Tag Archives: Email Updates

Session recap: Majority rejects emergency powers reform, approves income tax on capital gains and bills that will increase gas prices

During the final two weeks of this year’s legislative session, which adjourned this past Sunday, the majority party rejected emergency powers reform, approved an income tax on capital gains, and adopted two proposals that will significantly increase the price of gasoline. I’ll be recapping all of that and more in this update, but first, I want to invite you to sign up for the virtual town hall meeting I’m hosting with Rep. Klippert and Sen. Brown on May 24. It will function exactly like the virtual town hall meeting we held last month, which was a lot of fun and really well-attended. If you would like to join us, please click here to pre-register. You can also submit questions in advance on that page.

We must stay vigilant in the fight against COVID-19

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise throughout Tri-Cities, I want to encourage you to stay vigilant in the fight against this deadly virus. As you have likely heard, the governor recently moved three counties back to Phase 2 because they were unable to meet the necessary metrics for reopening activities. To stay in Phase 3, Benton County must continue to meet at least one of the two following metrics:

  • Our rate of new cases per 100,000 residents must be below 200 over a period of 14 days. We are currently at 213 per 100,000.
  • We must have fewer than 10 new COVID hospitalizations per 100,000 residents over a period of seven days. This number has not been updated since April 12, but we were meeting the goal at that time. We do know hospitalizations continue to climb, however.

The next evaluation of Benton County’s metrics will happen on Monday, May 3. Let’s all do our part to make sure we can stay in Phase 3 and then move forward as quickly as possible to Phase 4. As a reminder, all Washingtonians 16 years of age and older are now eligible to receive the coronavirus vaccine. If you are interested in making an appointment with a provider, I encourage you to use to the tool on this website.

Democrats say ‘no’ to emergency powers reform

With Benton County in danger of moving back to Phase 2, it’s important to remember that the governor continues to have unilateral authority to move counties backward and forward as he sees fit. House Republicans made several attempts during session to convince the majority party to adopt emergency powers reform, but we were unsuccessful. That’s unfortunate because this should not be a partisan issue. One of our bills, House Bill 1557, would have simply ensured adequate legislative involvement in long-lasting states of emergency. It would have caused states of emergency to expire after 60 days unless renewed by the Legislature, and also would have allowed the Legislature to terminate, on its own authority, an emergency declaration.

I believe our executive branch needs the ability to quickly and effectively respond to emergencies. However, there must be limits on the exercise of emergency powers. Whether Republican or Democrat, no governor should be able to rule by proclamation and executive order for months on end. Editorial boards across the state have agreed with our position on this issue for months.

In an editorial published earlier this month, The Tri-City Herald wrote: “People have suffered enough, especially those in the hospitality industry, and many are wondering how much longer they can keep their businesses running. Landlords are wondering if they should sell their rental properties if they continue to lose money on them. People planning big events like weddings and anniversary parties are anxious to know if the rug will be pulled out from under them like it was last summer. It would ease people’s minds to know their legislative representatives have some say in how the state re-opens. And it would make Washington state’s three branches of government work together as intended. No one leader is supposed to have so much power for so long over so many.”

I could not agree more.

Unfortunately, it appears Washington will remain one of the worst states in the country in terms of governmental balance of power for quite some time.

2021 legislative session recap

Even before session got under way on January 11, it was clear one of the top priorities for the governor and majority party was passing an income tax on capital gains. They got it done on the final week of session.

It’s hard to believe the majority would want to get rid of one of our state’s biggest competitive advantages. Prior to session, we were one of nine states without this tax. With its passage, many investors and entrepreneurs who live in Washington are going to leave for greener pastures. And non-Washingtonians who have been looking for somewhere to start a business are going to choose another state.

We need investment, entrepreneurship and job creation now more than ever. During session, Democrats said passage of this new tax would fix Washington’s regressive tax system. However, they then passed a low-carbon fuel standard (House Bill 1091) and cap-and-tax scheme (Senate Bill 5126), two regressive policies that will increase the cost of gas, food, goods, and heating for families across our state.

House Republicans fought hard against both of these bills, which are going to create financial harm for a lot of people. You can watch the arguments we made against Senate Bill 5126 by clicking on the image below.

2021-23 operating, transportation, and capital budgets

The $59 billion operating budget for the 2021-23 biennium will do a lot of good things for our state, but it also relies on revenue from the income tax on capital gains I discussed above. Additionally, it grows spending by $7 billion, an increase of 13.6% over 2019-21. Astoundingly, state spending has grown by 74% since the governor came into office. This spending growth is unsustainable and will inevitably lead to devastating cuts or even more burdensome new taxes down the road.

The 2021-23 transportation budget passed on a 90-6 vote. The $11.8 billion budget will fund the basic transportation needs of our state by providing funding for the maintenance and preservation of current transportation systems, the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Washington State Ferry system, the Washington State Patrol, and other state transportation agencies.

  • $849 million for preservation and $520 million for maintenance.
  • $550 million for Washington State Patrol, including an additional trooper class.
  • $541 million for operating costs and $505 million for capital costs for Washington State Ferries.
  • $224 million for Transportation Improvement Board.
  • $101 million for County Road Administration Board. 

