ACTION ALERT!!

Potential Gas Tax Increase – take my quick gas tax/transportation survey so that I have ammunition to take back to Olympia!

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Gov. Jay Inslee has made it abundantly clear that he wants you to pay more at the pump when you fill up your vehicle – and he wants it now!  He has stated publicly several times that he wants to call the Legislature into ANOTHER special session in late November so that lawmakers can pass a gas tax increase.  We don’t know exactly how much he wants now, but during the 2013 session, he was pushing a 10.5 cent increase to fund new bike paths and walking trails in the Puget Sound region.

I need to know what you think.  Do you support a gas tax increase?  Please click here to take my quick survey so that I know exactly where my constituents stand on this issue, and, just as important, so that I have information to take back to Olympia. 

Thanks for your time and thanks for being involved and informed citizens.

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
 

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I wanted to remind you about the upcoming public meetings of the Climate Legislative Executive Workgroup (CLEW) that will be taking place on October 16th in Spokane and October 23^rd in Seattle.  I recently discovered that FUSE has hired a person specifically to get progressive-leaning folks out in force to the public meetings to support Gov. Inslee’s position on climate change and the urgency of adopting SIGNIFICANT policies to reduce our state’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions regardless of the costs and impacts on struggling families and small businesses.

In fact, at a recent committee meeting, Gov. Inslee tried to bully legislators – including me – into admitting our goals were the same as his!  If you want to watch my response, click the graphic on the right.  My comments start just after the seven minute mark, but you need to watch the first 10 minutes or so of this video – it is definitely worth watching!

While I respect the governor’s position as a statewide elected official, I do NOT appreciate being bullied.  I want to ensure that there is as much balance as possible in the information presented, the testimony and the attendance at these hearings.  If you are at all able to make one of these meetings (especially the Spokane event), I would greatly appreciate it.

Upcoming CLEW public meetings:

• Wednesday, October 16 | 5:00 – 8:20 p.m. in the Music Building Auditorium (Building #15, Room 110), Spokane Falls Community College, 3410 W. Fort George Wright Drive, Spokane
• Wednesday, October 23 | 6:00 – 9:20 p.m. in the Bell Harbor International Conference Center, 2211 Alaskan Way, Seattle.

We expect hundreds of people at these meetings.  Folks who wish to testify will be given a number when they sign up at the meeting.  All numbers will be put into a bowl and speakers will be chosen by drawing.  Testimony will be limited to 2 minutes and there will be opportunity to provide written testimony to our workgroup as well.  Please help us get the word out!!  We need a good showing for common sense and individual liberty!  For those who aren’t called on to testify, comment sheets will be provided at the meeting as well.

If you want more information to help in formulating your comments, click here to view my last E-mail Update which has background information and some of my concerns.  I believe that it is most important to share the concerns you have for the lack of economic analysis that has been done to truly understand what the costs of these policies will be on individuals, families, communities and employers.

Thank you in advance for all who are able to attend and/or submit comments.

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
 

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

With the kids back in school, the leaves starting to change colors and the crisp autumn air starting to settle in, I thought it would be good to send you a quick update.

Talk of a gas tax increase continues…

While we were successful in defeating a 10.5 cents-per-gallon gas tax increase during session (and special sessions), the issue is certainly not dead.  The governor and House Democrats desperately want to raise the gas tax and are talking about a possible special session in November to do so.  There are mega projects in the Puget Sound region they want to fund, with just a pittance being spread across the rest of the state.  But regardless of WHERE that money is to be spent, the bigger issue is ACCOUNTABILITY.  We have seen too many problems within the Washington State Department of Transportation’s construction management system to just throw more money at it.  Many of my colleagues and I believe we need to “Fix it before you fund it.”

Now, you have the opportunity to weigh in on any potential gas tax increase.  Next Wednesday, Oct. 2 from 6 to 9 p.m. in the theater at Central Valley High School (which is at 821 S. Sullivan Road in Spokane Valley), the Senate Majority Coalition Caucus is hosting one of a series of 10 statewide meetings focusing on transportation issues.  I encourage citizens to attend the Senate committee meeting to express their opinion on this issue.  If you can’t attend the meeting, you can click here to leave your comments online.

Climate Legislative and Executive Workgroup: My uphill battle to bring common sense into the discussion…

We all want to be good stewards of our environment and preserve its use for generations to come. We also expect government to make informed decisions when it comes to policies that affect our environment. These decisions should absolutely be based on sound facts and take into consideration the impact on property rights, the availability of jobs, the economy and families – including fuel, energy, food and housing costs.

