Warnick on budget, job committees

OLYMPIA - Washington State House Republicans appointed Rep. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, to three committees in the upcoming legislative session.

The new appointments add to Warnick's caucus vice chair position announced in November.

Warnick is the lead Republican member of the capital budget committee and serves on the higher education and labor and workforce development committees.

The 2011 legislative session begins on Monday and is scheduled to run for 105 days.

Lawmakers still need to balance the state's $1.1 billion budget shortfall in the current budget cycle, which ends in July 2011.

Warnick said she is looking forward to balancing the state's budget in the upcoming legislature the most.

"I will be looking for the best ways we can set priorities to create more jobs, not only for the 13th district, but statewide," she said. "We are not going to be able to fund all the things that was funded in the past. We need to set funding priorities."

She intends to cut spending in order to balance the budget, rather than raise taxes.

Warnick said she is committed to working with capital budget committee chairman Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Everett, to come up with a way to balance the budget.

"Hans has his priorities and his party has priorities. We need to work together to make them sustainable for the long term for the state," she said.

As a serving member on the higher education committee, Warnick said she wants to ensure schools like Big Bend Community College will continue to receive the funding they needed.

The Higher Education Committee considers issues related to the state's public and independent colleges, public community and technical colleges and private career schools, according to the Washington State Legislature Web site.

Warnick's participation in the Labor and Workforce Development Committee means she will continue to push for creating more private sector jobs, rather than relying on the state to generate government jobs.

"I'd like to continue trying to lessen regulations on small businesses. I'd like to make it so that small business can hire younger people easier," she said. "Often times, the younger work force is excited to work, but there are so many frustrating requirements needed of small businesses in order hire someone younger."

There are 39 members new to the state's legislature this year, according to Warnick.

"The new members means that we are going to have some fresh people and fresh ideas. We have a lot of work ahead of us. Being able to balance the budget and coming up with a solution to our budget problems will be exciting," she said.