Year in Review: Washington State Senate, District 42

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Legislation to revive declining orca populations on Puget Sound and open new markets for local farmers are among my top priorities for the 2020 legislative session.

Last year I introduced a bill to create a salmon hatchery at the Port of Bellingham, to test an innovative approach pioneered in Alaska to attract private investment to hatcheries. This new approach to hatchery management offers a way to rebuild Puget Sound salmon populations, provide feedstock for the orcas and expand commercial and sport fishing opportunities in our area.

I also am sponsoring a bill that would provide new opportunities for farmers who raise livestock, by allowing small slaughterhouses to sell meat by-the-cut, under supervision of state inspectors. This offers a way around cumbersome rules that have made it difficult for farmers to get their product to market, a particular problem for Whatcom County.

These bills reflect the sort of out-of-the-box thinking we need if we are to address the biggest challenges we face today. With creativity and respect for the power of the free market, we can achieve great things, create jobs for working families and build a strong economy and a healthier environment.

Right now our legislature is dominated by an urban liberal faction interested in raising taxes, increasing the scope and power of government and imposing regulations that burden both business and people. Particularly troubling is the continued attack on the refiners of northwest Washington, which provide some of the best-paying jobs in our area. Other efforts would drive up the cost of electricity and make it harder for people in our region to get by.

The challenge this year will be to protect what we have, and to build on it to make a better future for Whatcom County and our entire state. It will be a busy session.

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