Jan. 26, 2015
Capitol Report with Rep. Shelly Short
Rep. Shelly Short, R-Addy, discusses investigations into the Carlton Complex Fire and legislation to keep local housing costs down.
Find more audio content on our Web site.
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Washington State House Republican Communications
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov
451 John L. O’Brien Building – P.O. Box 40600 – Olympia, WA 98504-0600
Broadcast studio: (360) 786-5046
Jan. 19, 2015
01-19-15- Capitol Report with Rep. Shelly Short
Rep. Shelly Short, R-Addy, discusses the state budget, taxes and spending, adding that there is no budget deficit and tax increases are unnecessary. She also talks about her wolf legislation.
Find more audio content on our Web site.
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Washington State House Republican Communications
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov
451 John L. O’Brien Building – P.O. Box 40600 – Olympia, WA 98504-0600
Broadcast studio: (360) 786-5046
In an unprecedented move, at least as far back as any “oldtimers” in the Washington State Legislature can remember, the 7th Legislative District saw its clout increased as both its members of the House of Representatives were recently elected to senior leadership positions within their caucus.
Rep. Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda, who has served as Deputy Republican Leader the past several years, was again elected by his peers to serve in the same capacity. His seatmate, Rep. Shelly Short, R-Addy, was elected Republican Caucus Chair, a step up from the vice-chair position she held the last two years.
“It’s extremely rare to have two House members from the same legislative district serving in senior leadership positions at the same time,” said Kretz. “I’m proud to have Shelly on our leadership team. She’s already shown her leadership in fighting the governor’s extreme environmental policies, and this is just another way she can serve our district.”
Short, who is serving her fourth two-year term in the House, will preside over several caucus meetings each week where bills, amendments and voting will be discussed.
“I’m excited for the challenge,” said Short. “This is a new position of influence which will allow me to continue to bring the issues and problems facing Northeast Washington residents to the forefront.”
One of those issues, says Short, is the Washington State Building Code Council’s effort to create a third ‘climate zone’ specifically for the Northeastern part of the state when determining new rules for construction. Currently, the state has Eastern and Western climate zones with the Cascade Mountains being the dividing line.
“Having another climate zone here in Eastern Washington will isolate our counties from the rest of Eastern Washington, making it more difficult and more expensive to build in our region,” said Short. “It would negate the current ability we have of training and networking within our region, which is more cost effective.”
Short introduced legislation to limit the council’s ability to create an additional climate zone. Her bill, House Bill 1011, recently received a public hearing and was passed out of the House Local Government Committee.
“This is an effort to protect our local real estate and builders and to keep home prices as affordable as possible,” said Short.
Kretz, who earlier this month co-hosted a meeting in Brewster along with other state and local officials to discuss the Carlton Complex wildfire, is proposing legislation based on lessons learned from the devastating fire.
“One of the things I heard loud and clear from constituents and at the meeting in Brewster was that we need to use our local resources better and cut the bureaucracy out of fighting wildfires,” said Kretz. “My bills would make sure our people don’t need permission to fight fires. We need a quicker response than what we saw last summer to prevent further damage.”
One of his bills, House Bill 1237, would allow local landowners to help fight wildfires on state land owned by the Department of Natural Resources or the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Specifically, it would authorize fire suppression activities such as making fire lines and clearing timber and brush that is in the path of a wildfire.
The two lawmakers are also holding a telephone town hall on Tuesday, Feb. 10 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Residents wishing to participate can call (509) 724-2970. The phone line will open shortly before the call begins. To ask questions of the lawmakers during the call, participants can press star (*) on their telephone keypads.
For more information about Rep. Kretz, visit: www.representativejoelkretz.com.
For more information about Rep. Short, visit: www.representativeshellyshort.com.
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Rep. Kretz’s media: 
Rep. Short’s media:
Washington State House Republican Communications www.houserepublicans.wa.gov 461 John L. O’Brien Building P.O. Box 40600 Olympia, WA 98504-0600
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2014
CONTACT: Brendon Wold, Deputy Communications Director – (253) 973-0505 (mobile)
Rep. Shelly Short says low and middle income families hit the worst with governor’s new energy tax scheme
Rep. Shelly Short, R-Addy, and ranking Republican on the House Environment Committee, took issue with Gov. Inslee’s proposed energy tax scheme today, saying it relied on sketchy science, limited studies, broad assumptions and would drastically impact low and middle income families in Washington state. She released the following statement:
“The governor’s proposals today are a continuation of the ideology he espoused in his transportation package yesterday and confirm his desire to give government more control over Washington citizens’ jobs, wallets and lives.
