2012 Regular Legislative Session Day 15

It looks like we’re going to kick off the third week of Session with floor debate and passage of legislation. There are a remarkable number of"do nothing” bills working through the process this year. I guess the Democrat Majority thinks if we look busy the public will forget we’re doing nothing to address the $1.5 billion budget deficit. The first 5 bills of the day ... 1 Yes vote and 4 No votes. Things are getting back to normal around here.

I have a fairly busy day, with Committee meetings at 1:30 and 6:00 PM and an assortment of meetings scattered throughout the day. Actually, the entire week is going to be fairly busy with a lot of meetings being rescheduled from last week. At least the snow is almost gone here in Olympia.

#Olympia #snow #legislation #committee #meetings #15th #District #Rep #David #Taylor
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2012 Regular Legislative Session 2012

My day started the day with a hearing on one of my bills in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. HB 1117 would change Washington Water Law from Relinquishment to Common Law Abandonment. Simply put, the bill would reverse the burden of proof from the water right holder to the DOE. This is the second year the bill has received a hearing, but the Democrats continue to refuse to move it out of committee. Not surprisingly, the Department of Ecology, Center for Environmental Law and Policy (CELP), the Sierra Club, and two tribes spoke in opposition to the bill. According the CELP, the bill is"a big step backwards”. So let me get this right, protecting an individual’s water right from the state taking it is a step backward.

I’ve got a 1:30 Environment Committee meeting today and am still trying to decide whether to make an attempt over the pass tonight. They’re expecting another 6 inches of snow on White Pass by 5:30 today, Highway 18 is currently closed with trees all over the road and I-5 was closed this morning at Centralia. Now I’m hearing freezing rain is in the forecast for the Eastern Slopes of the Cascades. Not a real positive outlook for traveling today.

#AGNR #Committee #HB #1117 #snow #ice #rain #Rep #David #Taylor #15th #District
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2012 Regular Legislative Session Days 8 and 9

Today was the first day of the 2012 Legislative Session that we took action on legislation. We voted on a small set of bills from the 2011 session, all of which do nothing to address the budget deficit. I’m sitting in the State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee right now listening to testimony on 6 bills that, once again, do nothing to address the budget deficit. I suppose you could argue that HB 222 does do something to address the budget. This is a bill allowing the state library to recover costs associated with research requests from people who are not residents ... total increase in revenue $45k. Ugh! There’s also a bill designating July 25th as patient safety day ... now this is an important issue for the Legislature.

I have quite a few meetings this week, but am really looking forward to seeing some folks from home. The Realtors will be in town this week and always enjoy seeing them. AWB will also be in town on Tuesday ... yeah, another opportunity to see more folks from the 15th District. I’m going to head back home this weekend to attend the Yakima Association of Realtors Installation Dinner.

So I somehow forgot to post this yesterday, sorry everyone. I woke up this morning to about 8 inches of snow in the driveway ... yikes! It took me 45 minutes to drive to the Evergreen Freedom Foundation to do a radio show with Rep. Matt Shea. I hope folks back in the district were able to hear it. I missed my first committee meeting of the day due to the radio show and trying to drive to the Capital from the EFF recording studio. People in Olympia DO NOT know how to drive in the snow.

I heard yesterday the Senate Ways and Means Committee (budget committee) has cancelled all their hearings for the second week in a row and according to our budget lead, Rep. Gary Alexander, the House Democrats have done nothing in the way of working on a budget thus far. Ugh!

Some breaking news, the Republican National Committee passed a resolution condemning Agenda 21. For more information, go to www.varight.com/news/news/they-did-it-republican-n...ution. This is some great news!

Off to my Labor and Workforce Development Committee meeting.

#RNC #Agenda #21 #snow #Olympia #EFF #radio #show #Matt #Shea #Rep #David #Taylor #15th #District
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2012 Regular Legislative Session Days 6 and 7

I spent Saturday working on legislation and possible amendments to a couple of bad bills put forward by the Democrats. Seriously, voter registration up to 5:00 PM the day of an election? Can you say voter fraud? How about creating a voter database for 16 and 17 year olds when they get their drivers license? That would be a no.

Watched football all day yesterday ... the last 3 minutes of the 49ers and Saints game will probably go down as one of the all time best. Wow! Not a fan of the 49ers, but wow! Oh and the Tebow train hit the end of the line. Too bad, but all good things must come to an end.

I’m going to watch some more football today and work on a couple of more amendments to bills. Woke up to about 3 inches of snow in Olympia and it’s still snowing. Should make for an interesting drive in the morning. Please pray for all the Eastern Washington Reps making the drive back today ... the passes could be ugly!

#Voter #fraud #49ers #Tebow #snow #Olympia #15th #District #Rep #David #Taylor
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