Nov. 30, 2007

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Greetings from Olympia! These past few days have been a whirlwind of activity for me, and this E-Newsletter allows me to share a few thoughts with you as I complete my first week as your new state representative.

As many of you know, I was appointed last Monday night by the 9th District county commissioners, and took the oath of office from Whitman County Superior Court Judge David Frazier at 9:05 p.m. to become became the newest member of the Washington State Legislature.

The selection process was a very intense and grueling experience, and to have been chosen from the final field of three was both exhilarating and humbling. I sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence that the commissioners and precinct committee officers have in my ability to be a legislator that they – and you – can rely on to represent our district responsibly and effectively in the state capital.

It’s a tremendous personal honor to be here, and I am grateful for the privilege of serving as part of the 9th District legislative team. I have a high regard for Representative Hailey and Senator Schoesler and look forward to working with them.

Immediately after I was sworn in to office, I headed to Olympia to participate in fall committee meetings and a one-day special session to consider a measure reinstating provisions of Initiative 747. In one of my first acts as a new legislator, I proudly signed on as a co-sponsor of House Bill 2416, to restore the 1 percent limit on property tax levy increases.

The ballot measure, which Washington voters approved by a 58 percent margin in 2001, was overturned recently by the state Supreme Court. In its narrow 5-4 decision, the high court agreed with a 2006 Superior Court ruling that I-747’s ballot language was misleading and unconstitutionally deceptive.

The voters’ demand for property tax relief was clear, and I am pleased that my first vote as a state representative was to acknowledge and uphold the people’s will.

I also met this week with House Speaker Frank Chopp and Republican Caucus leaders to discuss my committee assignments, which could include appointments to the Health Care and Wellness and Higher Education committees, as well as a seat on the Local Government Committee. Those decisions won’t be made for another few weeks.

The committees I’ve requested would allow me to work on policy issues that are very important to me: Retaining existing businesses and attracting new employers to Eastern Washington; controlling costs and ensuring the accessibility of health care; education; and protecting property rights.

The major point of this E-Newsletter is to let you know my office is up and going, and that I fully intend to continue the excellent tradition of constituent service established by my predecessor, David Buri.

Although the Legislature won’t convene until January, my responsibilities as your state representative continue year around. I encourage you to contact me whenever you have a question, concern or an idea to share about legislative issues. I also want to know if you have a problem dealing with state government. Please contact me or my legislative assistant, Pam Hahn. We are always ready to do everything we can to help.

Election-year restrictions

You can rely on me to make every effort to keep you informed of what is happening in Olympia. However, we’re heading into an election year, and under the provisions of Initiative 134, I will only be allowed to send this one E-Newsletter before the mandatory cutoff at midnight tonight. The initiative further limits me to two in-district newsletter mailings. Senator Schoesler, Representative Hailey and I will be sending the first of our two 9th District team mailings in January.

That said, the initiative does permit me to respond to your direct requests for information, and, again, I encourage you to write or call with your thoughts and comments.

My new legislative e-mail address is: schmick.joe@leg.wa.gov and my office phone number in Olympia is 360-786-7844.

Finally today, I would just like to say that it is an honor and a privilege to serve you. You have my promise that I’ll work hard to earn your trust and confidence, and to be a legislator you can be proud of and rely on. It’s my firm goal to provide the people of the 9th District with conscientious and dependable leadership in the Legislature, and I thank you for your good wishes and support.