Warnick seeks fist political post

COLUMBIA BASIN —Highlighting a background in both business and agriculture, Moses Lake businesswoman Judy Warnick believes she has what it takes to represent the 13th District next year in Olympia.

Warnick said her focus would be on private property rights, encouraging small business by reducing taxes and regulations, funding for education and access to affordable health care.

"I will be a freshman legislator but I know what it's like over there in Olympia," Warnick said. "I feel I can represent the district, not only from a business standpoint, but from agricultural interests as well."

Warnick faces former Kittitas County Commissioner Max Golladay for the open 13th District House of Representatives seat in September's primary, which is being vacated by Rep. Janea Holmquist in her race for the state senate. The winner of the Republican primary will go on to represent the district, as no Democrats filed for the seat.

If elected, one bill she would support would be legislation requiring the state to pay fair market value for private property taken by any governmental entity for public use.

"We need to make sure the average citizen in our district is protected if their property is taken, or if the value is reduced, by government actions," Warnick said.

Warnick said the right of the government to take an individual's property for the public good should happen only under strict circumstances, and the person should be fairly reimbursed.

There is a balance, she said, between eminent domain issues and the ability for farmers and others to get their goods to market. "I think we just have to be very careful how we do that," she said.

Warnick has been active in Olympia with the Collector's Association and the Back Country Horsemen as legislative chair with the organizations for several years. Warnick sits on the Association of Washington Business board of directors, also serving in leadership positions in numerous other local organizations.

Warnick grew up on a dairy farm in Deer Park. She has lived in Moses Lake since 1970. She said growing up on a farm taught her a strong work ethic and the value of agriculture to the economy. She and husband Roy own Central Bonded Collectors in Moses Lake.

There are some issues Warnick wants to learn about in the district, and she said she is looking forward to getting involved with people in the district and hearing what their concerns are as well. She said there is nothing better than a person from the district who is involved.

One issue Warnick wants addressed next year is the one that kept her from getting an endorsement by her own party. Republican party rules allow the party to nominate a candidate to get funds from the different parties, which she said has discouraged other candidates from filing for the post. Warnick now has to gather signatures to qualify for her party's endorsement.

"I would look at the primary process again, because I don't think it's fair, the party should not restrict access," she said, noting that a party endorsement means access to mailing lists and financial support for her campaign.

She feels education funding is the most important program in the state budget, but said accountability and realistic and measurable goals must be met.

Warnick said she's not sure of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning as a standard without accountability measures. She said it goes further than just teachers, and said it maybe should expand to parents.

After seeing companies like Yahoo! and Microsoft partner with Quincy schools to bring in computers and other hardware, she said she would like to see more companies partner with schools in the classroom.

"I'd like to see more public-private partnerships there too," she said.

Warnick remains concerned about taxes on small business, and she said the state is over taxed and over regulated when it comes to small businesses. Tax exemptions, she added, give agricultural businesses the opportunity to be in the black at the end of the year.

"We just need to pay attention to our small businesses," she said. "If we don't our economy is going to flounder."

She noted she is also concerned about the level of insurance being paid by small businesses. Warnick said she would like to see more opportunities for private insurance companies in the state.

Warnick said she believes Moses Lake has a good health care network, but said other parts of the 13th district are struggling to get medical professionals to locate in their communities.

"I think the government needs to stay out of it as much as they can," she said of health care.

Warnick said she would ask on every bill whether or not the legislation is good for the district, for small business, and whether or not it will expand government. What may be appropriate for a King County district may not be appropriate for Grant County, she noted.

Warnick has no pre-set agenda, no one goal in mind, but said she would go to Olympia with an open mind, adding she felt her experience over there would allow her to hit the ground running.

"I'm not going to say I'm an expert on every issue," Warnick said. "I'm a good listener. I've got good experience bringing people together and working out solutions. And that's what I would do over there."