A day in the life of a legislator

OLYMPIA — During session, legislators have many different things that they do throughout the day and Senator Judy Warnick (R-Moses Lake) gave an insight to what that looked like last week.

“The people I meet and being able to help solve problems,” Warnick said, is her favorite part of being a legislator.

Like many other legislators, on Feb. 15 Warnick had many meetings, and she began her day bright and early before a session caucus on the Senate Floor from 10:30 a.m. to 1:25 p.m. Some of the second and third readings to hit the floor during that time were on topics of emergency domestic violence requirements, waiver of firearms rights, voter registration and campaign finance disclosure.

She then joined Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Yakima, that afternoon at the Irv Newhouse building where he was presented with the sign that used to hang above the entrance to the building. While inside the building she was happy to show those in attendance which room had been her office.

She then returned to her current office inside the legislative building to speak with two different groups of city officials. The city officials were there as part of the first of two days called City Action Days where city administration can meet with legislators to address legislative priorities for their cities.

The first was Cle Elum City Councilman Matthew Lundh, who brought up three areas that he wanted Warnick to be aware of and support. The first was a capital budget request for the revitalization of their skate park, and he told Warnick the community has been able to raise $260,000 out of the nearly $700,000 needed for the work. The other two topics were the city’s First Street sidewalk expansion and mentioning support for SB 5357, which would establish limitations on detached accessory dwelling units outside urban growth areas.

The second group was from the City of Moses Lake. City Manager Allison Williams, Deputy Mayor Deanna Martinez and Mayor Don Myers met with Warnick to discuss their priorities for Moses Lake. One of the bigger priorities was water issues. As part of plans to transition to surface and shallow water, the city wants to irrigate parks and ballfields at the Paul Lauzier Athletic Complex with lake water supplied by the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District instead of with potable water from the city’s deep wells.

Warnick is currently serving on the Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources and Parks Committee, Human Services Committee and Ways and Means Committee.

She is the primary sponsor for 11 bills, six of which are still in committee, two or having the rules under which they will be considered written, two have been placed for second reading, and one has been referred to the Ways and Means Committee where it will have a public hearing. Warnick’s proposed legislation involves wine tax exemptions, creating a state cactus, water mitigation and irrigation and rehabilitation districts, among others.

“I have learned to make quick decisions and multitask,” Warnick said about her experience in the legislature.

Rebecca Pettingill may be reached at rpettingill@columbiabasinherald.com.