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January 20, 2017

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I wanted to provide you with a summary of my first two weeks in the state House of Representatives. It is an honor to serve the people of the 31st District.

Top Priorities around the Legislature:

• Levy Cliff (House Bill 1059) Background: In 2010, there was a temporary increase to the levy lid by 4%. This increase is set to expire in 2018. The result of the levy cliff is a significant reduction in ability to raise local levy dollars or collect effort assistance. House Bill 1059 would extend current levy policy by one year to expire in 2019.

• House Bill 1229 – This bill will be heard in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources committee. Requires the department of fish and wildlife to: (1) Seek to optimize the economic value of the state’s fishery resource; and (2) When making fisheries management determinations and setting fishing seasons, maximize recreational fishing opportunity within available harvests before determining commercial fishing opportunity. Requires the fish and wildlife commission, when using hatcheries to enhance fishing opportunities and consistent with all tribal treaty obligations, to prioritize production at hatcheries based on their contribution to recreational fisheries.

I will continue to follow this issue closely – both in our state and in Oregon. Here is some recent media coverage on fishery reform.

My weekly legislative update:

• House Bill 1199 – I am the prime sponsor on this bill. The bill gives a youth court jurisdiction over transit infractions alleged to have been committed by sixteen or seventeen-year-old juveniles. This bill was heard in the Judiciary Committee on Weds. 1/18. I am hopeful this bill will move through the legislative process and my fellow lawmakers will have the opportunity to vote ‘in favor’ on the House floor. I will keep you posted.

I have also co-sponsored several bills of my fellow lawmakers – on both sides of the aisle. They include:

• House Bill 1100 – This bill requires the department of licensing, approximately ninety days before a concealed pistol license expiration date, to mail a renewal notice to the licensee.
• House Bill 1177 – This bill exempts a person who displays a lifetime veteran’s disability pass from the requirements of the discover pass, the vehicle access pass, and the day-use permit.
• House Bill 1184 – This bill provides that the crime of patronizing a prostitute may be considered as being committed in more than one location. For instance, a person who sends a communication to patronize a prostitute is considered to have committed the crime both at the place from which the contact was made and where the communication is received.
• House Bill 1203 – This bill allows a sales and use tax exemption for school districts, in the form of a remittance, if the school district has paid the tax levied on the sale or use of or charge made for labor and materials used for qualifying construction.
• House Bill 1240 – This bill modifies certain duties of the joint administrative rules review committee with regard to approving a rule for adoption and introducing a bill to refer a suspended rule to the appropriate legislative committees.
• HJM 4004 – Condemning the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement.

 My committee assignments for the 2017 legislative session are:

State Government This committee is responsible for issues relating t0 state government, including state agency rulemaking, procurement standards, information technology systems and security, performance audits and public employment. The committee also considers issues relating to elections, campaign finance, public disclosure and ethics in government.

Transportation This committee is responsible for issues relating to the transportation budget, revenue sources for transportation funding, and issues relating to transportation policy and transportation agencies, including the Department of Transportation and the Washington State Patrol.

Please feel free to contact my office with any questions, issues or concerns. I am your voice in Olympia and I want to hear from you.

430 John L. O’Brian Building, on the Capitol Campus
(360) 786-7866
Morgan.Irwin@leg.wa.gov
www.RepresentativeMorganIrwin.com
My Legislative Assistant is Fallon Stidd, and she is happy to assist you.

Sincerely,

Morgan Irwin