Tag Archives: News Releases

Three of MacEwen’s bills signed into law by Gov. Inslee

Three bills sponsored by Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union, have been signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee following the adjournment of the 2019 legislative session.

House Bills 1430 and 1557 are designed to transform the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) into a more business-friendly agency focused on excellent customer service.

House Bill 1430 will extend the expiration date of the Licensing and Enforcement Systems Modernization Project Account to September 2023. Revenue for the account, which was created in 2015, comes from a fee applied to certain liquor licenses and the licenses of marijuana producers, processors, and retailers. It is dedicated for expenses associated with the replacement and modernization of the LCB’s computer system. That work is already underway, but was not going to be completed by the time the account was scheduled to expire in June.

“Extending the expiration date of this account will allow the LCB to complete the much-needed modernization of its 40-year-old system,” said MacEwen. “These updates will ensure license processing time is reduced, while also providing other benefits such as online payment options. It’s a good bill for the LCB and for our small businesses, which will see a return on their investment into the account.”

House Bill 1557 will update the licensing process for businesses applying for an annual liquor license. Currently, business owners pay up front and then go through a review process to get final approval for their liquor license. However, if the review takes longer than expected, they may find themselves paying for a liquor license they aren’t able to use. To mitigate this, House Bill 1557 will require the expiration date of a liquor license to be set 12 months from the date of approval.

The bill also addresses a provision in current law that requires an applicant to have control of the premises to be qualified for a liquor license. Under HB 1557, a business owner will be allowed to apply for a liquor license for a physical location without first signing a lease or buying the property.

“House Bill 1557 will help mitigate some of the upfront cash flow concerns associated with opening a new business and obtaining a liquor license,” said MacEwen. “We want to make sure the system is fair for our small business owners, and the provisions in this bill will help in that effort.”

House Bill 1146 will extend the state’s Christmas tree grower licensure program by 10 years. The program, which was created in 2007, requires Christmas tree growers to obtain a grower license from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). The annual fee for a license is $40, plus an acreage assessment of $3 per acre. Fees are deposited into a dedicated Christmas tree subaccount within the WSDA, which are then allocated for a number of ongoing research and preservation efforts.

“This bill will ensure the Christmas tree industry in our state, which ranks fourth in production nationwide, remains compliant with the USDA and is able to continue exporting trees here in the United States and around the world,” said MacEwen. “Without this bill, the roughly 250 Christmas tree growers across the state would be at a significant competitive disadvantage. In 2013, I ran the bill to extend this program. I’m honored to have played a role this session in extending it yet again through House Bill 1146.”

The 2019 session ended April 28. MacEwen’s three bills will become effective later this year.

35th District projects receive funding in new state capital budget

On Sunday, the Washington State Legislature passed a new, two-year capital budget. The $4.9 billion budget will fund various construction projects throughout the state. Thirty-fifth District legislators Sen. Tim Sheldon, Rep. Drew MacEwen, and Rep. Dan Griffey worked to secure $81.4 million in local project funding. Some of the investments include:

$26.8 million for the ongoing development and implementation of the integrated Chehalis Basin Strategy;
$22.4 million for corrections facilities repair and improvements;
$6.8 million for the Skokomish River restoration;
$4 million to relocate the Schafer campground outside of the floodplain of the East Fork of the Satsop River and build a new welcome center;
$3.5 million for the Shelton YMCA;
$2 million for the Belfair sewer extension;
$600,000 for the Holly Ridge Center in Bremerton;
$350,000 for the Skabob House Cultural Center at Skokomish Indian Reservation;
$265,000 to help replace the irrigation system at Mason Co. Recreation Area;
$253,000 to help with salmon recovery in Big Beef Creek Estuary.

Following passage of the budget, the lawmakers released the following statement:

“Despite the many divisive policies we considered this legislative session, the 2019-21 capital budget reflects our shared state priorities. Under this budget, K-12 school construction funding reaches historic levels with $1.09 billion invested. We’ve already made K-12 education our number-one priority in the state operating budget, and this biennium’s capital budget follows suit.

“We’ve also doubled down on our efforts to fix our broken mental health system by providing $308 million to our state psychiatric hospitals and other state-run community facilities.

“We are investing $175 million in housing to help bring an end to our affordable housing crisis. According to a 2018 US News and World Report study, housing in Washington state is more unaffordable than almost anywhere else in the nation. This robust investment will help us increase availability and prevent individuals from facing the dire prospect of homelessness.

“Lastly, we worked hard in both chambers to secure funding for a number of important projects in our communities. These projects will result in safer, improved facilities, ecosystem restoration, flood mitigation, increased revenue generated at our recreational areas, and much more. We’re excited about these much-needed investments in our district.”

For a full list of projects funded in the 35th District, visit https://fiscal.wa.gov/BudgetCProjList.aspx and select “35th Legislative District.”

