Last week, Olympia High School student Matthew Scott made the short trip to the Capitol to serve as a page for a week in the House Page Program. He was sponsored by 35th District Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union.
During his week at the Capitol, Matthew attended page school every day to learn about the three branches of state government, the lawmaking process, and the importance of civil discourse. He also carried out a number of duties critical to the efficient operation of the Legislature.
“It’s always an honor to sponsor our young people as House pages,” said MacEwen. “Serving in the House Page Program is a unique opportunity, and it’s great to see future leaders like Matthew excited to spend a week here at the Capitol learning about how state government works. I’m grateful for his service, and wish him the very best going forward. He has a bright future.”
To become a page, applicants must have a legislative sponsor, be between the ages of 14 and 16, and obtain written permission from their parents and school. Pages earn $35 per day while serving in the program. For more information about the House Page Program, click here.
Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, joins iFiberOne NewsRadio to discuss the status of budget negotiations. MacEwen says disagreements between House and Senate Democrats could lead to a special session.
During a one-hour town hall on CNN Wednesday night, Gov. Jay Inslee made the following remarks about the state’s largest employer, Boeing:
“Boeing should not have been able to threaten the state of Washington to move 20,000 jobs out of our community. We’re the best place to make airplanes and have been for many decades. But they threatened my state and 20,000 jobs unless they got certain tax benefits. I liken that as kind of extortion in a sense.”
“If you’ve ever been mugged, you understand what it feels like … These corporations put a gun to your ribs and say you’re going to lose 20,000 jobs unless you get [them] a tax break … no local community should be blackmailed by any corporation in America.”
Following his appearance on The Daily Show, Republican Reps. Norma Smith, R-Clinton, and Drew MacEwen, R-Union,wrote a letter to the governor asking him to explain his comments. They received no response.
The lawmakers issued the following statement Thursday:
“Throughout his tenure as governor, Mr. Inslee has failed the people of Washington state time and time again. And now, as he makes a bid for the presidency, he is failing them again by publicly disparaging the state’s largest employer with claims of ‘mugging,’ ‘blackmail,’ and ‘extortion.’ Late last month, we wrote a letter to the governor with four simple questions:
Did you feel you were being ‘blackmailed?’ when you called for a special session, personally pushed for these tax incentives, and hosted a bill-signing ceremony taking credit for the legislation? If so, why did you not share your beliefs with state lawmakers, or the public, at the time?
If you did not harbor these feelings at the time, when exactly did you arrive at the conclusion you were being ‘blackmailed?’
Why did you choose to reveal these feelings publicly on a national television show?
Finally, it is unclear to us and Washingtonians where exactly you stand on these tax incentives today. Could you clearly explain your position. Are you advocating for their repeal?
Instead of addressing our concerns about his comments, the governor has doubled down by repeating them—this time to an even larger televised audience. We are extremely disappointed by his continued mischaracterization of a deal he lauded in 2013 when he said, ‘This is a great day for everyone in Washington.’ We again request he takes a few moments away from the bright lights and cameras to answer our reasonable and sincere questions.”
To view the PDF of Smith’s and MacEwen’s letter to the governor, click on the image below:
Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, joins iFiberOne NewsRadio to discuss forest health, measures that would limit wildfires, education funding, and his thoughts on the homelessness crisis.
Note: Interview was ended abruptly due to radio station’s phone system crash
Despite the fact we have record revenues and a $3 billion surplus, House Democrats are still looking to raise taxes by $4.2 billion over the next four years. Their $52.6 billion operating budget proposal would also increase spending by $8.5 billion from current levels. In my latest video update, I provided my candid thoughts on their proposal:
https://youtu.be/nm0gGjCykyU
Keep in mind that if the House Democrats’ operating budget proposal becomes law, state spending will have increased 70% since 2013. That’s astounding.
I’m truly concerned about what passing this tax-and-spend budget could mean for our state, especially at a time when many economists are predicting we’ll see a recession at some point in the next few years. If that happens, and we’ve spent every dime you’ve provided us, we’re going to be in a very tough spot.
When the operating budget came to the floor for a vote late last month, House Republicans stood up for the taxpayers of Washington state. Below is a mashup of highlights from several of our members’ floor speeches:
An update on my bills
As I mentioned in my last update, seven of my bills advanced out of the House and are still making their way through the legislative process.
House Bill 1089 would delink standardized tests from high school graduation requirements, beginning retroactively with the graduating class of 2015. I’m working hard to make sure this bill gains traction in the Senate, but it hasn’t moved as of yet. It’s sitting in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.
House Bill 1146 would extend the state’s Christmas tree grower licensure program. It was approved in the Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources and Parks Committee last week, and is now in the Senate Rules Committee.
House Bill 1304 would establish the Vocational Alternative Learning Experience Pilot Program. This bill did gain traction in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, and has since been sent to the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
House Bills 1430, 1557 and 1676 are designed to transform the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board into a more business-friendly agency that’s focused on excellent customer service. HBs 1430 and 1557 have advanced out of their respective Senate committees, but HB 1676 is still awaiting a vote.
House Bill 2040 would provide financial relief to non-high school districts by changing the calculation of how much they’re required to reimburse neighboring high school districts for educating their students. This bill was also approved by the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee, and is now in the Senate Rules Committee.
Some thoughts on the governor’s presidential bid
Last week, I sat down with KOMO’s Keith Eldridge for an interview on Gov. Inslee’s presidential bid and why I believe he should be here in Olympia as the Legislature considers a number of important issues. Take a look:
Shrimp season in Hood Canal starts next month
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has posted the dates for shrimping in Hood Canal, so I wanted to pass those along to you.
Hood Canal will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 11, 15, 29, and June 1.
Via the WDFW website, please keep the following rules in mind:
Each harvester must have a separate container for their catch, either in their possession or identified with their name.
No minimum carapace size.
Maximum of two shrimp pots per person and no more than four shrimp pots per boat.
Weekly meetings
In the interest of full transparency, I will continue providing you with a list of my weekly meetings during session. Weeks 1-6 are available in previous email updates.
Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, joins iFiberOne NewsRadio to discuss his letter to the governor regarding his comments on Boeing “blackmailing” the state. MacEwen also provides an update on his bills.
Rep. Drew MacEwen says the House Democrats’ 2019-21 operating budget proposal, which would increase spending by 20 percent and raise taxes by $4 billion over the next four years, is irresponsible.
