Author Archives: Erik Smith

Rep. MacEwen’s Legislative Update: Jan. 30, 2018

Since my last update on Jan. 16, the Legislature was able to pass and send a Hirst water rights bill (Senate Bill 6091) and the 2017-19 capital budget to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

While the Hirst bill is not perfect, it was the best deal we were going to get after more than a year of negotiations. Not only does it provide certainty to rural landowners, but all existing wells that were drilled prior to Jan. 18 — when SB 6091 was signed into law — are grandfathered in. For landowners drilling new wells, the existing $200 fee that’s charged at the time of drilling will remain. A new $500 fee will also be assessed when an building permit application is submitted, of which $350 will go to the state, and $150 will go to the local permitting authority (city/county).

Under this bill, there are some watersheds that will have slightly tighter restrictions on water withdrawal than others, such as the Kennedy-Goldsborough watershed in southeast Mason County. In these watersheds, the county has a stormwater management process, and landowners who have built new wells are limited to a withdrawal of 950 gallons per day.

Finally, no wells are subject to metering under this bill except for two ongoing pilot cases in the Kittitas and Dungeness watersheds. Ultimately, I believe we reached a good compromise.

Reaching a compromise on Hirst also allowed us to pass the 2017-19 capital budget. The $4.17 billion budget, which is financed in large part by bonds, will pay for durable assets like buildings, land acquisitions and improvements to public parks in communities across the state.

Locally, we were able to secure nearly $37 million in funding for projects in the 35th, including: $3 million to build tiny homes for homeless veterans in Mason County, $1.5 million for sewer repairs in Shelton, $515,000 to provide a wastewater connection from the South Kitsap Industrial Area to the Belfair Wastewater Reclamation Facility, and $200,000 for improvements to Camp Schechter in Tumwater. The bill also allocates $475,000 to construct a new building for the Holly Ridge Center in Bremerton, which has served residents of the 35th District for more than 50 years. Additionally, $27,000 will be spent on shelter resident room improvements, technological replacements and security upgrades at the Turning Pointe domestic violence shelter in Shelton.

Each of these investments will make a significant difference for our communities in the coming years.

An update on my bills

Below is a brief summary of several bills I’ve introduced this session, along with their current status.

House Bill 1058 is a bill that’s critical for domestic violence survivors. It was approved in both the House and Senate during the regular session last year, and then approved again in the House during our first special session. However, it did not make it to the Senate floor a second time. This bill would ensure incarcerated criminal offenders pay court-ordered restitution to their victims in a timely manner. It’s vital that restitution be prioritized and not placed behind any other financial obligations an offender may have. House Bill 1058 passed the House unanimously again last week, and is now in the Senate.

House Bill 2260 would ban Atlantic salmon farming in marine waters regulated by Washington state. HB 2260 has received a public hearing in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, along with other bills dealing with this issue. Negotiations are ongoing to reach a compromise solution.

House Bill 2261 was brought to me by former 35th District Rep. Kathy Haigh. It would allow counties to support the board of commissioners of a housing authority, financially or otherwise. The bill was approved in the House Community Development, Housing and Tribal Affairs Committee, moved through the Rules Committee, and may now potentially be brought to the House floor for a vote.

House Bill 2270 would change the state’s fiscal year to coincide with the end of regular session in order to prevent us from going into special session every year. I’m disappointed the majority party won’t give this bill a hearing, because we badly need budget process reform.

Policy cutoff is coming up on Feb. 2, which is the deadline for bills without a fiscal impact (cost to the budget) to pass out of policy committees. Fiscal committee cutoff is on Feb. 6, when bills with a fiscal impact must pass out of appropriations committees.

On air with KMAS’s Jeff Slakey

Every Wednesday morning at 8:15 a.m., I will be live on air with KMAS Radio’s Jeff Slakey to discuss the latest news from Olympia. To listen to these interviews, as well as my other audio, I invite you to visit my SoundCloud page. Here is my latest appearance from Jan. 24:

Weekly meetings

In the interest of full transparency, I will be providing weekly PDFs of who I’m meeting with this session.

Staying connected

Here are some of the ways you can continue to stay connected this session:

Visit my website at RepresentativeDrewMacEwen.com.
Subscribe to the Capitol Buzz for weekday news clips from around the state.
Watch committee hearings, floor action, and more on TVW.

Contacting me

Please feel free to contact me anytime with any questions, comments or concerns. My email address is drew.macewen@leg.wa.gov, and my phone number is (360) 786-7902. I look forward to hearing from you!

It is an honor to serve you in the state House.

Rep. Drew MacEwen reviews 35th District capital budget projects on KMAS

Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, provides an overview on KMAS of the projects residents will see in the 35th District as a result of the recently passed capital budget. MacEwen also shares an update about the Belfair Bypass project, talks about bipartisan support for his budget reform bill and discusses how long it takes proposed bills to go through the process to become law.