“He says he wants to place an energy tax on industries and businesses that produce carbon, assuming this is the goose that laid the golden egg. But there is no goose. There is no golden egg. Families and individuals will bear the brunt of the burden of his proposals as industries pass these new costs on to consumers. Those feeling the financial pinch the most will be low income families who pay a higher percentage of their limited incomes on nondiscretionary expenses like fuel for their cars and energy to heat their homes. His policies show a serious disconnect from the free market system and basic economics 101.
“We’ve heard several ideas from the governor floating around Olympia. We’ve heard ‘revenue neutral,’ we’ve heard ‘spreading it out.’ But what’s troubling is the fact we have no idea – and neither does the governor – how much his policies will cost; how much money will make it back into the state’s economy; and who will be on the hook if his numbers don’t pencil out. Will Washington taxpayers be forced to pay the final bill when his grand ‘energy tax’ scheme doesn’t work?
“There are ways to bring green energy industries to our state without taking existing revenues out of the economy. If you want to incentivize green businesses, fine. But let’s do it without placing an additional financial burden on our struggling individuals and families.
“We need to remind folks that if you completely eliminated Washington state – every automobile, every plane, every industry, every smoke stack, every forest fire, person and animal – the net effect on global carbon emissions would be LESS than three-tenths of one percent.
“At the end of the day, this is just the beginning. This is another step in placing a Washington D.C.-based big government agenda in front of every other priority in Washington state, which will come at the expense of jobs, our economy and our state’s competitive advantage.”
For more information about Rep. Short, visit: www.representativeshellyshort.com.
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Rep. Short’s media:
Washington State House Republican Communications
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov
455 John L. O’Brien Building
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 21, 2014
CONTACT: Brendon Wold, Deputy Communications Director – (253) 973-0505 (cell)
Rep. Dan Kristiansen – (360) 786-7967
Representative Dan Kristiansen re-elected Leader of the Washington State House Republicans
Group elects leadership team, looks forward to 2015 legislative session
Rep. Dan Kristiansen has been re-elected by his legislative colleagues to be Leader of the Washington State House Republicans. Kristiansen was unanimously chosen for his leadership post during the group’s reorganizational meeting today.
“I’m honored to continue serving as the House Republican Caucus Leader. I’m privileged to work with hard-working state lawmakers who are dedicated to their communities and the state. Everyone is excited about the work ahead and bringing solutions to the table,” said Kristiansen, R-Snohomish. “As I travelled the state this year, I heard consistent themes in every community. People are worried about the economy and their family budgets, they are tired of broken promises from government, and they want our students to be successful. They also want a balanced approach in Olympia. The House Republican agenda will be based on the concerns and aspirations of the constituents we represent.”
Kristiansen has represented the 39th District since 2003. He is a former small business manager and owner. Kristiansen and his wife, Janis, have three children and live in Snohomish.
The Washington State House Republicans picked up four additional seats in the 2014 general election earlier this month. They now have 47 members.
The Washington State House Republicans also elected the rest of their leadership team:
Deputy Leader: Rep. Joel Kretz, 7th Legislative District
Caucus Chair: Rep. Shelly Short, 7th Legislative District
Floor Leader: Rep. J.T. Wilcox, 2nd Legislative District
Whip: Rep. Paul Harris, 17th Legislative District
Assistant Floor Leader: Rep. Matt Shea, 4th Legislative District
Assistant Floor Leader: Matt Manweller, 13th Legislative District
Additional leadership positions will be appointed in the upcoming weeks.
The legislative session will begin January 12 and is scheduled to run 105 days.
For more information on Washington State House Republicans, visit:
· www.houserepublicans.wa.gov.
· https://www.facebook.com/wahouserepublicans
· https://twitter.com/wahousegop/
· https://instagram.com/washingtonhouserepublicans/
For more information about Rep. Kristiansen, visit: www.representativedankristiansen.com.
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Rep. Kristiansen’s media:
Washington State House Republican Communications
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov
461 John L. O’Brien Building
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
For the first time since 2009, the state Legislature adjourned on time (March 13) with no plans for a special session. This is a win for taxpayers around the state as special sessions cost money that is better suited for K-12 education, higher education and public safety.
This year, those of us who wanted to hold the line on taxes prevailed once again. We also kept the state budget in balance, approved another small increase in support for K-12 education and held in-state tuition rates at the state-run colleges and universities steady for another year.
Due to election-year restrictions, this is the last e-mail update I can send you until Dec. 1. I appreciate you reading these updates and being involved in the legislative process.
