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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
It's been a busy few weeks. We are now past the fiscal committee cutoff date. That means bills that cost money must be passed out of their respective committee or they are considered “dead” for the legislative session. Bills necessary to implement the state budget are the exception to this rule. For the next few weeks, we'll be focused on floor action as we vote on bills and send them over to the Senate for further consideration.
Visitors to the Capitol
In the era of electronic communications, face-to-face meetings are still the best way for me to hear about the needs of our communities. In the past few weeks, I've met with several local community leaders from Snohomish, Everett, Lake Stevens, Mill Creek, and Marysville. I want to thank each of them for taking the time to meet with me.
During our meetings, we discussed several key public policy issues for our region. At the top of the list were transportation and infrastructure priorities, including chokepoint and congestion relief at critical points. Other topics included regional needs for mental health issues, treatment, detox and chemical dependency.
We also discussed the growing homeless population and finding funding sources to help local communities add affordable housing. This is a special area of concern for many of us. Please stay tuned. I will talk more about this important topic in future email updates.
Everett City Council representatives meet with 44th District Rep. Mark Harmsworth, 2017 legislative session.
Lake Stevens Aquafest royalty
With all the activity happening at the Capitol, it's always great to have young visitors. I was happy to host the Lake Stevens Aquafest royalty during their visit to Olympia. With well over 2,300 hours of community service, I was impressed with the dedication it took for each girl to participate in the competition. It was an honor to present them with the Presidential Volunteer Gold Award for their service to the community. Along with a private tour of Secretary of State Kim Wyman's office, the girls spent the day touring and learning about state government.
Click the picture below to watch my video with the Lake Stevens Aquafest royalty.
Snohomish High School students
Students from Snohomish High School also stopped by to discuss their ideas for public policy changes. Students come to the Capitol every year and present their ideas for laws. The idea began with beloved Snohomish High School teacher and coach, Charles “Tuck” Gionet, a long time educator who died in 2015. It's incredible to see his example, of leaving the community better then they found it, live on in the students as they actively engage in the legislative process.
Rep. Mark Harmsworth meets with Snohomish High School students, January 12th, 2017.
Thank you!
Thinking of visiting Olympia? Please feel free to call my office and set up a meeting time. As always, I welcome your thoughts, comments and concerns. You can reach me by email at mark.harmsworth@leg.wa.gov or call my office at (360) 786-7892. Thank you for the honor of serving you in Olympia.
Sincerely,
Mark Harmsworth
