Dist. 13 legislators update community at chamber breakfast

MOSES LAKE — Legislators of the 13th District met via video conference with members of the Moses Lake community Wednesday morning to discuss how the legislative session is going and what the community’s concerns are this session.

“The reason that (the Washington Policy Center) wants to host these breakfasts across Eastern Washington is in recognition of the fact that it's a lot more difficult for our Eastern Washington legislators to get home and hear from their constituents and meet with their communities when they’re stuck in Olympia during session; particularly this year with the long session,” said Sean O’Brien, Eastern Washington Director for the Washington Policy Center.

Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, and Reps. Tom Dent, R-Moses Lake, and Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, joined the video conference from Warnick’s office.

The event was hosted by the Washington Policy Center in partnership with the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce at the Chamber’s office in downtown Moses Lake.

There were about two dozen people in attendance from various areas of the community including but not limited to the City of Moses Lake, Moses Lake Fire Department, Grant County Commissioners’ office, Moses Lake School District, Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce, Brookdale Senior Living and Moses Lake Police Department.

“I was just looking at some statistics we received yesterday through our senate administration,” said Warnick. “We have had 748 bills heard in committees this year; 508 have passed out of committee and so we have had thousands of bills introduced with a variety of topics and we are now working through the bills (with floor action).”

Attendees asked questions on bills regarding police, hospital staffing, interstate nurse licensure compact, irrigation and rehabilitation district, education and homelessness, among other topics.

Senate Bill 5236, concerning hospital staffing standards, was the first bill of interest to the attendees.

“One that has been very important to us as we’ve been trying to get a new hospital here in Moses Lake is (SB) 5236,” said Debbie Doran-Martinez, president and CEO of the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce.

Doran-Martinez asked Warnick her thoughts on the bill and its status, since she had heard there was some compromise on the bill.

“That was the last bill in Ways and Means Committee on Friday and our caucus, we knew there were some negotiations going on but we weren't included in those negotiations, so we invited Lisa Thatcher who represents the hospitals in to a meeting with our Republican members on the committee and she did assure us that they had reached an agreement,” said Warnick. “It’s not exactly what they wanted to do but they have reached an agreement to keep the bill moving.”

SB 5236 has been passed out of Ways and Means and was passed to the Rules Committee for second reading.

“It’s kind of parked in Rules,” said Warnick. “They have promised, (Majority Leader) Sen. (Andy) Billig promised we would get the language before the bill came to the floor of the Senate to vote – the agreed-upon language. So we are going to hold him to that, but Lisa Thatcher did come in and said they had that agreement.”

Warnick then talked about how she didn’t like that the legislature was making rules for places like hospitals and schools; she felt the legislature was mandating things it should stay out of.

“Hospital staffing is a big issue,” Warnick said.

Relating to staffing, the interstate nurse licensure compact, HB 1417, was also asked about. It has passed the House Committee on Postsecondary Education and Workforce and was referred to the Appropriations Committee on Feb. 17.

“So that came through my committee, the Postsecondary and Workforce Committee,” said Ybarra. “The nurse compact did make it through my committee and unfortunately went to the Appropriations Committee early and the Appropriations Committee killed it; they did not listen to it, meaning that they didn’t vote on it as well. The chair just chose, because he’s got the right to not hear that bill, so right now the nurses compact bill is dead.”

Warnick said initially that she believed the Senate bill also regarding the nurse compact was dead but she was updated a short time later that the bill, SB 5499, was passed to the Rules Committee for second reading on Feb. 17.

Ybarra said a good thing is that other compact bills for other professions such as dentists, dental hygienists and behavioral health therapists have passed committee.

Before they signed off, Warnick had some final words for her constituents.

“Keep us informed,” said Warnick. “Send emails, call our offices, keep us informed of your thoughts on bills because it really does mean a lot to hear from folks back home.”

Rebecca Pettingill can be reached via email at rpettingill@columbiabasinherald.com.