s important to note that the initiatives brought before the legislature were made possible by hundreds of thousands of citizens signing petitions expressing their concerns with previously enacted laws and the current direction of the legislature. These signatures were collected from citizens representing all political parties, Democrat, Republican, and Independents alike. The initiatives that passed the legislature are:

I-2111 bans the adoption of personal income tax. The initiative passed with a vote of 38-11, with all 20 Senate Republicans and 18 Democrats voting yes.

I-2113 passed 36-13, with yes votes from all Republicans and 16 Democrats. This initiative restores the reasonable suspicion standard for police pursuits and takes stronger steps to protect our communities.

I-2081, passed the Senate unanimously and creates a parental bill of rights related to K-12 education.

As previously mentioned, not all initiatives presented to the legislature during this session were acted on. These three initiatives will be on the November ballot: I-2109 repeals the capital gains excise tax, I-2117 repeals the Washington Climate Commitment Act, and I-2124 allows employees to opt out of the Washington Care Act.

I-2117, which would repeal the state’s costly climate policy that was enacted by majority Democrats in 2021 and took full effect early last year.

I-2109, to repeal the state capital-gains income tax that was passed by the Democrat-controlled Legislature in 2021.

I-2124, which would allow individuals to opt out of the mandatory payroll tax for the state-run long-term care program called “WA Cares.”

Lawin Serves as Page for Sen. Drew MacEwen

Lilly Lawin and Drew MacEwen

OLYMPIA… Lilly Lawin, an 8th grader at Oakland Bay Junior High from Shelton, recently spent a week working as a page for the Washington State Senate at the Capitol in Olympia. Lawin was one of 21 students who served in the Senate during the sixth week of the 2024 legislative session.

She was sponsored by 35th Legislative District Sen. Drew MacEwen, who represents Mason, parts of Thurston and Kitsap counties.

“It was such a privilege to be a part of Lilly’s experience here as a page and I am so happy she decided to learn more about the legislative process because she did an amazing job,” said MacEwen.

“One thing I will take away from this experience is the people I met and the relationships I have built due to this amazing opportunity,” said Lawin. She also stated she is striving to become a surgeon and hopes to be in the running start program to help her do so.

Lawin, 14, has enjoyed playing the bass in her school band for the past two years and enjoys learning more about the legislative process. Lilly’s parents are Brandon and Casey Lawin as well as Marissa DeMiero of Shelton.

Students interested in the Senate Page Program are encouraged to visit:

Find out more about the Senate Page program here.