The 2021-23 capital budget passed with unanimous support. The $6.3 billion budget will fund various construction projects throughout the state, making significant investments in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure with the help of one-time federal funds. In addition to local projects, which can be found here, other highlights include:

  • $733 million for the state’s four-year institutions.
  • $730.6 million for 2021-23 School Construction Assistance Program.
  • $512 million for the community and technical college system.
  • $326 million for State Broadband Office for broadband infrastructure projects, including $50 million in bonds to leverage other federal funding.
  • $200.7 million to begin construction of the behavioral health teaching hospital run by the University of Washington.
  • $129 million from the Public Works Assistance Account to issue grants and loans to local governments for infrastructure projects.
  • $95 million in behavioral health capacity grants for community mental health services.

My manufacturing jobs bill signed into law

This session, I sponsored a bipartisan bill to support our hard-hit manufacturing sector. House Bill 1170, which has been signed into law, will provide a framework for the state to add 300,000 new manufacturing jobs and double the number of small manufacturing firms and the number of women- and minority-owned manufacturing firms over the next 10 years. With the Department of Commerce leading this effort and business, unions, and the building trades working in solidarity, I truly believe we can double the number of manufacturing jobs in Washington by 2031.

Under the bill, the state Department of Commerce will be tasked with:

  • Preparing a biennial report to the Legislature on the state of the manufacturing and research and development industry and workforce in Washington.
  • Convening a manufacturing council to advise and consult on the development of the report and recommendations.
  • Granting funding for initiatives that accelerate the development of regional clusters in manufacturing and research and development.
  • Appointing a workforce innovation lead to coordinate needs identified by the manufacturing, clean technology, and aerospace sector leads.

House Bill 1170 will go into effect July 25.

Contacting me

Although session is now over, please know I am here to serve you year-round. I encourage you to continue reaching out to me with your comments, questions and concerns. My email address is Matt.Boehnke@leg.wa.gov, and my district office number is (509) 315-2315.

It is an honor to serve you and the Mighty 8th.

We’re in the second half of session; join me for a virtual town hall meeting this Saturday!

This Saturday from 2-3:30 p.m., I will be hosting a virtual town hall meeting with Sen. Sharon Brown and Rep. Brad Klippert. The three of us will provide a brief session update and then take questions from constituents. If you would like to participate, please pre-register here. You can also submit questions in advance on that page. There is much to discuss, including the governor’s recent announcement that the entire state will be moving to Phase 3 on March 22, so I hope you’ll be able to join us via Zoom on Saturday.

For those of you who can’t be in attendance, please know you can always call me at (509) 315-2315 or send me an email with your comments, questions or concerns. I always look forward to hearing from you!

We’re in the second half of session

Today is day 66 of this year’s 105-day legislative session. Last Tuesday marked a critical deadline that meant the end of the road for a lot of bills – at least for this session. All bills that did not advance out of the chamber (House or Senate) in which they were introduced are now considered dead for the year. The exception to this are bills considered necessary to implement the budget, or NTIB.

I’m happy to report my manufacturing jobs bill survived cutoff, passing 96-0 in the House last week. If signed into law, House Bill 1170 will provide a framework for the state to add 300,000 new manufacturing jobs over the next 10 years. The bill would also seek to double the number of small manufacturing firms and the number of women- and minority-owned manufacturing firms in Washington. With the Department of Commerce leading this effort, I truly believe we would be able to hit our jobs target and meaningfully increase diversity in our manufacturing sector.

House Bill 1170 has been referred to the Senate Business, Financial Services and Trade Committee.

Bills to keep tabs on and a major battle ahead

There are a number of bills that have been proposed by the majority party this session that would hurt Washington families and small businesses.

  • House Bill 1091 would regulate the carbon intensity of transportation fuels (known as a low-carbon fuel standard mandate). Such a policy, which would have almost no environmental benefit, could drive up the price of gas by as much as 57 cents per gallon and diesel by as much as 63 cents per gallon.
  • Senate Bill 5096 would create a new income tax on capital gains. As the Tri-City Herald editorial board recently wrote: “This bill is attempting to lay the foundation for a statewide income tax. That is the end-goal.” That is correct, and it’s why House Republicans are fighting so hard against this proposal.
  • House Bill 1076 would authorize qui tam lawsuits, incentivizing trial attorneys to seek out private citizens to sue on behalf of the government so they could reap a portion of the financial award. Such a system would be ripe for abuse, and there are no safeguards in the bill to prevent frivolous lawsuits against small businesses should it become law.

Aside from these three bills and a handful of others, the biggest battle ahead is going to be over the 2021-23 operating budget. As I mentioned in my last email update, House Republicans have offered our own proposal, which would fund all of our state’s needs and priorities without raising taxes or cutting vital services. For their part, the majority party continues to back a tax-and-spend approach.

The bottom line is there is simply no case to be made for tax increases. While families have struggled throughout the pandemic, state tax collections have continued to increase. The latest state revenue forecast, which was unveiled this morning, projects a $3 billion surplus for our state by the middle of this year.