The 2019-21 capital budget awaits the governor’s signature.

Reps. Smith, MacEwen express disappointment with governor’s continued disparagement of Boeing

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.”

Gov. Inslee made similar remarks on The Daily Show on March 18, stating:

“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:

MacEwen to host telephone town hall Wednesday, March 20

Rep. Drew MacEwen invites 35th District residents to join him for an hourlong telephone town hall on Wednesday, March 20, from 6-7 p.m.

During the interactive town hall, MacEwen will provide a short update on the 2019 legislative session and take questions from constituents. Listeners will also have the opportunity to answer survey questions throughout the hour.

“These telephone town halls are always a highlight for me during session,” said MacEwen, R-Union. “I’m looking forward to having some great conversations with my constituents and diving into some important issues for our district. I hope a lot of people will pencil this in on their calendars.”

To participate in the telephone town hall, 35th District residents can call (360) 226-5415. For more information, contact MacEwen’s office at (360) 786-7902.

House approves two more education reform bills sponsored by MacEwen

Following on the passage of his bill last week to delink standardized tests from high school graduation requirements, the state House has approved two more education reform bills sponsored by Rep. Drew MacEwen, R-Union.

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.

In order to reimburse high school districts for educating transferred students, non-high school districts can raise funds locally through enrichment levies. However, since current law requires them to pay the per-pupil levy rate of the high school district, they may not be able to collect enough revenue to make the full payment. As a result, non-high school districts could be forced to tap into other resources.

House Bill 2040 would change the law to stipulate that non-high school districts are only required to pay whichever per-pupil levy rate is lower between the two districts.

“This bill would help balance out some of the inequity that exists between the two divisions of school districts in Washington state,” said MacEwen. “Providing this financial relief for our non-high school districts would result in more funds staying in the district for local educational needs. That would be a big win for students and families across the state, especially in our more rural areas.”

House Bill 2040, which received unanimous support, is now in the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.

The other bill of MacEwen’s that received approval is House Bill 1304, which would establish the Vocational Alternative Learning Experience Pilot Program. The intent of the program is to show the value of providing state funding for the expansion of career and technical education instruction in alternative learning experience courses.

As many as 10 school districts would be chosen by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to participate in the pilot program, including two that have multidistrict online school programs. Each district would participate for four complete school years, starting in the 2019-20 school year.

By Jan. 1, 2025, OSPI would be required to submit a report on the following:

the number of students participating in the pilot program that received the vocational program funding enhancement;
the impact of the program to career and technical education programming;
the fiscal impact of the program;
recommendations for statewide implementation; and
any other information deemed relevant by the OSPI.

“Anything we can do to promote career and technical education is a good thing,” said MacEwen. “I’m confident this pilot program will give us the relevant information we need to secure the necessary funding for students who may choose to pursue a non-traditional educational path.”

House Bill 1304 was approved 92-4, and now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

House passes MacEwen bill to delink standardized tests from graduation

In an 84-13 vote Monday morning, the Washington State House of Representatives passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Drew MacEwen to delink standardized tests from high school graduation requirements.

It’s a proposal MacEwen has championed before. In 2017, he introduced similar legislation that was approved three separate times in the House, but was never brought to the floor for a vote in the Senate.

This year, MacEwen hopes House Bill 1089 will be the vehicle that makes it all the way to the governor’s desk. His bill, which would be retroactive to the 2015 graduating class and apply to subsequent graduating classes, would discontinue both the Certificate of Academic Achievement and the Certificate of Individual Achievement.

“Our priority as lawmakers should be passing legislation that helps students succeed in the classroom and in life,” said MacEwen, R-Union. “Tying their graduation prospects to a standardized test that isn’t itself tied to the curriculum that’s been taught is an unnecessary burden. It’s time we acknowledge that and get this bill to the governor’s desk.”

House Bill 1089 now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

House passes MacEwen bill to extend Christmas tree grower licensure program

In a unanimous vote Friday morning, the Washington State House of Representatives approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Drew MacEwen to extend the state’s Christmas tree grower licensure program.

The program, which was created by legislation signed into law in 2007, requires businesses that grow Christmas trees to obtain a grower license from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). The annual fee for a license is $40, plus an acreage assessment of $3 per acre. However, the total annual license fee for a business may not exceed $5,000. Fees are deposited into a dedicated Christmas tree subaccount within WSDA, which are then allocated for a number of ongoing research and preservation efforts.

MacEwen’s House Bill 1146 would extend the licensure program by 10 years to July 1, 2030.

“Washington ranks fourth in the nation when it comes to Christmas tree production, and Mason and Thurston counties are two of the state’s top suppliers,” said MacEwen, R-Union. “Extending this licensure program will help ensure Christmas trees, and the businesses that sell them across our state, remain vibrant and healthy.”

