CEO Report on Advocacy, Policy and Business Issues
February 6, 2023
Vol. 16
Government Affairs Council tomorrow
Join us Tuesday, February 7, for our monthly Government Affairs Council meeting.
In addition to updates from public and elected officials, tomorrow we'll hear from two special guests:
Patrick Connor, NFIB Washington State Director, will provide an update on pending bills in Olympia. We are partnering with NFIB for our Chamber Legislative Day in March. Learn more
Bobby Lauterjung, Transportation Systems Director, who will give an overview of Sumner's Commuter Connector service.
The Puyallup/Sumner Chamber of Commerce is partnering with NFIB Washington for our Chamber Legislative Day, an easy, free, impactful day at our state's capitol for our local business owners and representatives.
Take advantage of this opportunity to meet legislators in Olympia, learn about current bills and speak out about the issues that matter most to you and your business.
Registration is free, and includes continental breakfast, coffee, lunch and roundtrip shuttle transportation from the hotel to the Capitol. Thank you to our NFIB WA sponsors: America's Phone Guys, Larson Financial Group, and Rock Point Oyster Co. Additional sponsorships are available: Email sheila@puyallupsumnerchamber.com
With more than 200 bills being tracked by our South Sound Chambers of Commerce Legislative Coalition, we need your input to know what's important to your respective industries. Please stay tuned to your trade associations and contact us regarding any pending bills affecting your business.
Each week, we receive a list of bills being heard. Please look at this week's report and provide your input to us. We also encourage you to sign in directly at leg.wa.gov to weigh in on bills that affect your business.
Email Chamber CEO Tara Doyle-Enneking at exec@puyallupsumnerchamber.com if you have information about any of these bills, or if you would like to attend our weekly updates with SSCCLC.
Sen. Gildon: We must fix the state's police pursuit law
Sen. Chris Gildon, 25th Legislative District, recently penned anop-edabout the efforts being made in Olympia to overturn, amend, or otherwise fix some of the law-enforcement laws passed in 2021.
The article, published in The News Tribune, provides an overview of the roadblocks being encountered by the legislators leading these (somewhat bipartisan) efforts to restore law enforcement's ability to pursue.
During the Legislative Session, we receive weekly updates via our shared lobbyist in Olympia. Carolyn Logue serves as lobbyist for the South Sound Chambers of Commerce Legislative Coalition and provides weekly updates on bills we are tracking.
We regularly sign in, both our Chamber and the Coalition, to support or oppose bills being heard on the floor or in committee that relate to our Legislative Priorities.
We will regularly notify you in this newsletter when we have urgent calls to action to register your position or sign up to testify, whether in person or virtually.
Kyle Hardtke, our Chamber's past board chair, provided testimony in Olympia last Tuesday in support of HB 1363, concerning police pursuits.
A truck stolen from Kyle's business was later involved in a fatal hit-and-run. The police's inability to pursue eliminated the possibility of stopping the driver and preventing the death of the young girl.
You may view the video of his testimony, along with the testimony of the hit-and-run victim's mother, beginning one hour, 11 minutes into the video. (HB 1363 hearing is 52 minutes into the video.)
Let your voice be heard: How to register support or opposition for a bill
Your voice matters! Thousands of sign ins registering support or opposition to a bill can make a difference on bills in committee.
Here are a few ways you can make your voice heard:
1) Register your position via the website. Go to https://leg.wa.gov/ and use the Bill Information button to search for the bill. From the bill's page, click on the green button to the right that says "Comment on this bill," then submit the form.
2) Email your State Senators and Representatives: Use the District Finder tool, enter your address, and you will see links to your legislators.
3) Call the Legislative Hotline: Call 1-800-562-6000. A live person will answer (M-F 8:00am - 7:00pm) and ask your name and residential address, so they can direct your comments to the legislators in your district. They will note your comments.
Chamber Advocate
The Chamber Advocate keeps our members & business community informed of developments regarding policies and issues pertinent to the business community. Here you'll find political and government affairs news, as well as calls to action for Chamber members to garner support for specific issues.
Please share your newsworthy stories with us as they relate to government affairs and economic development as we may feature them in this newsletter.
Our Chamber exists to be the catalyst for business growth, the convener for leaders and influencers, and the champion of business and stronger communities.
