I am currently serving my 14th year in the Washington State Senate

I hold the positions of

      Senate Republican Caucus Vice-Chair

      Ranking Republican Member of the Transportation Committee

I have achieved a number of important public policy victories during that time.  When I came into the legislature property taxes statewide were doubling on average every 7-10 years.

In 1996, I sponsored and passed legislation to reduce property tax increases from 6% per year to no more than 2%. This bill cut the growth of property taxes by more than half.  My legislation became the model for Referendum 47 and that was approved overwhelmingly by the voters in 1997.  

In 2001, I was elected Chairman of the Transportation Permit Efficiency and Accountability Committee.  The purpose of that group was to streamline permits for transportation projects and achieve better environmental outcomes. 17 different stakeholders worked together for 4.5 years and our effort was very successful.  In 2003, then Republican Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Horn estimated that the products of this committee would save the taxpayers $1 Billion dollars on the planned $10 Billion, I-405 corridor project alone.

In 2003 and 2005, as Vice-Chair of the Transportation committee and later as Ranking Minority Member, I was able to secure funding for a series of projects on the I-5 corridor.  This included widening from Maytown in Thurston County all the way to the Mellen street exit in Centralia.  I also secured funding for the new LaBree Road interchange and the widening of I-5 from 13th Street to Napavine.  I look forward obtaining the funding for the final segments of two lane freeway through Lewis County.  And just this session we received exploratory funding for a new North Centralia interchange.

Today, the 20th District faces some of the biggest challenges of my legislative career.  These are the result of the flooding in 2007.  We have a good start with the recent $50 million appropriation for flood mitigation projects in the Chehalis River Drainage.  It is important that we move ahead with a Tri-County Flood Control Authority including Lewis, Thurston and Grays Harbor Counties.  We must conduct a basin-wide planning process for future flood prevention and mitigation.  Thanks to the legislature funding is available.  Now is the time for all of us to work together to meet this difficult challenge.