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Republicans promote BEST for
Washington agenda
BEST for
BETH: the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of GOP legislative solutions
OLYMPIA… State
Republican legislative leaders say they will advance constructive,
common sense solutions to the issues facing Washington families driven
by values of good government during the 2007 legislative session. Sen.
Mike Hewitt and Rep. Richard DeBolt announced the Republicans’
BEST
for Washington agenda, which is built upon four cornerstone
principles. BEST stands for: Balance
between responsive and limited government, Empowering
people, Strengthening Washington
families, and Trust and transparency
in government.
“These are the guiding principles that define our approach to leadership
in Olympia,” said DeBolt, R-Chehalis. “We have Republican legislators
representing many areas of the state with a variety of needs and
interest in a broad range of issues that matter to them. We want to
provide the kind of leadership grounded firmly in the principles of good
government and dynamic enough to respond to the diverse needs of
families throughout Washington.”
The lawmakers say while BEST for Washington offers a high-level view of
the Republican approach, the issues they hope to address will affect
real people in their homes, their work and their communities.
Republicans will illustrate their priorities through the eyes of a
fictional suburban soccer mom named Beth, whose concerns include the
Budget, Education, Transportation and Health care.
“Sometimes in the push and pull of session, it’s important to refocus
and remember that everything we do here affects people like Beth in
hundreds of ways,” Hewitt said. “Beth cares about her family’s budget
and wonders if the state will overspend and raise taxes. She might
wonder if her children’s school will provide the education they need,
how long her commute will be today and how much her insurance co-pays
will keep going up. This session we’ll be thinking a lot about what’s
best for Beth and the millions of other citizens around our state who
are touched by what we do here in Olympia.”
Hewitt and DeBolt acknowledge that Democrats, who hold substantial
majorities in both chambers of the Legislature and control the
governor’s office, will drive the movement of legislation in Olympia and
ultimately control what gets passed into law. However, the Republican
leaders say they can impact decisions with sound ideas and public
support, similar to the approach that let to repeal of state parks fees
and stronger sentences for sex predators during the 2006 session.
# # #
For more information from the House
Republican Caucus, visit
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov
For more on the Senate Republican Caucus,
visit www.src.wa.gov
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