Warnick Reacts To Hirst Decision

When lawmakers in Olympia announced a compromise on the Hirst decision had been reached, leading to the passage of the Capital Budget, few were happier than Senator Judy Warnick.  The Moses Lake Republican led a charge to address the ruling since the court decision came down in late 2016.  In fact, she proposed legislation that she said would have fixed Hirst four times during the 2017 legislative session, however, each time, the state House refused to take up the issue.

Warnick said she is very happy with the compromise, and notes how it will benefit eastern Washington.  She added Republicans did what they had to do to represent their constituents, a feels those living in urban areas now better understand the challenges of rural Washington.

“We needed to get the urban legislators and other legislators, mostly urban, we needed to get their attention.  And leadership made that decision back in April of 2017, and it’s January of 2018, we kept our promise, they kept theirs.”

Warnick was asked if she thinks those from more urban areas will be more sensitive to the needs of rural communities?

“I certainly hope so, I have told the people in my district, it’s my job to educate my urban colleagues to what it’s like to live in rural areas, and the decisions we make here that affect them, so it’s up to me to educate my colleagues on what it’s like out there.”

Click Here to for a recap of last week’s compromise.

If you have a story idea for the Washington Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekradio.com