Legislative Update from Rep. Scott White

Dear Friends,

It’s hard to believe we are already half-way through the short 60-day session.

There is still not much solid news to report. Gov. Gregoire recently signed the first three new laws of 2010. All three were devoted to paring state expenses with modest steps such as freezing new government hiring and reducing travel and equipment costs. But the real budget battles are still ahead.

That is one reason why I am writing. We need our 46th District families and businesses to have a strong voice when the major budget and legislative decisions of 2010 are made over the next several weeks. That is why I recently sent out a district-wide survey of citizen priorities, and why the entire 46th District legislative team is holding a Town Hall Meeting on Saturday morning.

46th District survey—still time to respond

It’s not too late to share your priorities and thoughts on my district survey. If you or a member of your household would like another copy of the survey, all you need to do is click the 2010 survey link to download a copy. Then it is just a matter of printing it out and mailing it back to me.

By the way, I’ve told House leaders that citizens should have an easy way to fill out surveys online—because it is faster, more convenient, more environmentally-friendly, and also less expensive, since there are no mailing costs. We are working to create an online survey system now, but it is still in the pilot phase and probably won’t be fully ready until next year. I’ll keep you posted on progress.

Town Hall Meeting just days away

I hope you can find some time to join our Town Hall Meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning at the Meadowbrook Community Center. Because of the recession, we face some extremely difficult choices concerning budget and revenue issues. My job is to represent you and our neighbors as these decisions are made, and I’d like to hear a full range of views as we prepare for the major budget, revenue and policy decisions that will literally be made in the next four weeks.

Our community Town Hall will also give me a chance to update you on the progress of the 2010 legislation I’ve proposed. I’m happy to report that a number of the measures I’ve proposed recently passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming support from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. I’ll be sharing details at the Town Hall.

Let’s keep in touch!

If you can’t attend the Town Hall, please remember that you can always get a message to me quickly by email, phone or regular mail. Representing you is a pleasure as well as an honor, so don’t hesitate to call or write with your advice or questions. I will never forget that you are the reason why I’m here.

Scott