35th District lawmakers issue statement on passage of 2017-19 capital budget

Thanks to the passage of a $4.17 billion capital budget late last week, nearly $37 million has been allocated for construction projects in the 35th District.

Projects include $3 million to build tiny homes for homeless veterans in Mason County, $1.5 million for sewer repairs in Shelton, $515,000 to provide a wastewater connection from the South Kitsap Industrial Area to the Belfair Wastewater Reclamation Facility, and $200,000 for improvements to Camp Schechter in Tumwater.

The bill also allocates $475,000 to construct a new building for the Holly Ridge Center in Bremerton, which has served residents of the 35th District for more than 50 years. Additionally, $27,000 will be spent on shelter resident room improvements, technological replacements and security upgrades at the Turning Pointe domestic violence shelter in Shelton.

“Although it took a lot longer than any of us wanted, I’m happy we were able to send the 2017-19 capital budget to the governor’s desk to be signed into law,” said Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union. “The budget includes a number of important projects for our district, including sewer rehabilitation in Shelton and construction of the Belfair sewer connection to the South Kitsap Industrial Area. It also allocates funding for organizations providing support for domestic violence victims and early intervention services for parents of young children with developmental disabilities. These investments will make a significant difference for our communities in the 35th District.”

The capital budget, financed in large part by bonds, pays for durable assets like buildings, land acquisitions, and improvements to public parks in communities across the state. The capital budget is separate from the state’s operating budget, which is financed with current tax revenues.

“What excites me most about this budget is it prioritizes investments for those who need it most — our students, the mentally ill, and our veterans,” said Rep. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn. “Perhaps one of the projects I’m most proud of securing funds for is the $3 million for affordable housing and tiny homes in Shelton. This will help alleviate some of the financial pressures veterans are facing throughout our communities by giving them a safe place to call home.”

Throughout the state, the 2017-19 capital budget invests $933 million in school construction and modernization, including an additional $35 million for small, rural district modernization grants. It also provides $136.5 million for community- and institution-based funding, including making targeted investments in behavioral health community capacity and security updates to Eastern and Western State hospitals. Additionally, more than $106 million is provided for the Housing Trust Fund, which will help fund housing projects for veterans, those affected by natural disasters, and supportive housing for the mentally ill.

The capital budget, Senate Bill 6090, passed by a vote of 95-1 in the House and 49-0 in the Senate. The bond authorization bill for the capital budget, House Bill 1080, passed by a vote of 94-2 in the House and 47-2 in the Senate.

Rep. Drew MacEwen argues for statewide consistency with water restrictions on KMAS

Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, says the state should implement water supply regulations that are consistent for both urban and rural areas of the state in his appearance on “Daybreak with Jeff Slakey” on iFiberone Newsradio KMAS.

MacEwen also describes the proposed statewide sugar tax as an example of government going too far and shares his thoughts on the resignation of Shelton City Manager Ryan Wheaton Tuesday night.

Rep. MacEwen’s Legislative Update: Jan. 16, 2018

Another legislative session is under way, and we have a lot of work to do. As you likely know by now, Democrats won a special election back in November, giving them control of the state Senate. They now hold slim majorities in both chambers (50-48 in the House, 25-24 in the Senate).

Based on the split control that has existed in the Legislature over the past five years, it is evident voters have wanted the two parties to work together. And that is largely what we have done. In this period of time, the House and Senate delivered some outstanding results for the people of Washington state.

Unfortunately, while the Legislature worked together in a bipartisan fashion, Gov. Inslee continued to advocate for policies that would irresponsibly increase spending and hike taxes. His 2018 supplemental operating budget proposal continues that trend. While the state is projected to have a $694 million ending fund balance by 2021 (consider this cash in the bank), the governor’s budget proposal calls for spending that money, hiking taxes by $1.5 billion and taking $476 million from our state’s rainy day fund. That is not a responsible budget.

I was also disappointed by the governor’s State of the State address last week. He talked a lot about climate change, but did not mention a word about the state Supreme Court’s Hirst decision, which has put the livelihoods of thousands of rural Washingtonians in serious jeopardy.

As long as a Hirst fix remains in limbo, an estimated $37 billion in property value will be lost, along with $6.9 billion in economic contributions — predominantly from those in rural areas. I believe the governor missed an opportunity to bring the Legislature together when he neglected to talk about Hirst, opting instead to only talk about the importance of passing a capital budget.

Let me be clear: House Republicans will not abandon rural residents by settling for a short-term Hirst fix. We want to pass a capital budget, but it is vital that we bring peace-of-mind and certainty to those who have been affected by this disastrous court ruling.