According to WSDA, there are nearly 400 Christmas tree farms in Washington state. The top counties for cut trees are Lewis, Mason, Clark, Pierce and Thurston.

HB 1146 now advances to the Senate for further consideration. The 2019 legislative session is scheduled to run through April 28, 2019.

Bipartisan Veterans and Military Families Caucus formed in House

NOTE: News release copied from Rep. Kristine Reeves’ website. It can be found here.

For the first time, members of the House of Representatives formed a Veterans & Military Families Caucus. The bipartisan group plans to give veterans, military service members, and their families a unified voice to advocate for the unique issues they face. All members have served in the military, are from a military family or represent a large military population.

“I have spent my career championing issues that impact veterans, military service members and their families. I look forward to continuing this work with a bipartisan commitment to meet the needs of those who have served and sacrificed for their country,” stated Rep. Kristine Reeves (D-Federal Way). “All of us share a lived experience that connects us to our national security in some way. It’s one issue that transcends party lines and focuses on putting people first. This is personal to all of us.”

Reeves, whose twin brother serves in the United States Air Force, currently serves as the Executive Director of Economic Development for the military and defense sector within the Washington State Department of Commerce. Formerly she served as U.S. Senator Patty Murray’s Statewide Veterans Constituency Coordinator.

“Serving in the U.S. Navy was the greatest honor of my life. I am thrilled to be joining my fellow veterans on this committee to work on behalf of all active duty, reserve, and retired military personnel across Washington state,” said Rep. Drew MacEwen (R-Union).

After graduating from the U.S. Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion Program, MacEwen served in the Navy’s submarine force for six years. He first developed his strong bond with western Washington after being stationed at Naval Base Kitsap. He went on to complete five strategic deterrent patrols on two different Ohio-class submarines, the USS Nevada and the USS Florida.

Reeves and MacEwen currently serve as the co-chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Veterans and Military Affairs, which convenes in the interim to review and address issues pertinent to veterans, military service members and their families. Both will serve as co-chairs of this new caucus. Rep. Mari Leavitt and Rep. Chris Gildon, both newly elected to the state legislature, have been elected to serve as vice-chairs of this caucus.

Photo caption: Veterans and military families caucus, February 14th, 2019. Members from Left to Right: Rep. Gina Mosbrucker; Rep. Mike Volz; Rep. Kristine Reeves; Rep. Matt Shea; Rep. Brad Klippert; Rep. Larry Hoff; Rep. Christine Kilduff; Rep. Chris Gildon; Rep. Jenny Graham; Rep. Robert J. Sutherland; Rep. Cindy Ryu; Rep. Mari Leavitt; Rep. Matt Boehnke; Rep. Vandana Slatter; Rep. Melanie Morgan; Rep. Jeremie Dufault; Rep. Drew MacEwen; Rep. Tina Orwall; Rep. Vicki Kraft; Rep. John Lovick

MacEwen introduces five-bill tax reform package

Rep. Drew MacEwen introduced the fifth and final bill of his 2019 tax reform package Monday, a package designed to let people save more of their money, keep Washington state competitive, and spur economic growth.

House Bill 1677 would exempt a business’s first $1 million in gross sales from the state’s business and occupation (B&O) tax, a move MacEwen says would give businesses the flexibility—and time—to grow. His other B&O tax reform bill is House Bill 1420, which would lower the manufacturing B&O tax rate for all manufacturers by 40 percent.

“Our small businesses and manufacturers are the lifeblood of our economy,” said MacEwen, R-Union. “We should be doing everything in our power to incentivize them to stay here in Washington state, hire more people, and expand their operations. These bills would help achieve that goal.”

MacEwen has introduced three other tax reform bills this session.

House Bill 1090, which was heard in the House Finance Committee on Tuesday, would offer stability and predictability for Washington homeowners ages 65 years and older by capping the property tax rate on the first $250,000 of their homes’ value. Another bill, House Bill 1559, would create a three-day sales tax holiday for purchasing back-to-school clothing and supplies.

“At a time when the governor and majority party are looking to raise taxes on Washingtonians by billions of dollars, these proposals would provide significant savings for individuals and families,” said MacEwen. “We’ve experienced incredible revenue growth in recent years due to the strength of the economy. Instead of constantly asking for more from Washingtonians, we should be looking for ways to let folks keep more of their money.”

Finally, House Bill 1122 would require a portion of the sales tax from the sale of a motor vehicle to be deposited into the state’s motor vehicle fund for transportation improvements, as opposed to being put into the general fund.

“We know many of Washington’s roads and bridges need significant repairs,” the 35th District lawmaker added. “This bill would simply increase our available resources to properly maintain infrastructure and keep commuters safe.”

The 2019 legislative session began Jan. 14 and is scheduled to run 105 consecutive days.