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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
With the cooler weather and shorter days, it definitely feels like fall is in the air. Autumn has always been my favorite season in beautiful North Central Washington. Of course, this means winter — and the 2014 legislative session — are right around the corner.
One of the big issues being discussed statewide right now is transportation. It is a topic of critical importance to our state and district. I am pleased to share with you that legislative leaders have appointed me to the House Transportation Committee. This committee will provide me an opportunity to weigh in on this essential service provided by our state government.
I listened to a legislative forum held Sept. 23 in Wenatchee, coordinated by leaders of the Senate Transportation Committee. Many local leaders and citizens attended to share their thoughts to us about transportation and how to pay for improvements and maintenance of our roadways. Many citizens also discussed ideas for reforms, which I believe must be an important aspect of any future transportation proposal.
More feedback forums will be held in several other locations around the state – see the schedule below. These are an important way for the Legislature to hear directly from the people on an issue as critical as this one, especially if taxpayers would be likely asked to help pay for any future projects. As you know, a 10-cent per gallon gas tax increase was pursued multiple times during a recent special session. I voted against those proposals because I believed they were rushed, did not include meaningful reforms, and did not involve due diligence with broad input from citizens. See below for information about the most recent proposal during session.
The recent forums being hosted throughout the state are a good start of the discussion about reforming and funding our state transportation projects. If you were unable to participate in the forum last Monday, please feel free to contact my office to share your thoughts. Hearing from you helps me to do my job better.
Thank you for the opportunity to represent you in Olympia!
Sincerely,
Brad Hawkins