Budget Update
The final bipartisan budget agreement that passed the Legislature was the first truly supplemental budget I’ve seen in years. The supplemental budget is NOT a time to rewrite the entire budget. It is specifically for addressing unforeseen circumstances in caseloads or revenue collections so that our budget remains balanced throughout the two-year biennium. In the past, lawmakers were either writing full-scale budgets during supplemental years to add programs and increase spending (during Gov. Gregoire’s first years in office) because tax collections were high, or having to scale back the budget due to the recession when tax collections were low. This year, budget writers in both the House and Senate finally avoided both.
While it wasn’t a perfect budget, in the end, I voted for it. It increased spending by less than 0.23 percent, mostly for maintenance issues. It included a little more for education and the McCleary decision ($58 million) and a little more for Opportunity Scholarships ($25 million). It keeps our promise to college students by freezing tuition rates for the entire 2015 school year and keeps a little more in reserves ($315 million) to protect against any downturn in our economy. It also does NOT rely on new or increased taxes, like the e-cig (vaping) tax that would quite literally destroy this industry. This onerous tax is something I’ve heard from many of you about and we worked hard to make sure that tax was not in the final budget.
One of the most important aspects about the budget is that is balanced out for four years! This is a new requirement based on a law that passed last year, something my colleagues in the House Republican Caucus and I have been advocating for years. In order to help avoid the “budget roller coaster” of the past, our state budget must now be projected to balance out in the next biennium as well as the current two-year budget cycle. This four-year budget requirement is a huge protection for taxpayers and overspending.
My Bills
Building upon my efforts from last year to increase accountability and transparency in state agencies, the governor signed into law two more important bills. House Bill 2261 and House Bill 2262 specifically require the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Department of Ecology (DOE) to “show their work” by categorizing on their websites the sources of information relied upon in support of significant agency actions. The categories include:
For more information on these two bills, read my press release here.
I also sponsored legislation (HB 2112) that would help prevent Washington rate payers from paying twice for “clean energy .” My bill would have allowed some incremental electricity produced by efficiency improvements to hydro projects to qualify as an eligible renewable resource. It is my belief that the millions of Washingtonians who have already paid for these efficiency improvements to hydro projects should be able to see the benefits of those improvements.
Unfortunately, my bill and the Senate companion bill, SB 6058 sponsored by Sen. Sharon Brown from Kennewick, did not pass the Legislature. We’ll keep working this issue next year. To read my op-ed with Sen. Brown on this issue, click here.
While the legislative session is over, my work as your representative in Olympia is not. My office is here to assist you in dealing with state agencies if you need it, or to help answer questions you may have about state laws or other issues. I’m also available to speak to your civic group (Kiwanis, Rotary, Chambers of Commerce, etc.), classrooms or church group. My continuing goal is to help bring state government closer to you. This is your government. I want to help you stay involved, active and influential. Please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns. I’ll do my best to work around my farming schedule to accommodate you.
Thank you for reading my e-newsletter and for the honor of serving you in Olympia.
Sincerely,
Shelly Short
State Representative Shelly Short
7th Legislative District
E-mail: shelly.short@leg.wa.gov
Web site: www.representativeshellyshort.com
Olympia Office (January-March)
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 (March-December)
P.O. Box 184
Republic, WA 99166
(509) 775-8047
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 13, 2014
CONTACT: Brendon Wold, Deputy Communications Director – (360) 786-7698
Governor signs Short legislation requiring that certain state agencies ‘show their work’ when taking significant actions
Under legislation signed today by Gov. Jay Inslee, the Washington state departments of Ecology and Fish and Wildlife are now required to make public the sources of scientific information relied upon in support of significant actions. The two bills were prime-sponsored by Rep. Shelly Short, R-Addy, and build upon her efforts from last year to increase government accountability and transparency
“Holding our state agencies accountable for their actions and making their decision-making process more transparent is one of my top priorities in Olympia,” said Short. “As state government has grown bigger there is a growing sense of disconnect between the bureaucracy and the people it’s supposed to serve. The legislation signed by the governor today are a continuing step in the direction we need to be heading with all state agencies.”
Short’s bills, House Bill 2261 and House Bill 2262 specifically require the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Department of Ecology (DOE) to “show their work” by categorizing on their websites the sources of information relied upon in support of significant agency actions. The categories include:
“By listing out specific categories of information, the public, legislators and the media will be able to see what information is relied upon more heavily and what information is absent the decision-making process altogether,” said Short. “It will allow the impacted communities, citizens and local governments to fact-check the agencies and help hold them accountable.”
