Preparing for the next session

I’ve been traveling around the district, meeting with folks and listening to their input on a variety of legislative matters as we prepare for the next legislate session.

I always enjoy sharing my legislative priorities. I was recently able to do this when I visited the Columbia Basin Tech Center to talk with students about my first year in the Legislature.

In mid-October, I spent two days with members of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee touring the district. Day one of the tour was hosted by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, along with the Nature Conservancy. I attended a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife meeting in Ellensburg, where the DFW explained the new mule deer management plan proposal

On the second day, we toured the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, looking at current forest health conditions and discussing possible solutions to improve overall forest health. We have already seen the benefit of selective logging, for example.

We were taken to an active logging operation and learned how logging techniques have changed to further protect the environment.

We also discussed some innovative ways to protect houses and buildings from wildfires in the future.

Finally, we toured the devastation from the 2014 fires. I am more motivated than ever to work on solutions that will help prevent destruction of such a mass scale.

I traveled to Quincy for an open house and tour of Sabey’s Intergate data center facility. This $500 million, 135,000-square-foot facility is proof that tax incentives work. Had it not been for tax incentives passed by the Legislature, the facility would have been built in Texas instead. We need to continue to do everything we can as a legislative body to encourage innovation, investment and job creation here in our great state.

As I reported in an earlier update, fair funding was cut by more than 40 percent during the 2015 legislative session. I recently attended the annual Washington State Fairs Association Convention in Pasco to get an update from WSFA leaders on their priorities, as well as their outlook for the upcoming year. Fortunately, funding has since been restored to its full amount.

During the 2015 session, I introduced House Bill 1888, which would transfer all of the responsibilities of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) regarding certification of chemical dependency treatment programs to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH).

The primary reason for doing this is to make state government more efficient, streamline regulation, and reduce costs associated with chemical dependency treatment programs. I’m continuing to work to see this important bill passed during the 2016 session.

Please continue to contact me with any comments, questions or concerns you have.

My email address is tom.dent@leg.wa.gov and my phone number is (509) 766-6682.