Greetings Friends and Neighbors,

This will be the last e-news update you’ll receive regarding my legislative duties due to election-year restrictions. Our state works hard to ensure fair and transparent elections and as such, we maintain stringent rules on the use of public resources during election years. Legislators who are up for re-election in 2018, including me, must follow specific rules and laws concerning our written communications with you.

We have had great conversations with constituents at the numerous events around the district. I want to thank everyone who has attended and lent their insights, shared their concerns, and helped me hold our state government accountable. I will be holding one final meeting this Saturday, May 12, at the Edgewood City Hall from 4-5:30 p.m. I hope you’ll join me for an informal conversation about what your state government should be doing.

There is a lot to reflect on from the 2018 legislative session. I’ve said before, too many in Olympia just can’t do anything simple. In reality, we can do the most good for our citizens by getting government out of the way! Here’s a prime example: The current majority introduces bills with ridiculous titles to “help” people.

“Concerning investing in Washington families by improving the fairness of the state’s excise tax system by narrowing or eliminating tax preferences, imposing a business and occupation tax surcharge while eliminating tax liability for small businesses, enacting an excise tax on capital gains, modifying the real estate excise tax, making administrative changes, and implementing marketplace fairness in Washington.”

In essence, they want to raise your taxes, or create new ones, to give you a small amount of relief on other taxes. This is the kind of nonsense I’m working to stop.