As we prepare to send our kids back to school, I wanted to send you a quick update about what I have been doing during the interim. I’ve been lucky to spend some time with my sons visiting historical places around our great nation, as well as spending time in the district meeting with people and attending special events. It has been a busy summer! I hope that you and your family have had an eventful, safe and fun summer as well.

Local events

Recently, I opened a local office in downtown Shelton where my staff and I will be working during the interim. On August 8, we held the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony with the Shelton-Mason County Chamber of Commerce. Not all legislators take the time and effort to invest in a district office, but I believe the best ideas do not come from politicians and lobbyists in Olympia – they come from our citizens. I hope my local office will give you even more opportunities to be a part of the law-making process.

Our office is located at 327 West Railroad Avenue, Shelton, Wash., 98584. Please stop in anytime you have questions, need help with state government or if you would just like to talk with me or my legislative assistant, Kevin Shutty. You can also call us at (360) 868-2189.

I’ve also been privileged to take part in two change-of-command ceremonies. One for the Naval Hospital in Bremerton and another for the Naval Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bangor. I wish Captain Culp and Captain Baker the best in their new assignments and thank them for their many years of service. I am happy to welcome Captain Quarles and Captain Jones to their new commands, respectively, at the Bremerton Naval Hospital and the Bangor Intermediate Facility.

New committee assignment

I am honored to have been recently appointed to the Joint Committee on Veterans’ and Military Affairs. Last week, I received word of my new appointment from House Speaker Frank Chopp. As a Navy veteran, I hope to bring my first-hand perspective to this committee as it makes critical recommendations which impact our military. I look forward to working on behalf of our service men and women.

The 16-member Joint Committee on Veterans’ and Military Affairs was created in 2001 and studies issues regarding veterans, active military forces and the National Guard. Members are tasked with making recommendations to the Legislature. The committee also studies the structure and administration of the Washington State Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the military department.

Training institute

The Council of State Governments – West (CSG-West), which is a prestigious training institute for lawmakers in their first four years of service, recently informed me that I was chosen to participate in their Western Legislative Academy. I am one of 39 Western state legislators, from among the 114 applicants, chosen to take part this year.

The purpose of the Western Legislative Academy is to build excellence and effectiveness in state legislators. Admission to the Western Legislative Academy is very competitive and is based on commitment to public service, desire to improve personal legislative effectiveness and interest in improving the legislative process. I am excited for the chance to participate and to learn how to be even more effective as your legislator.

New community center

In closing, I would like to highlight the ground breaking of our new Mason County Transit and Community Center. As a member of the Capital Budget Committee, I worked hard to include funds for this project in the budget. The 35th District has received an investment that was overlooked in previous capital budgets and the community center will be a great benefit to local businesses and the citizens of Mason County. I fought for critical investments for our area to increase the quality of life for the people back home and I am proud of the results.

As you are probably aware, last week the legislature went into it’s second over-time. After 105 days, and then 30 more, we still had not found consensus on a budget. And, with nearly $2 billion in new tax revenue expected, there is no call for budget negotiations to have carried on so long. While the continuation is frustrating, we have achieved more in the last two weeks than most of the first special session.

On June 13, one day into the new session, we passed two bills that required extensive negotiations Senate Bill 5296 and House Bill 2075 also passed that day. Because of House Bill 2075, our state now has a tax that didn’t exist before 2005 but it will apply to trusts created as far back as the 1980s. This is unfair. I voted “no” on this bill. Yet, in an effort to find compromise on the budget, this bill did pass both houses and was signed by the governor.

The Budget

As the ranking republican on the House Capitol Budget Committee, I have spent a lot of time in Olympia during the special sessions discussing the Capital Budget. As most of you know, there is little that can be done on the final capital budget without knowing the parameters set by the operating budget. However, because of our recent progress I am more optimistic that the Legislature will continue to work effectively. Capital budget writers should be to find solutions and consensus soon after the operating budget is composed.

News from the State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council further increases our chances of reaching agreement on the budget soon. The council released their quarterly forecast June 18. It states there is at least $231 million more in tax revenue than previously expected that can be used in the operating budget.

With this forecast all the pieces are now in place for the Legislature to finally finish its work. Washington will have enough money to fund its growth and inflation, and still put millions toward education, without new taxes. There are no excuses now. Finding a consensus on the operating budget is not only doable, it’s what you – the citizens of Washington – deserve from your state government.

This is much stronger footing we’ve had in the past. The threat of impending taxation continues solely because of the D.C. politics of our new governor, his strategy of holding the budget hostage and scare tactics. There is no call for a “government shutdown” and the forecast confirms that.

In our district

Once the budget has been completed I will be spending more time in our district and meeting with residents in my new Shelton office. If you haven’t had the chance to stop by, feel free to pay us a visit. Both me, and my Legislative Assistant Kevin Shutty, will be happy to speak with you in person. The office is located at 327 W. Railroad St, Shelton.

I am looking forward to working along side you to make our communities stronger. Not all legislators take the time and effort to invest in a district office. However, I believe that the best ideas don’t come from politicians and lobbyists in Olympia – they come from the citizens. My office is a resource for you and I hope that a local office will give you more chances to be a part of the law making process.

Please stop in any time you have questions, need help with state government or if you would just like to talk with your state representative. Or, call the local office at (360) 868-2189. Our local office means we can meet with you even if you can’t make the trip to Olympia.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be your voice in the state Legislature.

