In this update, I cover highlights from the first half of the 2019 legislative session. You can read the entire e-newsletter here.

“On time and on budget” is how I describe the 2014 legislative session that ended March 13 in my latest Olympia Update. Read here about session, my bill Gov. Inslee signed prohibiting minors from using tanning beds and what I’ve been up to since returning home from Olympia.

Senate Bill 6065, my bill to protect children under the age of eighteen from the harmful effects of exposure to ultraviolet radiation associated with tanning devices, has received a public hearing and been approved by the Senate Committee on Commerce & Labor. It is now awaiting a vote by the...

This year, I’ve proposed Senate Bill 6242, which will hopefully make permanent the pilot program that allows smaller school districts (those with less than 500 students) to move to a four-day school week. Since the pilot program is due to expire this year, my bill will implement the four-day option...

The Senate Transportation Committee last week approved my Senate Bill 5886. It asks the Washington State Department of Transportation to increase their sale of surplus properties and gives them additional tools to do so. The increased sales will return needed dollars to the Motor Vehicle Account for future transportation uses. On certain...

The 2014 legislative session began today, and my priorities this year continue to be reforming state government to make it more efficient, more effective and less costly to taxpayers. In even years such as this, the session lasts only 60 days which leaves very little time to get a great...

This is the second year I’ve proposed legislation aimed at making it more difficult for minors to use tanning beds. Study after study shows that this kind of UV exposure at such a young age can have devestating consequences later in life, including cancer. I’ve been working with medical professionals such as...

Another issue I’ll be focusing on this session is education reform. Our smaller school districts are often overburdened by regulations and requirements handed down from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) in Olympia. My goal is to introduce two bills that will help streamline operations for our...

One final issue I’m looking into is an unforseen burden being placed on the judicial system in Skamania County. As you know, Washington State parks – such as Beacon Rock and Spring Creek Hatchery – now require that a Discover Pass be purchased from the state before vehicles can enter...