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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
In the era of electronic communications, face-to-face meetings are still the best way to hear about the needs of our communities. I will be co-hosting a Town Hall meeting with my seatmate, Rep. Christine Kilduff, D-University Place, in Steilacoom, Sunday, March 12. This is a great way for you to provide input on important public policy issues for our region. Here are the meeting details:
Town Hall Meeting
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Doors open at 4:00 p.m.
Event time: 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Steilacoom Town Hall
1717 Lafayette Street, Steilacoom, WA 98388
Please send in your comments or questions
You're encouraged to ask questions during the event. But, if you are unable to attend, or would like to submit your questions or comments prior to March 12, please click here, or on the picture below. You can also call my office at (360) 786-7890 or email me at dick.muri@leg.wa.gov.
Legislation update
We've reached the halfway point of our scheduled 105-days at the state Capitol. The Legislature has specific deadlines to help keep bills moving through the process. March 8, is the last day for bills to pass out of the chamber they originated in, or they are considered “dead.”
For the next few days, we will spending most of our time on the House floor during the day, and into the evening, voting on bills sent to the House from the Rules Committee. Bills that “survive,” and are approved by the House, will be sent to the Senate, where they will start the process all over again.
Here is a quick look at some of the bills I sponsored, or co-sponsored, that were approved by the House. These bills are now on their way to the Senate for further consideration.
Paraeducators make a vital contribution to our state's education system. House Bill 1115 would help them to develop within their profession. The bill would implement statewide paraeducator standards, professional development and career progression.
House Bill 1055 would create an Office of Military and Veteran Legal Assistance within the Office of the State Attorney General's office. This office would help facilitate civil legal assistance programs, pro-bono services, and other self-help services for military service members, veterans and their families.
Producing “mead” is a growing industry in Washington state. House Bill 1176 will help producers work with regulators and encourage growth in the industry. Currently, mead is not defined in state law and is considered to be a type of wine. Because it is classified this way, the Washington State Wine Commission has levied a fee on its production. This bill will allow mead to be produced without having to pay those fees.
House Bill 1226 is a common-sense bill that would take advantage of existing waste collection systems by allowing the curbside collection of electronic wastes.
Sound Transit update
The Senate passed a bill last week that would revamp the Sound Transit's agency leadership by making the board accountable to the people. Currently, the Sound Transit Board is made up of seventeen appointed officials. The executive in each county makes the appointments. Senate Bill 5001 would get rid of the appointed board, replacing it with 11 elected directors. This would give taxpayers a voice in managing the $54 billion Sound Transit 3 light rail project. The bill is now waiting on a public hearing in the House Transportation Committee.
I've co-sponsored House Bill 2132 which would force Sound Transit to stop using an outdated formula setting vehicle values. The current inflated valuation system is driving up car tab costs. This must be changed. A companion bill sponsored by Sen. Dino Rossi, and co-sponsored by Sen. Steve O'Ban, is also making its way through the Senate.
Get more bill information
A wealth of legislative information is at your fingertips. You can get bill information, bill analyses, committee agendas, and other legislative information by accessing the following websites:
- TVW offers live broadcasts of committee hearings. Meetings are televised live and broadcast live in streaming audio.
- Look through the Legislative process overview
- Subscribe to schedule and agenda updates for committees
- Look up bill information
- Check committee meeting documents/Electronic Bill Book
- Come to the Legislature for a visit
Thank you!
My door is always open. If you have questions, concerns or comments you would like to share, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email.
Thank you for the honor of serving you in Olympia.
Sincerely,
Dick Muri