Senate Bill 5802, which passed earlier this year, established the Climate Legislative and Executive Workgroup. This workgroup is in the process of examining policies impacting the cyclical nature of our climate, including policies that have worked – or have not worked – in other states and countries.

Why is this work important? Because the Legislature is taking the rare step of quantifying the impact these decisions would have on the economy and families.
To learn more about the workgroup, including past and upcoming meetings, click here.  Below are dates and locations of the next three meetings.  These meetings are designed specifically to hear from the public.  I absolutely encourage you to participate! 

• Oct. 16, 5-7 p.m. | Music Building Auditorium (Bldg. #15, Room 110), Spokane Falls Community College campus at 3410 W. Fort George Wright Drive, Spokane.
• Oct. 23, 6-8 p.m. | Bell Harbor International Conference Center – 2211 Alaskan Way, Seattle.
• Dec. 6, 2-4 p.m. | House Hearing Room A – State Capitol Campus, Olympia.

As a member of this workgroup, here are a few thoughts I keep in mind:

• Washington State is responsible for 0.003% of the world’s carbon emissions.
• China’s emissions in two days is equal to Washington state’s yearly emissions.
• Seventy percent of Washington’s electricity mix is made up of carbon-free, renewable hydropower.  As a result of our very low yearly emissions, efforts to meet this state’s goals of 25% reduction in emissions by 2035 and 50% reduction by 2050 could have a negative impact on your mobility, quality of life and the state’s economy without affecting climate change outcomes.
• The companies and public agencies subject to carbon reduction policies employ thousands of Washington workers and provide important goods and services including food, electricity, fuel, higher education, transportation, building materials and more.
• There are concerns about how much the state is spending to achieve the greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions. Washington is currently spending about $35 per ton of carbon reduced, while California spends about $13 per ton of carbon reduced.
• Policymakers should be looking for policies which get the most bang for the buck. We need to ensure that for the money spent, we will receive the maximum environmental benefit.
• Regulations could raise costs that would hurt employment in companies that become less competitive compared to other states and countries. Climate policy also can negatively impact businesses, especially those whose products are highly energy intensive or that have difficulty passing cost increases on to customers. The impacts on business costs and profits can also prompt changes in employment.
• Increases in the cost of using energy could reduce real economic output, purchasing power, and lower aggregate demand for goods and services.
• These policies could cause Washington households to face higher prices both directly for electricity, natural gas, and gasoline, and indirectly as businesses pass costs for GHG reduction on to consumers, for everything from food to building materials.

And, as I sit in on these workgroup meetings, here are some of the questions I have:

• How will the implementation of the proposed policies affect the quality of life for my constituents and all Washington state residents?
• How much will these new policies cost the average family in our state?
• What will these policies do to the business competiveness in our state?
• Could these policies cause a reduction in productivity across the economy, and have negative trade implications due to reduced competitiveness?
• How will these policies affect Washington’s largest employers? Small businesses? Agriculture? Manufacturing? What jobs will be affected? Will so-called ‘clean energy’ jobs adequately replace these job losses?
• How much will these policies cost cities and local governments?
• As a percentage of their incomes, could lower and middle income households face larger cost increases than upper-income households?
• How much more will we pay at the pump? Will alternative fuels be commercially available and in similar quantities as on-road gasoline or diesel? What about our energy bills?
• Are these policies applicable to residents of Eastern Washington? What about those required to drive long distances to work?
• With a hard-hit economy, many residents are having a hard time making ends meet. Why are we rushing to enact little-known policies that could have a large impact on our wallets?
• Are we learning from the mistakes of other states and countries that have seen negative economic impacts?
• How can we determine if new emissions reduction technologies are viable?
• Washington only represents a small portion of global GHG. What about emissions from other countries with near nonexistent regulations like China?

As you can see, there are too many unknowns. My frustration with the task force’s work to date is that little is being done thus far to quantify the costs and benefits separately so we can begin to analyze and understand the impacts on our state’s families, employers and those looking for work.  I sometimes wonder if Gov. Inslee simply wants what he wants, regardless of the consequences.