The debate ahead should be about tax relief, not tax increases. Period.

Preventing state agencies from profiting from the sale of your personal data

Last week, I introduced House Bill 1552, which would prohibit all state agencies from selling your personal data to third-party vendors. Under the bill, agencies would be required to certify compliance with the state Office of Privacy and Data Protection on an annual basis. Furthermore, the bill would compel them to be more transparent with you by requiring them to disclose the categories of personal data being collected, the data being shared with third parties, and the purposes for which the data is being shared.

Quite simply, Washington state should not be in the data broker business. House Bill 1552 is designed to protect you and your loved ones from harm and hopefully restore a bit of your trust in state government after the disastrous failures we’ve seen. It’s the right policy for our state, and I hope we can get it to the governor’s desk this session.

Contacting me and staying involved in the legislative process

Please continue reaching out to me with your comments, questions and concerns. My email address is Matt.Boehnke@leg.wa.gov, and my district office number is (509) 315-2315.

I also encourage you to stay involved in the legislative process by following House Republicans on Twitter and Facebook, visiting The Ledger, and utilizing the resources listed in this document. Finally, please bookmark my legislative website, where you can find my latest press releases, video updates, interviews, and more.

Until next time, stay safe and take care.

House Republican budget offers a new approach for our state

On Tuesday, the four senior Republican members on the House Appropriations Committee held a press conference to unveil the 2021-23 House Republican operating budget proposal. It stands in stark contrast to the governor’s proposal, which would unnecessarily grow government and raise taxes.

Our plan would fund all of our state’s needs and priorities without raising taxes or cutting vital services. We would fund the working families tax credit for the first time in its 12-year history, provide sales tax exemptions for basic necessities, help low-income families defray the cost of remote learning, safely reopen our schools, take bold steps to actually solve the homelessness crisis, make critical investments in behavioral health, provide B&O tax relief for our small businesses, and more. At the same time, we would reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, fix inefficiencies in government, eliminate programs that aren’t working, and replace bad policies with better ones.

It’s a budget that aligns perfectly with our priorities as a caucus to safely reopen schools and businesses, oppose new taxes and fees, hold the governor and state agencies accountable, and protect our communities.

House passes two COVID relief bills

Since my last update, the House has passed two COVID relief bills.

Senate Bill 5061, which was signed into law by the governor earlier this month, will limit the massive unemployment insurance tax increases businesses are facing. That’s important, but I believe we should have done more to provide relief for our job creators. House Republicans offered three amendments to do so.

  • Amendment 20, sponsored by Rep. Brandon Vick, would have suspended all unemployment insurance tax increases until the governor’s termination of the current state of emergency.
  • Amendment 21, sponsored by Rep. Larry Hoff, would have allowed business owners to defer unemployment insurance tax payments for two quarters.
  • Amendment 22, sponsored by Rep. Drew MacEwen, would have authorized a one-time $500 million transfer from the state’s rainy-day fund to the unemployment trust fund, which has been depleted as a result of the pandemic and last year’s $600 million theft by foreign fraudsters. Currently, our small business owners are on the hook to replenish that fund. That’s wrong.

Unfortunately, all three amendments were rejected.

The other COVID relief bill that came to the floor was House Bill 1368. While Rep. Drew Stokesbary’s REAL Recovery for Washington Act would have provided $4 billion in relief, the majority’s HB 1368 is set to provide roughly half that amount. You can review a comparison of the proposals here.

House Republicans again offered a number of amendments that would have taken bold steps to safely reopen schools, assist students who have fallen behind, provide rental and utility assistance, ease financial burdens on working families, help child care providers, and support small businesses. All but one of our amendments was rejected.

House Appropriations Committee approves my manufacturing jobs bill

A bill I’ve sponsored to double the number of manufacturing jobs in our state by 2031 was unanimously approved by the House Appropriations Committee earlier this week.

House Bill 1170, the Building Economic Strength Through Manufacturing (BEST) Act, would provide a framework for the state to add 300,000 new manufacturing jobs over the next 10 years. The bill also seeks to double the number of small manufacturing firms and the number of women- and minority-owned manufacturing firms in Washington.

Rebuilding our economy and revitalizing struggling communities around the state is going to take a multifaceted approach focused on real solutions. My goal with House Bill 1170 is to unite business, unions, and the building trades around one specific vision: that Washington be the best place in the world to make things. I know we can achieve the goals laid out in the bill, and appreciate the support it’s received from members on both sides of the aisle. I look forward to continuing to advocate for its passage as it moves through the legislative process.

Following the latest data breach, it’s clear we must take a different approach to cybersecurity

Earlier this month, I joined the Lars Larson Show to discuss the latest statewide breach that exposed the personal data of at least 1.4 million Washingtonians who filed for unemployment last year.

What’s abundantly clear is that our state needs to modernize it software systems and implement stricter accountability measures to stop these breaches from happening. As I told The Seattle Times, our state agencies are simply being too lazy when it comes to cybersecurity. It’s unacceptable and needs to change.