We are coming to the end of the first week of the 2013 special session. There has been little progress and the pace is a frustrating crawl. The regular, 105-day legislative session ended April 28 and due to the Legislature’s inability to agree on the state operating budget the governor called a special session. During the special session I’ll be sending you updates like this one to keep you informed. Please feel free to pass this e-mail along to others who may be interested. You can sign up for my e-mail updates by clicking here. And, learn more about my activities as your legislator by visiting my Web site.

Capital Budget meetings
The Legislature is currently in what is called “pro forma’” session; which means that although a special session has been called, we are not holding committee hearings or voting on bills. I’ve spent a lot of time back home in the 35th District meeting with constituents and working to continue to grow my investment company. As a member of leadership on the capital budget committee, I have also made several trips to Olympia to meet with other budget writers. On May 15, I met with the “four corners” – chief negotiators from both the House and the Senate – after our meeting I am hopeful that we will be able to find a consensus on the capital budget.

Budget talks
Although most of the Legislature is back in their districts, House and Senate budget writers are meeting in an attempt to find a consensus on the Operating Budget. There are vast differences in the House Democrat’s proposal, the governor’s plan and the Senate majority budgets. You can see in the graph to the right exactly how the budgets are different (for a larger version please click on the graph).

In short:

• The Senate budget is balanced and “lives within our means” of expected tax collections, which are up $2 billion, or 6.6 percent. Therefore, it creates no new or increased taxes while allocating more money to education and priorities like public safety.
• The House Democrat budget (which mirrors the governor’s plan) relies on $879 million in new and higher taxes to balance. These new taxes are in spite of the $2 billion more that is expected. This budget raises taxes on already struggling families, depletes the “rainy day fund” and makes no reforms to address out-of-control spending.

During the final days of the regular session I strongly opposed the final element of the House Democrat budget. This last piece was a bill that would end exemptions to the business and occupation (B&O) tax on many self-employed people, small employers and service businesses. Should another budget like this one come before us for a vote I will again vote ‘no’. I will continue to keep you updated on the progress we are making in Olympia on the budget and any new legislation that may arise.

Contact me
I’m pleased to tell you that I will be opening a district office in Shelton. If you would like to meet with me in person and cannot make the trip to Olympia feel free to stop by the office. The office is located at 327 W. Railroad St, Shelton. On June 1, I will be hosting an open-house from 9 a.m. to noon; please drop-in and have donuts, coffee and spend some time with me and my legislative team.

Please remember if there is any element of state government that I can help you with, my door is always open. Remember that I am your legislator year-round and I am here to be a resource for you. If you have any questions or comments, please call me at (360) 786-7902, or e-mail me at Drew.MacEwen@leg.wa.gov.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be your voice in Olympia.

As you have most likely heard we will be having a special session this year. Sine Die, the official end of session, was April 28 and the special session will start on May 13. Until then, I am happy to be back in the 35th District with friends and family. While I am home I will be holding a town hall. The event will take place on May 7, at 6:30 p.m. at Oakland Bay Junior high in Shelton. I hope that you will come and participate. This is a great chance for me to hear from you about what is important to you.

The special session

This year the special session was called because the Legislature was not able to complete its work in 105 days. I am disappointed that this special session was necessary and I believe we could have done better. The budget should have been the focus for weeks prior to when negotiations first began.

The majority refused to find consensus or even consider passing a budget without raising taxes. This was not a fight that we could afford to let the Democrats win – even if it requires a special session.

House Democrats ignored repeated opposition to increasing taxes on small service business by $905 million. This element of their budget narrowly passed with a 50 to 47 vote as five Democrats sided with Republicans. When this part of their budget went to the Senate all negotiations stopped. However, I agree with my colleagues in the Senate who are unwilling to further tax our hardworking citizens.

Democrats claimed this money was required to fund the education legacy trust account. The tax would impact many self-employed people, small businesses and service businesses that are already struggling. Republicans and Democrats continue to disagree on the necessity of taxes to fund the budget. Like the rest of my party, I believe new taxes on struggling families are unacceptable. We can create a budget that funds a world-class education without new taxes.

In my most recent video update I talk about the need for the special session, please click on the image above to view it.

My Bill to prevent future special sessions

In order to help ensure that we don’t have more costly special sessions in the future, I have introduced House Bill 2062. This bill will direct the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council to submit its first projections on tax collections earlier. Currently, during long sessions like this year, March 20 is the deadline for the first projections. My bill would move the date to February 20. As lawmakers, we rely on that forecast to develop the budget.

We should be doing everything we can to help the Legislature complete its work on time. Every day of the special session costs roughly $18,000 and that is an unnecessary expense. In these difficult economic times we must act instead of wait. It’s the old adage ‘time is money’, and now it’s the taxpayer’s money. With the forecast released sooner, budget writers will have more time to craft a strong bipartisan budget without another costly special session.

Christmas tree bill

I am proud to tell you that House Bill 1209, which I sponsored, was signed into law April 25. The law extends a program that licenses state tree growers and protects their harvest. Without this program, if the state Christmas tree crop were to become infested, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) could quarantine an entire season of growth. The current law would have ended the program in 2014 and now it will go through 2020.

Statewide, the forest industry provides more than 100,000 jobs. It is clear this industry is vital to our economy and jobs. The forest industry is critical to our district and employs more than 3,000 people in Mason County alone. I am happy to have helped save our Christmas tree crop should an infestation ever become a problem.

Contact me

Although the session is temporarily over, if there is any element of state government that I can help you with, my door is always open. Remember that I am your legislator year-round and I am here to be a resource for you. If you have any questions or comments, please call me at (360) 786-7902, or e-mail me at Drew.MacEwen@leg.wa.gov.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be your voice in Olympia.