Dear friends and neighbors,

Last week, Dr. Bruce Noonan testified on House Bill 1899, which I sponsored, to allow retired physicians to volunteer their services without having to pay the high costs of continuing education credits and licensing. Dr. Noonan brought the issue to me, and I believe it is important that we encourage and not discourage the voluntary services of retired doctors to increase access to good medical care.

The governor proposed to cut several boards and commissions from our state budget in order to save money and make government more efficient. Read the proposal here. While I agree that state government has to make some reductions in size and cost, this move is simply a drop in the bucket of our $6 billion budget shortfall. I look forward to larger steps by the Legislature and governor to reduce state spending without raising your taxes.

Bill Updates

The hearing on House Bill 1750 to "lift" fees on boat lift owners was held Friday, Feb. 13. It has been scheduled for a vote on Tuesday, Feb. 17 in the Ecology and Parks Committee.

House Bill 1232 would extend the property tax exemption for open space to include breeders and boarders of livestock. I'm happy to tell you it has been scheduled for a vote in the Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee this Friday, Feb. 20.

After conversations with the Speaker of the House, House Bill 1265 to allow limited lifts on burn bans has been scheduled for a public hearing Thursday, Feb. 19 at 6:00 p.m. If you can, I encourage you to come and testify so we can explain to other legislators the importance of burn ban relief.

Meanwhile, the job-threatening cap and trade bill is scheduled be voted out of the House Ecology and Parks Committee tomorrow, Feb. 17. I have serious concerns about this piece of legislation and will continue to oppose its passage.

This Week

This is the last week that bills introduced in the House can be heard in House committees. By Friday, we will have heard public testimony on many, many bills that are moving through the process. For the most part, House bills that have not been heard and voted out of a House policy committee by Friday, Feb. 20 will not move forward this session. After this week, we'll move to voting bills off the floor of the House. Then we'll begin considering Senate bills.

Here's a list of bills I've introduced that have not yet been scheduled to be voted out of a committee:

• House Bill 1266: sufficient cause for the nonuse of water

• House Bill 1267: addresses the nonuse of water

• House Bill 1268: prevents water relinquishment if water right holder uses a portion of right

• House Bill 1269: defines crop rotation for water rights purposes

Fortunately, House Bill 1091 to put a limit on stock watering has also not been scheduled for a vote in committee.

These water issues are sensitive, but I hope we can act this year to protect resources for our farmers and families.

My goal is to keep you updated on legislation as it goes through the process and encourage your involvement in the process. Please feel free to call or e-mail me. My contact information is at the top.  

Sincerely,

Rep. Judy Warnick
13th District State Representative

P.S. You have been added to this list if you have ever contacted my office. If you would like to unsubscribe, click here. Also, please feel free to forward my e-newsletters to your friends, neighbors and colleagues so they can subscribe.