Contacting me and staying involved in the legislative process

Please continue reaching out to me with your comments, questions and concerns. My email address is Matt.Boehnke@leg.wa.gov, and my district office number is (509) 315-2315.

I also encourage you to stay involved in the legislative process by following House Republicans on Twitter and Facebook, visiting The Ledger, and utilizing the resources listed in this document. Finally, please bookmark my legislative website, where you can find my latest press releases, video updates, interviews, and more.

Until next time, stay safe and take care.

Working to rebuild our economy and revitalize our communities

Due to election-year restrictions, I was unable to send you legislative email updates throughout much of 2020. With this year’s legislative session under way, I look forward to resuming my regular communication with you. Thank you for the opportunity to continue representing the Mighty 8th in the Legislature. It is truly a privilege to serve you and work on behalf of our communities.

On the first day of session (Jan. 11), legislators convened at the Capitol to pass temporary rules that allow us to meet remotely for the next several months. While a remote session is far from ideal, please know I am making every effort to be as accessible to you as possible. I encourage you to reach out to me any time so we can work together on the issues most important to you and your family. My email address is Matt.Boehnke@leg.wa.gov, and my district office number is (509) 315-2315. I look forward to hearing from you!

Working to rebuild our economy and revitalize our communities

Our top priority as House Republicans this session is safely getting Washingtonians back to work, school, and a more normal life. We had hoped to start working toward this goal months ago, but the governor opted not to call us into a special session. I believe that was a mistake, but now we must look forward and focus on the task at hand.

As the new ranking Republican member of the House Community and Economic Development Committee, my priority is rebuilding our economy and revitalizing our communities. I have cosponsored several bills aimed at doing that.

House Bill 1334, the REAL Recovery for Washington Act, is a $4 billion economic recovery plan that would provide immediate financial support to struggling families and businesses, and accelerate the safe reopening of schools. It would spend $2.1 billion from the state’s “rainy-day” fund and other untapped federal sources, along with $1.8 billion in new federal funds approved by Congress last month. You can learn more about the bill here.

House Bill 1321 is an important bill aimed at giving our small business owners a fighting chance. It would immediately move the entire state to Phase 2 of the governor’s “Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery” plan. Currently, every region in Washington is under Phase 1 restrictions. Fitness centers and indoor entertainment venues are operating at extremely limited capacity, and restaurants are prohibited from offering indoor dining to patrons. Under Phase 2, fitness centers, indoor entertainment venues and restaurants could return to 25% indoor capacity if following the proper protocols to protect Washingtonians and minimize the spread of COVID-19.

House Bill 1095 would exempt businesses from paying state taxes on government COVID-19 aid. The bill, which would be retroactive to last March and apply going forward, could provide relief for as many as 100,000 taxpayers across the state. Joe O’Sullivan with The Seattle Times recently interviewed me for a story he wrote on the bill. You can read his piece here.

In addition to these bills, I have introduced two other bills designed to create jobs and foster economic growth in both the short and long-term.

House Bill 1170, the Washington Building Economic Strength Through Manufacturing (BEST) Act, provides a framework for our state to lead the nation in both manufacturing and research & development jobs by 2030. To achieve this goal, we need to add 300,000 manufacturing jobs over the next nine years. If signed into law, my bill would require the state Department of Commerce to do a number of things, including:

  • Convening manufacturing and R&D stakeholders to compile a report to the Legislature detailing the progress made towards, and identifying policy obstacles to, achieving the state manufacturing goal.
  • Establishing regional offices staffed with a lead coordinator responsible for establishing a research and manufacturing industrial council, identifying and expanding capacity for local skill centers, and promoting and fostering skilled trade learning programs.
  • Coordinating with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges to assess any inadequacy or gaps in delivering remote hands-on, skills-based manufacturing workforce training.
  • Reporting to the Legislature on the feasibility of forming both a state manufacturing office and a state research and development office to support the attainment of the state manufacturing goal.

House Bill 1170 is scheduled to receive a public hearing in the House Community and Economic Development Committee on Friday, Jan. 29.

House Bill 1190 would lay the groundwork for our state to become a national and global leader in the future of commercial space exploration. The global space sector, currently valued at $350 billion, is expected to carry at least a $1 trillion valuation by 2040. My bill would direct the state Department of Commerce to complete a study of public policies that would: a) foster the development of the new space economy in Washington, and b) look at the geographic distribution of potential employment and training opportunities across the state.

If you have any ideas for legislation, please don’t hesitate to send me an email.

Staying connected this session

I encourage you to stay engaged in the legislative process this session by following House Republicans on Twitter and Facebook, visiting The Ledger, and utilizing the resources listed in this document. Finally, please bookmark my legislative website, where you can find my latest press releases, video updates, interviews, and more.

It is an honor to serve you. Until next time, please stay safe and take care.

It’s time to rebuild our economy and safely get Washingtonians back to work

Thank you to everyone who participated in the telephone town hall Sen. Brown, Rep. Klippert and I held last month. We took a lot of calls, most of which were focused on the coronavirus crisis. We want you to know we hear your concerns and frustrations, and are doing everything we can to convey them to Gov. Jay Inslee and his staff.

