Dent introduces first bills

More than halfway through the 105-day legislative session, the pace has really picked up. Over the past week, the House voted on more than 100 bills.

I am approaching each of these votes with the philosophy that government should fulfill its most critical duties, then let citizens prosper without interference. We need to see practical and sustainable solutions to the many issues we face. While I’ve been pleased with numerous bills that passed, I’ve been disappointed by others.

After some light hazing, customary in the House when a freshman representative passes his/her first bill, two of my bills, House Bills 1527 and 1989 were both unanimously approved by the House. Both will help rural districts like the 13th.

House Bill 1527 would provide for a more efficient way for pesticide licensees to become recertified and for the Washington State Department of Agriculture to conduct licensing recertification.

House Bill 1989 was requested by the city of Quincy on behalf of small cities seeking to procure long-term maintenance service contracts for their water storage assets in order to provide certainty and save money. Both bills now go to the Senate for further consideration in the Agriculture, Water and Rural Economic Development Committee.

Additionally, House Bill 1526, to require all aircraft excise tax revenue be deposited in the aeronautics account, has been deemed Necessary to Implement the Budget. It is exempt from all cutoff dates and remains alive all the way through the budget negotiation process until a final budget is passed.

Survey questions:

I want to hear from you! The survey questions this week are:

1) On Monday, state Senate leaders passed a $15 billion transportation revenue package that includes an incremental gas-tax increase of 11.7 cents over the next three years. Would you or would you not support an increase in the gas tax?

2) Would you support a bill requiring reforms to the Washington State Department of Transportation?

To answer both questions, call 360-786-7932 or email tom.dent@leg.wa.gov.

Revenue forecast released:

The state Economic and Revenue Forecast Council recently released the latest revenue forecast for Washington state. Revenues for the 2015-17 biennium increased by $129 million, in addition to the $3 billion in additional revenue the state will see from the last budget. This is great news, as the Legislature has several major budgetary obligations it must meet this session. I believe we must stay disciplined and focus on ways to meet the challenges we face without implementing new or higher taxes.

Meeting with LEAP students:

Rep. Matt Manweller of Ellensburg and I recently met with students from the Latino/a Educational Achievement Project (LEAP) in Warden and Moses Lake.

LEAP’s mission is to improve academic achievement of Latino/a students in Washington state, and their goal is to make sure all students graduate from high school with the skills, knowledge and confidence needed for success in postsecondary education or today’s workplace.

House page program:

If you know a student that would like to serve as a page here at the House of Representatives, have them get in touch with me at tom.dent@leg.wa.gov. To serve as a page, a student must:

• Have permission from a parent or guardian.

• Have permission from school.

• Be at least 14 but not yet 17.

Contact me:

I want to continue to hear from you as much as possible heading into the second half of the legislative session, so please keep the letters, emails and phone calls coming. My office phone number is (360) 786-7932, and my email address is tom.dent@leg.wa.gov.