House Republican Reps. Vincent Buys and Jim Walsh wrote an op-ed in The Seattle Times last week on Hirst, which I encourage you to read. Here is an excerpt:

“We continue to work toward a permanent, bipartisan solution that would allow counties to rely on the state’s designated water resource manager to determine the legal availability of water for the purposes of the Growth Management Act. This solution would remove the double layer of bureaucracy imposed by the state Supreme Court and allow a family to build a home based on a well report, as has historically been the case, instead of expensive and unnecessary hydrology studies.”

Once a solid Hirst fix is approved in both chambers and signed into law by the governor, we will be able to pass a capital budget. But not a second before.

Two major bills I have introduced this session

Below is a brief summary of two bills I have introduced this session. I welcome your feedback on them and look forward to discussing them with you further as session progresses.

House Bill 2260 would ban Atlantic salmon farming in marine waters regulated by Washington state. In August, a net pen containing 305,000 Atlantic salmon collapsed near Cypress Island, allowing more than half of the salmon to escape into Puget Sound. It was the fourth such incident since 1996. I believe enough is enough. It simply does not make sense to continue allowing Atlantic salmon farms to operate in our state. These salmon pose serious risks to our native Pacific salmon with regard to competition for resources, and also threaten the survival of Pacific juveniles. It is time to close these farms and put strong policies in place that allow our native salmon populations to thrive.

House Bill 2270 would bring an end to the Legislature’s overreliance on special sessions by changing the state’s fiscal year to coincide with the end of regular session. Special sessions are a waste of your time and money, and I find it embarrassing we’ve needed 10 of them in the past five years to complete our work. This bill will ensure we no longer use special sessions as a crutch year after year.

On air with KMAS’s Jeff Slakey

Last session, I had the opportunity to appear weekly on Jeff Slakey’s “Daybreak!” program on KMAS radio. I am happy to say I have that same opportunity again this year, and will be live on air with Jeff every Wednesday morning at 8:15 a.m. during session. To listen to these interviews, as well as my other audio, I invite you to visit my SoundCloud page. Here is last week’s appearance on KMAS:

Sponsoring legislative page, Benjamin Rogers

During the first week of session, I had the honor of sponsoring Evergreen Christian School student Benjamin Rogers as a page here in the state House. While serving as a page, Benjamin attended page school every day, delivered messages and documents to legislators and staff, and fulfilled other tasks critical to the efficient operation of the Legislature. Thank you for your service to the Legislature, Benjamin!

If you know of a student between the ages of 14 and 16 who is interested in becoming a legislative page, please send me an email and I will get in touch with more information.

Weekly meetings

In the interest of full transparency, I will be providing PDFs of my weekly meetings this session. Click here for a list of meetings I held or attended last week.

Capitol Buzz

Every weekday morning, House Republican communications staff compiles the Capitol Buzz, a daily summary of online news clips from across the state, discussing policies and politics affecting Washington state. I believe it is a valuable resource and encourage you to sign up for it here.

Contacting me

Please feel free to contact me anytime with any questions, comments or concerns you may have. My email address is drew.macewen@leg.wa.gov, and my phone number is (360) 786-7902. I look forward to hearing from you!

It is an honor to serve you in the state House.

MacEwen sponsors Evergreen Christian School student as House page

14-year-old Evergreen Christian School student Benjamin Rogers recently traveled to Olympia to serve as a page in the Washington State House of Representatives. He was sponsored by 35th District Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union.

While serving as a page, Benjamin attended page school every day, delivered messages and documents to legislators and staff, and fulfilled other tasks critical to the efficient operation of the Legislature.

“One of the things I look forward to most about session is having the opportunity to sponsor young people who are excited about experiencing what we do here in the Legislature,” said MacEwen. “I want to thank Benjamin for his hard work as a page in the House, and wish him the best going forward.”

Each year, students from around the state apply to participate in the House Page Program. 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 expresses disappointment in Gov. Inslee’s address on KMAS

Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, says he is disappointed Gov. Jay Inslee made no mention of resolving the issue of rural well water rights in Tuesday’s State of the State Address. In an appearance on Daybreak with Jeff Slakey on iFiberone Newsradio KMAS, MacEwen also called “irresponsible” the governor’s request for additional taxes when the state is sitting on a revenue surplus.

Reps. Jim Walsh and Drew MacEwen comment on termination of lease for Cooke Aquaculture’s Atlantic salmon farm

After noting several violations following an inspection earlier this month, the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has terminated Cooke Aquaculture Pacific’s Port Angeles net pen lease. According to Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, the salmon farm poses serious risks to the environment and the public. With more than 700,000 Atlantic salmon in pens at the farm, DNR has requested the facility be dismantled.

The inspection was prompted by an incident in August in which a net pen operated by Cooke Aquaculture containing 305,000 Atlantic salmon collapsed near Cypress Island, releasing more than half the salmon into Puget Sound. Officials noted several violations at the farm, including missing or damaged anchor lines, some of which are sitting outside the lease area, and fragments of Styrofoam crumbling off its floats.