During the call, we asked participants to weigh in on a survey question: “Should Gov. Inslee begin to open more businesses that can safely practice social distancing?” Nearly 75 percent of you said yes. We agree.

Earlier this week, the state’s Employment Security Department reported that more than 800,000 Washingtonians have filed for unemployment insurance since this crisis began. With our state having already flattened the coronavirus curve, it is imperative that we quickly—and safely—get Washingtonians back to work.

On April 17, Republicans in the state House and Senate released a comprehensive plan to safely restart our economy and promote its continued recovery over the long term. More on that below.

Only recently did the governor announce his own plan to reopen our state in four phases (Phase 1 began May 5). However, this one-size-fits-all approach simply does not make sense. Benton County is not King County. Our approach to this crisis shouldn’t have to match their approach. That’s why I signed on to a letter earlier this month advocating for a plan focused on decentralization and recovery.

From the letter:

“Each of the 39 counties in Washington are represented by elected officials and supported by staff capable of waging the tactical fight against the virus and its impact on their communities. They have an in-depth, detailed understanding of the resources and response methods that will best suit their county. They also have the ability to be more directly receptive to citizens’ needs on a local level and are in a better position to determine which restrictions to impose or modify, which to remove, and the proper timeframe in which to do so. Empowering county-level leaders will have a number of positive effects. It will encourage creative solutions and the development and sharing of good ideas and best-practices, allow our economy to recover faster while still maintaining safety protocols, and it will enable you and your staff to focus on the larger strategy such as acquiring and appropriately allocating state resources and conducting interstate collaboration.“

As the governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order remains in effect, tens of thousands of business owners and their employees simply continue to wait and hope their financial futures haven’t been permanently destroyed. Meanwhile, our state now faces a massive budget deficit that will likely require a special session later this year to address.

For years, House Republicans have urged the majority party to budget for the long term and not spend every dime provided by taxpayers. Unfortunately, our words have not been heeded and spending has skyrocketed.

We’re now in a position where there are going to have be serious cuts to programs. And although there are rumblings some Democrats are hoping to use this crisis as a way to pass massive new tax increases on Washingtonians, we’re simply not going to allow that to happen.

Safe Economic Restart Plan

As I mentioned above, Republicans in the state House and Senate released a comprehensive plan⁠ on April 17—the “Safe Economic Restart Plan“⁠—that includes a number of actions our state can take to rebuild our economy.

Immediate action to be taken right now

  • Convene a Restart Task Force comprising legislative leaders, relevant executive-branch directors and representatives of the business and organized-labor communities.
    • This group will chart a course toward allowing all Washington businesses to reopen, on a phased or limited basis as necessary, with COVID-19 protections for workers and customers in place.
  • Fully disclose the “metrics” that must be met before the business-closure order can be lifted or amended. Knowing the standards will allow the people of Washington to act accordingly.
  • Deliver on the massive testing capabilities promised by state health officials ahead of the business-closure order. Direct the appropriate state agencies to acquire antibody tests and work with employers to screen workers. Workers found to have the antibodies resulting from the COVID-19 infection will be immediately eligible for employment.
  • Interface with the governor’s Business Recovery Legislative Task Force and be prepared to support recommendations that are achievable, measurable and complementary.
  • Exempt small businesses from paying sales and B&O taxes for one year.
  • Offer state-government assistance to the many small businesses in Washington that do not qualify for federal emergency-assistance programs.
  • A moratorium on all state-agency rulemaking not related to the current crisis. Rules are important, but at a time when many businesses are simply trying to survive, the making of new rules seems less than essential. Relief from rulemaking goes hand-in-hand with relief from taxes.
  • Allow operations to resume in economic sectors that fit one or more of these criteria: low-risk, personal health, environmental protection, aid to elderly/physically challenged, alternate quarantine locations, assisting businesses with tax-related requirements, or property protection.
    • Examples are auto dealers, solo landscape services, car washes, remodeling companies/contractors, residential construction, hairdressers/barbers, flower shops, RV parks, dentists, installers of home/commercial security systems, and accountants/tax preparers

Legislative action to be taken in a special session

  • Forgive first-quarter small-business B&O taxes for 2020 and allow deferral of remaining quarterly taxes to the end of 2020. It makes more sense for state government to assist employers through this difficult time, so they can return to becoming regular taxpayers, than to see employers fail and drop off the tax rolls completely.
  • Forgive payments related to unemployment insurance, workers’ compensation and paid family leave for April 2020 through the month that the business-closure order is lifted or amended, as appropriate.

