State legislative session kicks off in Olympia
Rebecca White/Columbia Basin Herald Representative Mike Steele of Lake Chelan (center) bows his head during the opening prayer for the legislative session.
OLYMPIA — The Washington State 2017 Legislative Session began Monday morning with the swearing in of members of the Senate and the House.
District 12 Rep. Mike Steele of Wenatchee replaced Brad Hawkins. Hawkins ran for senator instead of representative after Linda Evans Parlette of Wenatchee retired at the end of the last session.
Steele, the newest in the ranks of elected officials from central Washington, plans to take a systematic approach to governing in his first term as a freshman representative.
Steele will serve on the Education, Technology and Economic Development, and Capitol Budget committees. He does not have any bills in mind yet, but is reviewing a tourism bill from Rep. Cary Condotta also of District 12.
“It’s much more important for me to be methodical than be quick and have a lot of bills behind my name.” Steele said.
Steele plans to spend the majority of this session observing and learning from more experienced legislators from the surrounding districts and hopes the session will be concluded in the allotted 105 days.
Several representatives from Districts 9, 12 and 13 have prefiled or co-sponsored legislation ranging from wild fire preparedness to water conservation.
Rep. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, has prefiled bills on the mobilization of state aid during wildfires, which was also cosigned by Rep. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy. Dent will be the highest ranking Republican member on the Early Learning and Human Services committee as well as the second highest ranking Republican on the Agriculture and Natural Resources committee. Rep. Matt Manweller, R-Ellensburg, has written or cosigned seven bills, including a bill that increases the access to state need grants for college students, a bill that allows for state officials to prosecute the state, and a bill that legally changes the tax treatment of martial arts training that takes place outside of a fitness facility.
Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, wrote or cosponsored several bills regulating water rights, legislation that allows for berry farmers to burn organic waste from pruning, and legislation that allows for landlords to dispose of tenant property that has been left on their land after five days.
Warnick is the chair of the Agriculture, Water Trade and Economic Development committee, a member of the Ways and Means committee and Early Learning and K-12 Education committee.