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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope this email finds you well! We just completed week three, or one-third, of the 2022 legislative session. At this point, we spend most of our time learning about, debating, and moving legislation out of our respected committees. I serve on the Appropriations Committee, Education Committee, and the Health Care and Wellness Committee.
The list of bills introduced this session is long, making our time in committee invaluable as we discuss the policies before us. Next week, we will hit our first major deadline of session. Any policy introduced in the House that does not impact the budget must be heard and moved out of its committee, or it will not see further action this session.
Policy Update
We have spent time on the virtual House floor voting on bills. The most significant bill that has moved through both the House and Senate thus far is House Bill 1732, which postpones the long-term care insurance program and payroll tax.
Gov. Inslee signed House Bill 1732 into law on Thursday, Jan. 27. Lawmakers now have 18-months to fix this insolvent, unpopular, and flawed program. Please read my recent op-ed for more information on this program and tax and the Legislature’s actions.
In my last e-newsletter, I provided details of all the bills I’ve introduced this session. I want to update you on the status of a few of those bills in this update.
- House Bill 1141 – Increasing access to the Death with Dignity Act. The House passed this bill on Wednesday, Jan. 12, with a vote of 58-37. The Senate Committee on Health and Long Term Care has not yet scheduled this bill for a public hearing.
- House Bill 1973 – Requiring school board meetings to be audio recorded and available to the public. The House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee heard this bill on Monday, Jan. 24. The committee unanimously moved my bill forward on Thursday, Jan. 27. I am hopeful it will come to the House floor for a full chamber vote. I will keep you posted on the progress.
- House Bill 1983 – Concerning hospital patients’ rights to visitors. The House Health Care and Wellness Committee has not scheduled this bill for a public hearing.
Please click here for more details and a status update on all the legislation I have sponsored this session.
It is no secret the last couple of years have brought challenges to you, your families, your businesses, and our communities. The House Republican priorities below illustrate our work on your behalf to fight and/or remedy bad policy.
Priority: Providing tax relief and making life more affordable for all Washingtonians
- House Bill 1858 – Reducing manufacturing tax rates
Priority: Holding state government accountable, improving outcomes, and enacting emergency powers reform
- House Bill 1772 – Adopting emergency powers reform
- House Bill 1541 – Increasing funding to cities for homelessness solutions
- House Bill 1177 – Implementing the periodic review of state spending programs
- Transportation solutions. Instead of raising taxes, this suite of bills reprioritizes our current budget surplus to help pay for transportation projects and programs.
Priority: Empowering parents by providing transparency
- House Bill 1973 – Requiring school board meetings to be recorded
- House Bill 2056 – Increasing transparency in the classroom
Priority: Strengthening communities by making public safety a priority and supporting effective community policing
- House Bill 1656 – Protecting retailers from theft
- House Bill 1737 – Restoring balance and common sense to police reform
- House Bill 1787 – Putting more police officers on the streets
- House Bill 1788 – Allowing law enforcement officers to engage in vehicular pursuits
- The Republican Safe Washington Plan – A suite of bills prioritizing public safety; supporting law enforcement; preventing crime and property crimes; putting victims and public safety first; addressing State v. Blake and the decriminalization of drugs; and fixing the Department of Correction.
Please click here for more information on our priorities and a complete list and description of our bills.
Staying connected
Please reach out to my office at any time to set up a meeting, ask questions, or have a conversation about the issues that matter most to you. Even in this virtual world, my door is always “open.”
- Visit my website | Representative Skyler Rude
- Visit the Washington State House Republicans website
- Follow Washington State House Republicans on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram
- Sign-up for text alerts from Washington State House Republicans
Thank you for the honor of allowing me to serve!
Sincerely,
Skyler Rude
