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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Thank you so much for trusting me with the responsibility to be your voice in Olympia. The gavel has dropped, and the 2023 session has officially begun. Throughout the next several months I will be sending you important updates on everything going on in the Legislature. I hope you find these updates informative and helpful, as we all work together to find the best solutions for everyone in our state.
Make Your Voice Heard
And speaking of working together, as state lawmakers, we represent you. It's our job to bring your voice to the Legislature to make sure you are heard. Throughout this session and beyond I want to hear from you. Your input and feedback are vital to the success of the 18th District. You can also share your input during the ongoing committee meetings.
There are several ways to be involved. You can come to Olympia to testify during public hearings or continue using the remote option that has been available the last two years. You can testify regarding any bill or other important public policy issue that will be addressed, either in-person or remotely. Just use these links to sign up:
Furthermore, my door is always open and I'm here to listen. So, please reach out to me with your thoughts, ideas, opinions, and questions. See the contact info at the bottom of this message to reach me.
My Priorities
I will be focused on several issues during the 2023 legislative session, including the House Republicans' top priorities:
Reducing the cost of living – despite record tax collections, the majority party has offered no real tax relief. Instead, they continue passing policies that make life more expensive for Washingtonians. At the same time, House Republicans continue fighting for tax relief that would help struggling families.
Making communities safer – crime continues to get worse, and people live in increasingly dangerous communities. Additionally, chronic homelessness, substance abuse, and untreated mental health conditions exacerbate the problems. We need to do everything we can to make families, communities, and our law enforcement partners safe.
In addition, I recently joined with my fellow Southwest Washington lawmakers to petition the governor regarding building a new regional law enforcement training center in our area. Click here to see the letter. There's no question we need more law enforcement officers throughout the state, and we feel strongly Southwest Washington would be a great place to start that effort.
Fixing our housing crisis – Washington is producing the fewest housing units per household of any state in the country due to a variety of factors. House Republicans are trying to eliminate barriers, so more people can find, and live in affordable homes.
Empowering all families – schools and students are still dealing with the negative effects of the pandemic. That's why together with House Republicans, I'm focused on improving test scores, addressing learning loss, and giving parents the flexibility to help their children succeed.
My Legislation
I'm also focused on helping individuals succeed in the workforce. I recently filed my first two pieces of legislation, which are aimed at making occupational licensing easier for individuals to pursue their desired careers and get licensed in Washington, if required.
House Bill 1360, which has bipartisan support, would allow the Department of Licensing (DOL) to consider competency-based standards for professional licenses. That means the DOL could issue a professional license, without regard to other requirements, to an applicant who meets all competency-based licensing requirements for that specific professional license.
House Bill 1301, which is also expected to receive bipartisan support, would direct the DOL to review and analyze 20% of professional licenses each year. It would also require the DOL to submit an annual report to the Legislature with recommendations as to whether the professional licenses reviewed should be terminated, continued, or modified.
Washington already has more than enough regulatory agencies. These bills would cut through some of the red tape and eliminate some of unnecessary requirements, making it easier for people to pursue their careers.
I will continue to update you on my legislative priorities, the bills I introduce, and all the important issues that come before the Legislature this session. Be sure to check in often to stay up to date.
Committee Assignments and Leadership
I'm working on three House committees throughout this session. I'm the assistant ranking Republican member of the Consumer Protection and Business Committee, which considers consumer protection and consumer education issues and the licensing and regulation of businesses and professions (except for health care and law-related professions), among other things.
I'm also on the Capital Budget Committee, which considers the state capital budget which approves money for the construction and repair of public buildings and for other long-term investments, such as land acquisitions and transfers. In addition, the committee considers grants and loans to local governments or nonprofit organizations for infrastructure, broadband, housing, and cultural and heritage facilities.
Last, but not least, I'm serving on the Education Committee, The House Education Committee considers issues relating to kindergarten through twelfth grade (K-12) education.
Stay in Touch with Me
There are several ways you can keep up with the work of the Legislature. Here are some links that will help:
My legislative website | Here you will find my contact information, bio, news releases, email updates, videos, opinion pieces, bills, and other information.
The Capitol Buzz | A weekday roundup of online news stories. Click on the link to subscribe.
The Current | An online legislative publication from the Washington House Republicans. Click on the link to subscribe.
TVW | The state's own version of C-SPAN, TVW broadcasts floor and committee action live online.
The Ledger| A legislative news aggregator.
Legislature's website | Here you can see bill reports, committee agendas, and information about upcoming activities in the Legislature.
State agencies | You can find a list of all state agencies, boards, and commissions here.
Tracking a bill?|Click the link to find information on specific bills. In addition, when you visit my website, you can easily view the legislation I'm sponsoring or co-sponsoring by clicking “Sponsored Bills.”
Thank You for Your Support!
I am incredibly grateful to have your support and I look forward to building a better Washington. It's an honor to be your representative in the 18th District. We are facing many issues but I'm ready to work on real solutions that will help people in all corners of our state. Thank you for your trust and allowing me to serve you. And please contact me whenever you'd like. I'm here to listen.
If you are no longer in the 18th District, or you do not wish to receive further email updates from me for any other reason, please use the one-click unsubscribe button at the bottom of this email.
It's an honor to serve you,
Stephanie McClintock