Actions to be taken within 6-12 months of all businesses being able to reopen

  • Increase the small-business tax credit to exempt businesses with annual gross receipts of an amount to be determined.
  • Business-tax reporting and payment deferral for B&O, sales, and use tax.
  • A year-long holiday from the state’s unemployment insurance social-cost tax, with the option for an additional one-year reduction in the social-cost tax. Timing would depend on the condition of the state UI trust account (which may shrink despite federal-funding backfill).
  • Sales-tax holiday(s) to help jump-start business activity statewide: These would be aligned with known shopping promotions (e.g. back to school, Black Friday, Cyber Monday) and last for several days. Although state tax collections would be reduced, B&O collections would likely increase.
  • Aid regarding workers’ compensation premiums: Extend L&I’s Employer Assistance Program for small businesses for all of 2020. Direct L&I to determine whether it has reserve funds to forgive some premium payments for small businesses with deferrals or payment plans per COVID-19.
  • Waive state minimum-wage increase for 2021: With the minimum wage being tied to CPI and speculation that there may be a decrease in the CPI, hold any future inflationary adjustments to the state minimum wage until the index exceeds the January 2020 level.

A reminder to respond to the 2020 Census

The U.S. Census bureau is mailing out paper questionnaires to households that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census. Critical funding for our state is dependent on getting an accurate measure of our population, so if you have not yet responded, please visit my2020census.gov and fill out the questionnaire.

Red Cross blood drive in Kennewick on May 20

I wanted to pass along this message from Michele Roth, Executive Director of the American Red Cross for Central and Southeastern Washington:

Thanks to the many who gave blood and scheduled upcoming appointments, the Red Cross has been able to meet immediate patient needs. During this uncertain time, we encourage individuals to keep scheduled blood donation appointments and to make new blood donation appointments for the weeks ahead to ensure a stable supply throughout this pandemic. It’s important to remember that blood is perishable and cannot be stockpiled.

The next blood drive will be on May 20 at the Kennewick Red Cross office (7202 W Deschutes Kennewick, WA 99336). I plan on being there and hope you’ll join me. Let’s make a difference together! To sign up, click here.

Contacting me and election-year restrictions

I couldn’t be prouder to represent you and the mighty 8th District. Please continue to stay safe, stay strong, and take care of one another as we continue to navigate our way through this crisis. All of you are in my thoughts.

NOTE: Due to election-year restrictions that begin on Monday, this will be my last email update to you until after the November election results are certified. The exception is if we go into a special session. However, I am able to respond year-round to constituents who contact me, so please keep your emails and calls coming. My email address is Matt.Boehnke@leg.wa.gov, and my district office number is (509) 873-0008.

It is an honor to serve you.

Important: 8th District telephone town hall meeting tomorrow, April 23

Tomorrow afternoon from 4-5 p.m., Sen. Sharon Brown, Rep. Brad Klippert and I will be hosting an 8th District telephone town hall meeting. During the hourlong call, we’ll be answering questions from residents about this year’s 60-day legislative session and the ongoing coronavirus crisis. We’ll also be asking a number of survey questions.

Most 8th District residents with landlines will receive an invitation phone call to participate just before the meeting begins. If you do not receive that call and wish to participate, you may dial (509) 207-7114 anytime between 4-5 p.m.

If you have questions about the telephone town hall, please contact my office at (509) 873-0008.

I look forward to talking with you tomorrow!

We’re all in this fight together; important information and resources on COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

During this incredibly challenging time for our state, country and world, it is incumbent on all of us to support one another and work together to stop the spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). This virus has done a lot of damage, both to people’s health and financial well-being, but I have no doubt we’re going to defeat this unseen enemy and come back stronger than ever.

Seeing the cooperation between federal, state, and local government agencies over the past several weeks has been heartening. And when Congressman Newhouse, Sen. Brown, Rep. Klippert, and I met with PNNL scientists earlier this week, it was great to learn they are working around the clock to fight COVID-19.

But nothing has moved me more than seeing our heroes in the medical field work 24/7 to take care of the sick and vulnerable, and restore people back to health. We are extremely blessed to have so many people with servant hearts and attitudes helping those in need.

Speaking of needs, I received an email yesterday from Michele Roth, Executive Director for the American Red Cross in Central and Southeastern Washington. She informed me that 4,500 Red Cross blood drives have been cancelled across the country, so they’re facing a significant shortage of blood donations.

“Although COVID-19 has consumed most of the country’s attention, we still have cancer patients, babies born with Sickle Cell Disease, and accident victims who will need and are counting on blood donations,” she wrote. “Every two seconds, someone needs blood and there is no substitute. Blood cannot be manufactured and does have a shelf life, so we are doing all we can to communicate the need to keep the supply up during these uncertain times.”

If you are healthy and feeling well, please make an appointment to donate blood by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Finally, I wanted to provide you with links to critical information, resources and guidance on COVID-19 that I hope will be helpful to you and your family over the next several weeks. If there is information you’re looking for that is not listed below, please get in touch with me at (360) 786-7986 or Matt.Boehnke@leg.wa.gov.

We’re going to get through this together, 8th District. Please be safe, stay strong, support one another, and help bring calm to our community by not spreading unsubstantiated rumors that seek to spread fear.

It is an honor to serve each and every one of you.

