Dear Friends and Neighbors,

It was great to see so many of you during this past spring, summer and fall throughout the community.  Our district’s rich heritage of parades, community events and local fairs are part of what makes Northeast Washington one of the most beautiful and endearing places to live, work and raise a family!

We’re now at the beginning of the 2013 legislative session.  This promises to be an intense and interesting 105 days.  With a new governor who campaigned on “no new taxes,” a new bipartisan majority in the Senate that has said “no new taxes,” and the House of Representatives being controlled once again by a Seattle liberal who desperately WANTS to raise taxes – finding a solution to our $950 million budget shortfall could prove challenging to say the least.

I’ll continue to update you on the different budget ideas and solutions that come forward as the session progresses.  However, I must say that my priorities haven’t changed: I believe we can take care of our constitutional obligation of fully funding education, protecting the most vulnerable among us, and ensuring the safety of our citizens – and we can do this with existing tax dollars.

Wolves

I’ve introduced legislation this year that will give livestock owners more options when trying to protect their animals from predation.  House Bill 1191 would allow the owner of livestock that has been attacked by a predator to follow and track that animal and eliminate it, even if the predator moves onto public land.  I believe it is a fundamental right to protect one’s life and property without fear of prosecution.  As it currently stands, it is up to the government to decide whether or not to give you permission to protect your livestock.  I’m hoping that legislators on the West side of the state who seem to be in love with the idea of wolves will see the logic in giving livestock owners the ability to stop predation quickly before the predator gets habituated into killing more livestock.

Agency Rulemaking

One of my bills received a public hearing this week.  House Bill 1113 was heard in the House Environment Committee.  This bill requires the Department of Ecology (DOE) to identify the peer-reviewed science, scientific literature, and other sources of information used before taking significant agency action related to certain agency programs.  This is an effort to ensure that DOE is using the highest scientific standards before enacting rules that impact landowners and business owners around the state.

Stay Connected

In this day and age in which technology and communication are an integral part of our daily lives, I encourage you to take advantage of the many ways to get connected to information about your Washington State Legislature. Here are some very important links to keep you informed:

• Capitol Buzz – A daily electronic clip service of House Republicans. Click here to subscribe.
• The Current – An online publication from House Republicans to include you in the legislative process. Click here to subscribe.
• Capitol Report – A three-minute weekly radio program (aired on KCVL and KOMW) that discusses current issues of the 7th District and the state. Click here to sign up for my RSS podcast. You can also get all of the Washington House Republican Capitol Report programs on your iPhone and iPad through the iTunes store by clicking here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/capitol-report-washington/id579017734.
• Check out my Web site – This year, I have a new Web site: houserepublicans.wa.gov/shelly-short. From this link, you can view get more information about me, the bills I’ve sponsored and view my news releases.
• Photos – Access my photo gallery here.
• Video updates – Every two weeks, I record a new legislative video update with the latest news from the Legislature. You can view my reports here on YouTube.
• TVW – The state’s own version of C-Span, TVW broadcasts floor and committee action live. You can also watch on your computer, smartphone or tablet: www.tvw.org
• Legislature’s Web site – You can get bill reports, committee agendas and information about upcoming activities in the Legislature at: www.leg.wa.gov

Please share this e-newsletter with everyone you know and encourage them to sign up for it from my Web site at: houserepublicans.wa.gov/shelly-short.

Thank you for the honor and privilege of serving you in Olympia.

Sincerely,

Shelly Short

State Representative Shelly Short
7th Legislative District

E-mail: shelly.short@leg.wa.gov
Web site: houserepublicans.wa.gov/short

Olympia Office (January-April)
436 John L. O’Brien Building – P.O. Box 40600 | Olympia, WA 98504-0600
(360) 786-7908 or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000

District Office (May-December)
P.O. Box 184
Republic, WA 99166
(509) 775-8047