Warnick announces bid for second Senate term

Moses Lake, Wash. – Judy Warnick recently announced her decision to run for re-election as 13th district State Senator. Warnick, a Republican from Moses Lake, wants to continue work she started in her first term as a Senator.

“When I first ran for public office, I wanted to help create solutions for the challenges our citizens, small businesses, communities and our state face,” said Warnick. “I became involved in issues that matter to my constituents, and I want to continue that work for them.”

She currently serves as Ranking Member on the Senate Agricultural, Natural Resources and Parks Committee, the Senate Ways and Means Committee and is the Senate Republican Caucus Vice-Chair.

Since her first term in the legislature as a State Representative began in January 2007, Warnick has sponsored a wide variety of legislation. Many of the bills she prime sponsored relate to agricultural and rural issues. One of the first bills she sponsored increased penalties for metal theft since farmers and utilities in rural areas were impacted by those thefts to a greater degree than urban areas. Other bills she sponsored or co-sponsored addressed crop rotations and water usage, recreational uses of public lands and tax exemptions for certain businesses in rural areas.

A recent bill she sponsored that would have repealed the Supreme Court Hirst decision regarding siting of domestic permit-exempt water wells was “the most difficult, but rewarding legislation for her” according to Warnick.

She has served on the Capital Budget committees both in the House and the Senate. Helping to find funding for important projects in our communities, schools and natural resources has been some of her most fulfilling legislative work. For example: the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan and the Odessa Aquifer Recharge Project are both extremely important large infrastructure projects in Eastern Washington that benefit from state and federal funds in which she helped to include in State Capital Budgets.

Several organizations have recognized Senator Warnick for her work as a legislator over the years including; The Association of Washington Business Legislator of the Year, The Washington Farm Bureau Legislator of the Year, The Washington Potato Commission and The Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs Legislator of the Year.

Warnick said the most challenging part of being a legislator is balancing her work as a public servant with her family obligations and as a small business owner. “I’m so thankful for my entire family and employees who have been supporters in my decision to run for office and in the work I do in Olympia,” Warnick said. “

In addition to her work in Olympia, Warnick has been involved in community and county issues. This summer during the interim, Warnick continues her service as a legislative representative on committees to study and discuss solutions for a variety of topics:

• Children’s Mental Health Task Force,

• Joint Legislative Task Force on Water Resource Mitigation,

• Joint Transportation Air Cargo Committee,

• North Central Accountable Community of Health Board,

• Pesticide Application Safety Work Group,

• Law Enforcement Officers Fire Fighters Retirement Fund Board (LEOFF 2),

• Community Economic & Revitalization Board (CERB)

• Washington Horse Park Board

• Washington 4-H Foundation Board

• Capital Project Advisory Review Board (CPARB),

• Co-Chair of the Legislative Rail Caucus.

“What I have accomplished in my first terms is just the beginning,” Warnick said. “I want to be further involved in the work we have started and continue to serve the constituents of my district. Being an elected official, especially as a state senator, is such an honor and a humbling experience. I believe I have more to do for the good people of the 13th District and would like the opportunity to continue that work.”