Sincerely,
Matt

General information

Washington state’s official COVID-19 site:

General guidance from the Department of Health:

  • Novel Coronavirus Fact Sheet
    • Wash hands often with soap and water. If not available, use hand sanitizer.
    • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
    • Avoid contact with people who are sick.
    • Stay home while you are sick and avoid close contact with others.
    • Cover your mouth/nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing.

Department of Health:

  • Call center | 1-800-525-0127
  • 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., seven days a week.
  • 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak (COVID-19)
    • Symptoms and Testing.
    • Resources and Recommendations.
    • Current Situation in Washington – What’s the current risk?
    • 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Washington.

Health Care Authority:

Updates from the Governor’s Office:

Teach with TVW:

Contact information for local health departments and districts

Department of Health:

Recent announcements and news releases

Recent announcements and news releases from the Governor’s Office and Department of Health:

Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) | K-12 schools

OSPI:

Universities and colleges

Washington State Council of Presidents:

Washington State Community and Technical Colleges:

Independent Colleges of Washington:

Employers and employees

Governor’s Office | Partial list of resources to support economic retention and recovery related to COVID-19 coronavirus:

Employment Security Department:

U.S. Small Business Administration:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

Department of Labor:

Department of Revenue:

Department of Financial Institutions:

  • Financial Resources for Washington Residents Impacted by COVID-19
    • Accessing Your Financial Institution.
    • Unemployment Help.
    • Trouble Paying Credit Cards.
    • Trouble Paying Your Mortgage.
    • Trouble Paying Rent.
    • Student Loans Deferment.
    • Short Term and Emergency Loans.
    • Paying Utilities.
    • Insurance Issues.
    • Avoiding Scams.
    • At Home Financial Education Resources for Students.
    • Additional Resources.

Department of Labor & Industries:

Washington Paid Family & Medical Leave:

Office of the Insurance Commissioner:

  • Coronavirus
    • Health insurance.
    • For insurers and medical providers.
    • Travel insurance.
    • Other types of insurance

Agriculture

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA):

Military & Veterans

U.S. Department of Defense:

Washington Military Department:

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:

Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs:

Other federal agencies

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration:

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services:

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau:

If you are looking for information that isn’t listed above, please get in touch with me at (360) 786-7986 or Matt.Boehnke@leg.wa.gov.

It is an honor to serve you.

Majority party rejects House Republican efforts to provide tax relief for Washington families

Topics in this update include:

  • A word of thanks about last month’s town hall meeting in Richland
  • My first bill approved by the state House
  • House Republicans fight to provide tax relief for Washington families
  • Majority party advances comprehensive sex education bill

As always, I welcome you to contact me any time with your comments, questions or concerns. My email address is Matt.Boehnke@leg.wa.gov, and my phone number is (360) 786-7986.

A word of thanks about last month’s town hall meeting in Richland

We’re now in the final week of this year’s 60-day legislative session, but before I get to policy updates, I first wanted to extend my thanks to everyone who attended our town hall meeting in Richland last month. My top priority is to represent you and your family well, so I always welcome the opportunity to hear directly from you.

I also firmly believe we can achieve so much more together than apart, so thank you again for being engaged, making your voices heard, and being so passionate about our communities. I’m honored to serve you in the Legislature.

My first bill approved by the state House

Sitting at my desk on the House floor and witnessing the passage of my first bill was a truly humbling experience. House Bill 2596, which was approved 93-5, would help lay the groundwork for our state to become a national and global leader in the future of commercial space exploration and development. It is critical we do everything we can to build our state’s economy and workforce both now and in the future, and this bill would help in that effort.

House Republicans fight to provide tax relief to Washington families

Earlier this session, lawmakers received good news when the state’s latest revenue forecast revealed a surge in new revenue and a $2.4 billion budget surplus. House Republicans immediately came together to discuss how we could use this massive surplus to provide tax relief for Washington families. All 40 of us signed on to a bill (HB 2946) sponsored by Rep. Drew Stokesbary to provide $1 billion in tax relief by implementing voter-approved $30 car tabs and eliminating the sales tax on certain grocery items and personal necessities.

When the majority party signaled they would not be supporting the bill, we knew it was likely their supplemental operating budget would spend almost all of the new surplus and not provide any tax relief. That turned out to be the case, so in a last-ditch effort to put money back in your pockets, we proposed two alternative budgets when they brought their budget to the House floor for a vote.

One of the alternative budgets was introduced by Stokesbary, and looked to deliver the tax relief in HB 2946. The other budget was introduced by Rep. Jim Walsh, and looked to provide $600 million in annual property tax cuts. Unfortunately, the majority party rejected both budgets and passed their own. When the governor signs it into law, state spending will have increased nearly 75% since 2013.

If you’re interested in watching a recap of the budget debate, please click on the image below.

Majority party advances comprehensive sex education bill

I have received so many emails from parents and teachers concerned about Senate Bill 5395, the majority party’s proposal to mandate comprehensive sex education in all grades by the 2022-23 school year. For six hours last Wednesday, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., I joined with my House Republican colleagues in battling against this bill, which goes way too far by taking away our children’s innocence and infringing on parental rights. Watch:

Contacting me

Please continue contacting me with your comments, questions and concerns. I always welcome your feedback. My email address is Matt.Boehnke@leg.wa.gov, and my phone number is (360) 786-7986.