Short said she was pleased with the support she received from both sides of the aisle and in both chambers as the bills passed unanimously in both the House and Senate.
“More transparency, accountability and responsibility in state government aren’t partisan issues,” said Short. “Some people choose to make them partisan when they fail to recognize how vital these issues are to the public and to the continuing effectiveness of our form of government.”
Short’s bills go into effect 90 days after the 2014 legislative session, scheduled to end March 13.
For more information about Rep. Short, visit: www.representativeshellyshort.com.
PHOTO CAPTION: Rep. Shelly Short and others with Gov. Jay Inslee at a bill-signing ceremony in Olympia PHOTO CREDIT: Washington State Legislature
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Rep. Short’s media:
Washington State House Republican Communications
houserepublicans.wa.gov
455 John L. O’Brien Building
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2014
CONTACT: Brendon Wold, Deputy Communications Director – (360) 786-7698
‘Double paying’ for clean energy only hurts Washington consumers
By Sen. Sharon Brown and Rep. Shelly Short
Nobody likes to pay twice for the same thing. Our inherent understanding of value and fairness encompasses this fact.
Yet here in Washington state, energy consumers continually see their rates increase as they are forced to pay twice for energy efficiency upgrades as a direct result of the Energy Investment Act (EIA), passed by voters a few years back as Initiative 937. This ratepayer inequality epitomizes the notion of “unforeseen circumstances” and is something that can – and should – be rectified.
The EIA mandates that large utilities obtain 15 percent of their electricity through renewable resources. While it fails to recognize hydropower as clean energy (one of the only states that fails to do so), it does allow utilities to count efficiency improvements to certain existing hydro projects towards the new law’s green energy mandate. These are upgrades or changes that allow more electricity to be produced from the same amount of water.
But here’s where the double jeopardy part comes in. The EIA very specifically does not recognize any efficiency upgrades made to the federal hydro system marketed by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).
This is unfortunate as ratepayers have paid millions of dollars to help these hydro systems become more energy efficient through incremental rate increases.
In essence, the hydro systems and the consumers engaged in a good-faith effort to make better use of what we have, but are now being punished for those efforts by having to pay twice – once on the front end, and now again through mandated compliance via the purchase of renewable energy credits or more expensive in-state power, whether they need it or not.
This “double paying” hurts all Washingtonians but is particularly painful to minority communities and the poor, who tend to pay a greater percentage of their income towards energy costs.
We have a solution.
Senate Bill 6058 (and companion bill House Bill 2112) would allow some incremental electricity produced by efficiency improvements to hydro projects to qualify as an eligible renewable resource. It is our belief that the millions of Washingtonians who have already paid for these efficiency improvements to hydro projects should be able to see the benefits of those improvements.
This small, simple allowance is a far cry from “gutting” Initiative 937’s original intent. Our proposal is a small, commonsense compromise that recognizes the need for new investments in clean energy technologies while at the same time recognizing the work – and consumer payments – already undertaken.
Our families need electricity, and they need jobs so they can afford it. SB 6058 would help provide both by allowing our utilities to pass any cost savings on to their customers. This not only provides a lifeline to families who must make the difficult choice between paying the light bill and putting food on the table; it may very well help to create the job or pay raise that family desperately needs.
While it looks like both bills are dead for this year, we will continue to work toward this common-sense solution for Washington ratepayers.
Rep. Shelly Short, R-Addy, represents the 7th Legislative District and is the Ranking Republican on the House Environment Committee and sponsored HB 2112, companion legislation to SB 6058. Sen. Sharon Brown, R-Kennewick, represents the 8th Legislative District and is the sponsor of SB 6058.
PHOTO CAPTION: Rep. Shelly Short questions staff in the House Environment Committee. CREDIT: Washington State Legislature
For more information about Rep. Short, visit: www.representativeshellyshort.com.
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Rep. Short’s media:
Washington State House Republican Communications
houserepublicans.wa.gov
455 John L. O’Brien Building
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
Mar. 3, 2014
Capitol Report with Rep. Shelly Short (audio)
Rep. Shelly Short, R-Addy, discusses a proposal to use lottery-backed bonds for school construction. She expresses disappointment that her hydro bill did not move out of the House. Finally, Rep. Short talks about the proposed House and Senate supplemental budgets.
Find more audio content on our Web site.
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Washington State House Republican Communications
houserepublicans.wa.gov
451 John L. O’Brien Building – P.O. Box 40600 – Olympia, WA 98504-0600
Broadcast studio: (360) 786-5046