Celebrating the new Keller Ferry…The Sanpoil

In a fantastic example of a state/federal/tribal coalition, we celebrated the new Keller Ferry earlier this summer.  As many of you know, the previous ferry, the Martha S., had been in service since 1948.  While she served admirably for decades, her reliability and seaworthiness were becoming a real concern for the many school busses, cars and trucks that depend on the Columbia River crossing at Keller.  In fact, when I invited members of the House Transportation Committee to tour the area a few years ago, some legislators were hesitant to even get on the boat!  They took one look at the wind, waves and the worn appearance of the ferry and said, “You want me to get on that?” Needless to say, this was a great motivating factor to get the ball rolling.

A huge thank you goes out to the Colville Confederated Tribes for their efforts to be a financial partner with the state and federal government in this solution.  This is such a positive example of what can happen when everyone works together.  The end result is a new, state-of-the-art ferry that will SAFELY transport our children, families and agriculture goods across the river for decades to come!

For more information on the new Keller Ferry (The Sanpoil), click here.  To view more photos of the event, click here.

In closing…

It has been great to see so many of you as I’ve travelled around the 7th District these past few months.  I so much appreciate the kind words and support you’ve offered over the years.  It is such an honor to serve you in Olympia.  Please know that while you and I may not agree on every issue, my door is always open to discuss the issues that you’re concerned about.

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
 

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Telephone Town Hall

Your 7th District legislators are holding another telephone town hall. Please join Sen. John Smith, Rep. Joel Kretz and me on Tuesday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m. for a “community conversation.” It’s a great time to get feedback from you and for us to keep you informed. Just dial 1-877-229-8493 on Tuesday evening and enter pin number 15429 when prompted. I hope you are able to join us!

Special Session

I’m disappointed the Legislature was unable to finish its work on time and that we are once again heading towards a special session.  Again, I don’t think the governor did us any favors by changing his stance on tax increases.  Instead of knowing exactly how much money the state has to spend, and then living within our means just like every family and employer in the state has to, Democrat budget writers in the House and in the governor’s office are debating with themselves which taxes to raise and by how much.

In fact, here’s a quick look at the taxes that passed off the House floor last week (without one Republican vote):

• $534 million – Would permanently extend the business and occupation (B&O) surtax on certain businesses.
• $14.6 million – B&O tax rates for travel agents.
• $51.5 million – Would place sales and use tax on bottled water. This is the same tax that was repealed by voters in 2010.
• $43 million – Would repeal the nonresident sales and use tax exemption. This could especially hit our border counties very hard along the Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia borders.
• $78.7 million – B&O taxes for high-tech research and development.
• $63.2 million – Public utility tax on truck transport of goods in state that are destined for out of state.
• $24.1 million – B&O and sales and use taxes for import commerce.
• $29 million – B&O tax for sellers of prescription drugs.
• $40.8 million – Fuel tax for extracted fuel.
• $5.2 million – Handling losses fuel tax.

TOTAL: $879 million

I was extremely proud to join my House Republican colleagues in a major battle on the House floor against these unnecessary tax increases. If you want to see some of the video highlights of our floor speeches and why we don’t think taxes are necessary, click here.

If the governor had stuck to his campaign pledge of “no new taxes,” budget writers would be spending their time determining what goes IN the sandbox (the budget) instead of wringing their hands on the SIZE of the sandbox.  If you want to view my latest video update about the budget, taxes and the special session, click here.

My bills

I’m very pleased to report to you that my two bills to bring more accountability and transparency to the state Departments of Ecology and Fish and Wildlife passed the Legislature and were signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee last week!  It was the culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of people.  These two bills were years in the making and took collaboration on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of the Legislature.  To read more about these two bills, read my press release here.

DFW makes “emergency rule” – allows livestock and pet owners to protect themselves!

After months of negotiations and legislative public hearings about how to address threats posed by gray wolves in northeast and north central Washington, the state Fish and Wildlife Commission this week adopted an emergency rule that allows people to lethally remove a gray wolf without a permit in order to protect their property, pets and livestock.

The change to the state’s wolf-conservation and -management plan was spurred by a letter sent to the commission earlier this week, which asked for consideration of the proposed rule. The letter was signed by 10 state legislators, including the 7th District delegation that has worked tirelessly for months on wolf-related bills that became the subject of heated debates throughout the course of this legislative session.  I’m proud of the efforts by Sen. Smith, Rep. Kretz and my colleagues in Olympia for pressing this issue.  In the end, DFW had no choice but to realize they need to let folks protect their livestock, their pets and themselves.

If you want to read the press release we sent out on this issue, click here.

If you want to read The Spokesman-Review article, click here.

Thanks again for reading my e-newsletter.  I’ll continue to keep you updated as best I can throughout the special session.

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