It is an honor to serve you.

Reminder: Town hall meeting Saturday morning in Richland

I wanted to send a quick reminder that I’ll be holding a town hall meeting with Sen. Sharon Brown and Rep. Brad Klippert on Saturday morning in Richland. The three of us will be providing a brief update on this year’s 60-day session, and then opening it up for your questions. I hope you’ll come out and join us!

Details of the town hall are as follows:

Date: Saturday, Feb. 22
Time: 10-11:30 a.m.
Location: Richland Community Center (500 Amon Park Dr, Richland, WA 99352)

If you’re unable to make it to the town hall, I welcome you to call me at (360) 786-7986 or send me an email with your comments, questions and concerns. I always welcome your feedback!

It is an honor to serve you.

Working to create more transparency and accountability; upcoming town hall meeting on Feb. 22

On Saturday, Feb. 22, from 10-11:30 a.m., I will be hosting a town hall meeting with Sen. Sharon Brown and Rep. Brad Klippert at the Richland Community Center (500 Amon Park Drive). The three of us will provide a brief update on this year’s 60-day session and then take your questions. There is much to discuss, so I hope you’ll be able to join us. For those of you who can’t make it, please know you can always call me at (360) 786-7986 or send me an email with your comments, questions or concerns. I always welcome your feedback!

One topic we’ll certainly be discussing during the town hall is the majority’s lack of respect for the will of the people. Voters in our state have repeatedly rejected tax increases when they’ve been on the ballot, whether in the form of a state income tax, a carbon tax, a tax on soda, etc. And yet, the two most significant bills the majority brought to the floor in the first half of this year’s session would increase taxes.

One of the bills would impose a low-carbon fuel standard mandate on fuel suppliers that would significantly increase their costs. But it’s not the suppliers who would ultimately foot the bill. It’s you and me as those costs are passed down. Not only would we see higher gas prices at the pump (one estimate predicts prices could rise by as much as 57 cents), but we’d also see higher grocery prices. Additionally, many of our small businesses would struggle under the weight of rising material and transportation costs.

The bottom line is this bill would hurt a lot of people in exchange for a fractional reduction in the carbon in our atmosphere. That’s a bad deal. Our state already leads the nation in electricity generation from renewable sources. We are the nation’s largest producer of hydropower. We are doing the right things to ensure we have a clean and healthy environment now and in the future. That’s why the mandate in House Bill 1110 is so unnecessary.

Although the bill passed 52-44, our caucus fought hard during the four-hour floor fight. Watch:

The other significant bill the majority introduced, which has since been signed into law by the governor, increases the B&O tax rate on thousands of Washington businesses. Instead of allocating the record revenues taxpayers have sent us to fund college scholarships, the majority decided increasing taxes on builders, landscapers, plumbers, mechanics and tens of thousands of others who run small businesses was a better approach.

While we don’t have the votes to stop the majority from passing these types of bills, we will continue doing everything we can to slow them down and hold them accountable for their lack of regard for the will of the people.

An update on my bills

Several bills I introduced this session have been approved in the policy committees tasked with reviewing them.

House Bill 2593 would build on existing efforts to improve state agency accountability and performance by extending the following requirements through the year 2028:

  • State agencies that issue permits must track and record performance data regarding permit applications and processing times. In March of even-numbered years, these agencies are required to submit a report to the Office of Regulatory Innovation and Assistance (ORIA) with this data.
  • In September of even-numbered years, the ORIA is required to publish a comprehensive progress report on the performance of agencies in tracking permit timelines and other efforts to improve regulatory permitting.

House Bill 2594 would require electric utility and natural gas companies to publish—or provide electronically—explanations for all proposed changes to its tariff for at least 30 days. If rates are rising due to policies we’re passing here in the Legislature, you deserve to know that. Creating transparency and accountability, which HB 2594 would do, is one of the best ways we can restore your trust in us.

House Joint Memorial 4015 requests Congress to establish a U.S. Space Academy in Washington to support the mission of Space Force, the nation’s newest military branch. A devoted space academy to train and equip our workforce for the civilian opportunities and military missions of the future in space would benefit the nation and be a boon to our state’s space industry.

House Bill 2596 would direct the state’s Department of Commerce to complete a study of public policies that would help develop the new space economy in Washington. The study would also look at the geographic distribution of potential employment and training opportunities. Results would be required to be submitted to the Legislature by October 31, 2021.

All of these bills are now in the House Rules Committee awaiting further action.

Sponsoring local students as House pages

So far this session, I’ve had the opportunity to sponsor three local students as House pages: Zoe Pfeifer, Bailie Jansons, and Gemma Cannon-Green. All three did a phenomenal job and represented the 8th District well during the week they spent here at the Capitol. Thank you, Zoe, Bailie, and Gemma!

To learn more about the House Page Program, click here.

Contacting me

Please continue contacting me with your comments, questions and concerns about this year’s legislative session or anything else that’s on your mind. And I hope to see you at the town hall next weekend!