House Republican Reps. Jim Walsh and Drew MacEwen recently introduced a bill to ban Atlantic salmon farming in marine waters regulated by Washington state. Walsh, R-Aberdeen, says he’s pleased Franz’s actions indicate she’s joining the fight for the right public policy for Atlantic salmon farming. Walsh had this to say about DNR’s recent decision to terminate Cooke’s lease in Port Angeles:

“It’s good to see DNR agrees with Rep. MacEwen and me that these fish farms, and the net-pen structures used for them, are an immediate threat to the public waters of the state of Washington. The risk these fish farms pose to our native stocks of Pacific salmon are real and deserve the attention of all state agencies that have jurisdiction over public waters and aquaculture.

“Going forward, we need to look at revising public policy and statute with regard to Atlantic fish farms and net-pen structures. I hope to work with other legislators from both chambers on good bills that protect our public waters on a permanent basis. We need to ensure the ‘great Atlantic fish escape of 2017’ remains a singular event, helping us form good public policy in the future.”

MacEwen, R-Union, applauded DNR for taking steps to protect native Pacific salmon in Washington’s waters:

“With DNR’s latest findings indicating unsafe conditions within Cooke’s Port Angeles facility, it’s even clearer we must end Atlantic salmon farming in our waters,” he said. “Months after the Atlantics escaped, we’re still finding them alive as far as 42 miles up the Skagit River, where they pose a threat to Pacific salmon habitat. DNR’s decision to terminate Cooke’s net pen lease has set us on the right path forward in protecting our native salmon populations.”

The 2018 legislative session, which will run for 60 consecutive days, begins Jan. 8.

Washington can have energy independence without economic damage from carbon tax

Special to The Olympian

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to take a privately funded (no tax dollars were used) bipartisan trip to Denmark and Sweden to learn about how and why these two countries have developed self-sustaining green energy economies.

Denmark, Sweden and the United States each have unique and distinct cultural and political differences, but I believe we can all learn from each other and apply what will work best for our needs.

In 2008, the Washington state Legislature adopted targets requiring the state to limit greenhouse gas emissions to 50 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Denmark plans to be 100 percent independent of fossil fuels by then.

Denmark’s shift toward a green energy economy was not driven by environmental concerns, but was instead born out of the 1970s oil embargo that created an energy crisis for the country.

Despite having numerous crude oil stakes in the North Sea, Denmark was importing almost all of its oil from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC. When the embargo hit, it severely crippled their economy. As a result, Danish leaders started shifting the country away from foreign oil imports and toward domestic energy production.

Denmark began pumping more oil from its own wells and used that revenue to begin developing alternative forms of energy, including wind, solar and biomass. Nearly 30 percent of all energy produced in Denmark now comes from renewable sources.

Meanwhile, that number stands at a whopping 52 percent in Sweden.

Biomass — fuel developed from organic materials — generates more than 20 percent of all energy in Sweden, and played a big role in helping the country reach its goal of having 50 percent of its energy supplied by renewable sources by 2020, as did nuclear power and hydropower. In fact, 95 percent of electricity in Sweden comes from hydropower.

Here in the United States, Washington is the leading producer of hydroelectric power, contributing nearly one quarter of the nation’s total hydro generation. We rank only behind California in terms of the amount of renewable energy we produce each year.

That is why it is so critical that as we continue to debate the merits of a carbon tax, we be mindful of the steps we have already taken toward establishing a greener economy. Proposing a carbon tax to fund education or increase general fund spending is the wrong approach.

I truly believe Washington can achieve energy independence one day, but we must be strategic in how we get there. Causing self-inflicted economic hardship along the way would be foolish.

As opposed to forcing changes that do not make economic sense, people will buy in to a green energy future when changes are demonstrated that do make economic sense.

We also need to explore all sources of energy — hydro, solar, wind, biomass, etc. — while keeping in mind that all energy is destructive and there is no single perfect source.

Our state has made great strides in both the private and public sectors, and we must continue to encourage innovation, research and exploration and allow time for those new ways to incubate and take hold.

While that occurs, we cannot punish our economy with punitive measures. The transition must take place organically and in an economic manner that makes sense. If we allow that to happen, Washington state will be the preeminent leader in energy innovation and independence.

###

Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, has served the 35th Legislative District in the state House since 2013. He serves as assistant ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee and sits on the House Capital Budget and Health Care and Wellness committees. The bipartisan tour in northern Europe was hosted and funded by i-Sustain of Seattle in partnership with the Center for Sustainable Infrastructure at The Evergreen State College; 11 other members of the Senate and House participated, including Rep. Beth Doglio, D-Olympia.