D - 22nd Legislative District - E-mail: hunt.sam@leg.wa.gov

In This Issue First Week Summary Presidential Inauguration My Bills January 21, 2009 Dear Neighbors,   The first week of the legislative session has come and gone and we are off to a busy start. In addition to constituent meetings and committee hearings, we held several traditional events.   Our First Week On Monday, January 12th, Chief Justice Alexander presided over the swearing in ceremony under the vaulted ceiling of the House Chamber. The event was solemn and moving. Speakers inspired us with their visions of hope for our state. We were all keenly aware of the trust placed in each of us by the citizens in our respective districts and the great challenges ahead.    During this ceremony we honored Rep. Bill Grant, our Democratic Caucus Chair from the Walla Walla area who passed away a few days ago. Rep. Grant was a great man—a strong leader and mentor. His work during 24 sessions in the legislature did much to unite the diverse constituencies of our state, bridging urban/rural divides and broadening our vision.  Here is a link to an article from the Walla Walla Union Bulletin if you’re interested in learning more about this influential figure.   On Wednesday, January 14th, Governor Gregoire gave her inaugural speech. We all know it will be a tough budget year and, while we have differences, I will work with the governor to develop an economic stimulus package.  You will be hearing much more about that in the next couple of weeks. It is going to take hard work and sacrifice on everyone’s part, but we will construct a balanced budget that reflects the priorities of our state.   We all understand that our nation is in the midst of the worst recession since World War II.  The economic woes that have plagued many other states for more than a year are now hitting Washington with a vengeance.  We can’t retreat – we must decide what and where we, as a state, want to be when this recession is over and figure out the best route to get there.   First and foremost, I will be focused on rebuilding the economy and getting people back to work.  At the same time, I understand that we must maintain the core functions of government – educating our children, training our workforce, building needed infrastructure, and protecting the most vulnerable.   To do this successfully is going to take innovation and cooperation. We can do it. In times of crisis, Americans are known for pulling together, and we must use the best ideas from all sides – business and labor, Republicans and Democrats, average citizens and leading economists – to meet our shared challenges.   Without a doubt, there are going to be cuts in areas many of us consider very important. But working together, united behind the common purpose of bringing prosperity to every corner of this great state, we can come out of this crisis stronger than ever.   Below are several links that you may find helpful as you follow our progress:   ?         Looking up bill documents includes bill text, bill reports and history (bill search tab) ?         List of House committees ?         Visiting the capitol and testifying before a committee ?         Committee agendas and calendars   Presidential Inauguration Like many of you, I watched President Barack Obama take the oath of office this week.  I felt an enormous amount of pride in our country and a renewed sense of hope.  No matter where we stand on the political spectrum, I know we will work together to make our country strong again. I have reread the President’s inaugural address and thought about how it applies to all of us here in Washington State. “But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.” That’s what I’ve been hearing over and over again from, not just the folks in our district, but across the entire state. There is a real desire to roll up our sleeves and start rebuilding and improving our country together. “For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.”   This is not some pie-in-the-sky vision. The new Obama administration is poised to help our state with an economic stimulus package ordering immediate action to create jobs, help small businesses and repair our failing infrastructure. All over Washington there are faulty water and sewer systems, crumbling school buildings, and inadequate roads and bridges that are standing in the way of economic expansion.  Every $1 billion invested in infrastructure translates into tens of thousands of jobs, not just immediately but long-term.   Another priority will be providing immediate relief for struggling families through tax cuts, extended unemployment benefits and help with home heating costs. President Obama also wants to make sure that direct assistance goes to homeowners, and is not used to bailout irresponsible mortgage lenders. “Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.” The President is committed to rapid, aggressive response to this financial crisis using all available tools.  He’ll examine trade with the goal of halting the export of our jobs, invest in job-creating industries like clean energy and high-tech and support for small business and labor.   We also know that in the next two weeks, the Congress will be considering the American Recovery and Reinvestment Bill of 2009.  This measure would create and save 3 to 4 million jobs, jumpstart our economy, and begin the process of transforming it for the 21st century. It includes $275 billion in economic recovery tax cuts and $550 billion in carefully targeted investments with built-in accountability measures.   “The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.”   Just like any family, we here in the Washington State Legislature are going to look hard at our priorities and ask some hard questions. The first question is, “Can this wait?”   And if it can, it will.  Obviously, not everything can.  We have our constitutional commitments as well as our moral obligations. We will be making changes in many state programs – eliminating some that are not the highest priority and delaying some very worthwhile ones. “What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship”. I look forward to hearing from you. Your voice keeps our democracy working.   Links to learn more about the new Obama Administration: Office of Public Liaison  The Office of Public Liaison & Intergovernmental Affairs (OPL-IGA) is the front door to the White House through which everyone can participate and inform the work of the President. OPL-IGA takes the Administration out of Washington and into communities across America, stimulating honest dialogue and ensuring that America's citizens and their elected officials have a government that works effectively for them and with them.   The Agenda  Each President is confronted with new and unique challenges. Learn more about the Obama-Biden Administration's positions on everything from health care and the economy to alternative energy and foreign policy.   Briefing Room The White House provides timely and accurate information about the President's latest events and public statements.  Here you'll find photos, video, and blogs, as well as proclamations, executive orders, and press releases.   My Legislation As of today, I have introduced, or “prime-sponsored” a total of ten bills.  I will provide more information on these bills in the future.  In the meantime, you may take a look the bills that I have prime sponsored using the following link:   Rep. Hunt's prime sponsored bills   Thank you for taking the time to read my electronic newsletter.  As always, I welcome your comments.    Representative Sam Hunt LINKS: My homepage - Contact me - Learn about the Washington State Legislature Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter. If you do not wish to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe here.