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Dear Friends,
As we finish the fifth week of the 2015 legislative session, I wanted to bring you this quick Freedom Agenda Update. Thank you for standing up for liberty. Thank you for your efforts against growing, intrusive government. Your phone calls, letters, e-mails and personal visits to the state Capitol are making a difference.
Together, we will ensure a society of lower taxes, less government and more freedom! Contact my office any time you have questions, comments or suggestions about legislation and how you can help to further the cause of liberty.
Posting grievances and defending our right to keep and bear arms
This past weekend, I was proud to stand up for your freedom to keep and bear arms during another pro-gun rally at the state Capitol. I reminded the well-organized group of freedom-loving citizens that “all political power is inherent in we, the people. And the final check and balance in our system is a well-armed citizenry.” You can watch my speech here, which was featured in several positive national articles.
We walked peacefully into the building, many behind me carrying guns. A young girl posted our list of 27 grievances on the door of the House of Representatives that noted such things as the limitation of free speech, tracking of innocent citizens through various means — including drones, and how government is eroding our right to privacy.
Remember, fellow patriots, if we don't stand together to stand up for freedom, then we will all fall at the feet of tyrannical government.
FREEDOM AGENDA SUCCESSES
I'm proud of leading Freedom Agenda bills through the Legislature that would ensure lower taxes, less government and more freedom. To date, more than 20 Freedom Agenda bills have had public hearings and are moving through the process, including House Bill 1552, legalizing industrial hemp, which passed out of the House Commerce and Labor Committee on Monday.
The first major deadline of the legislative session is just one week away. Feb 20 marks the cutoff for policy bills to be reported out of their respective committees. The exception is bills in fiscal committees and the Transportation Committee. That is why it will be doubly important to focus our efforts on securing public hearings with our remaining bills and moving them out of their committees. Go here to see a list of my sponsored bills. Go here to see the Legislature's 2015 session cutoff calendar.
WORK CONTINUES TO STOP THE GOVERNOR'S CAP AND TAX SCHEME
I am continuing to fight Gov. Inslee's misguided, expensive cap-and-tax crusade. As the
ranking Republican on the House Environment Committee, I led the charge to try to kill House Bill 1314, which is the governor's bill that would impose more than $1 billion in new carbon taxes each year on 130 entities across the state, including Washington State University. As I told you in my last Freedom Agenda update, the governor's supporters want to eliminate the entire fossil fuel industry: CLICK HERE TO LISTEN. Even the Drudge Report recently linked to an article from the UK Telegraph, which called global warming “the biggest science scandal ever.” I challenged the governor that his scheme would raise the price of gas, food, electricity, and basic necessities – hitting working families and those on low or fixed incomes hardest. You can watch a short video on the Republican response to the bill, here.
Despite our attempts to offer numerous amendments to the measure, Democrats passed the bill on a party-line vote, 6-5. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MY COMMENTS BEFORE VOTING. The measure has been referred to the House Appropriations Committee. We will continue our efforts to stop the bill there.
TAKE ACTION NOW – House Bill 1943 – Electronic home monitoring
A public hearing will be held Feb. 17 at 8 a.m. on House Bill 1943. This is a measure to help tighten up the state's electronic home monitoring program for convicted criminals and provide accountability in the system. For the past year, KING 5 television in Seattle has conducted a series of investigative reports that show criminals cutting off their home monitoring bracelets and not being detected. Or paying the monitoring company to go “off the clock” for a while and not report them.
TAKE ACTION – Contact Roger Goodman, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and urge him to pass this bill. His phone number is: (360) 786-7878. Or e-mail him at roger.goodman@leg.wa.gov.
BAD BILL – PROPERTY TAX INCREASE
Senate Bill 5628 is an estimated $4.5 billion property tax increase, according to proponents. A fiscal note is not even available a full month after it was introduced. Hmm… perhaps that's because it's just a really bad bill.
TELEPHONE TOWN HALL – MARK THE DATE!
Make plans to join me and my 4th District seatmates, Sen. Mike Padden and Rep.Bob McCaslin for an hour-long telephone town hall meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. To participate, call (509) 703-4657. The event is much like an interactive radio program, during which listeners may ask questions, take instant polls or just listen to the conversation about issues that affect the 4th District and Washington state.
Sincerely,
Matt Shea