Legislative Update from Representative Brian Burnett

information released

Dear Friends and Neighbors: I am state Rep. Brian Burnett the new 12th District legislator representing you in Olympia. I was officially sworn into office on Jan. 13, the opening day of the 2025 legislative session.

I will occasionally send these email updates to keep you informed about what is happening in the legislative session and our state government. Please feel free to share this update with others who may be interested. Each email update also offers you a user-friendly option to unsubscribe. You can find that option below.

Thank you for trusting me to be your voice in Olympia and represent you. It is an honor and privilege to serve in the Legislature, and I do not take the responsibility lightly. It was a great feeling to be in the Capitol Building surrounded by family and friends and take the oath of office. It is something I won’t forget as represent you in Olympia.

New governor, new tone

The first week featured Gov. Jay Inslee’s last State of the State address and newly-elected Gov. Bob Ferguson’s first State of the State address. What was pleasantly surprising was the tone and tenor of the new governor, Bob Ferguson. He vowed to work with both sides of the aisle and referenced several issues Republicans are working on that he wants to assist with and make a reality. They include:

  • Getting farmers the rebates they were promised under the Climate Commitment Act.
  • $100 million to help local law enforcement hire more officers.
  • Establish reasonable limits on the governor’s emergency powers.
  • Housing – he signed an Executive Order directing state agencies to review all regulations that impact housing, permitting, and construction and identify any provision that can be streamlined, deferred or eliminated.

The governor also made a number of quotes, such as:

  • “The times call for action.”
  • “…the era of assuming unrealistic growth in revenue is over. To be specific, I will not sign a budget that requires unrealistic revenue growth to balance.”
  • “I’m not here to defend government. I’m here to reform it.”

It is encouraging to go into a session knowing there is interest in bipartisanship. However, I am cautiously optimistic. We have a lot of work to do. For more information, check out our Washington in Crisis webpage.

You may also be interested in the Republican perspective to Gov. Ferguson’s speech, provided by Rep. Gloria Mendoza. It can be found here.

Committee assignments

I am serving on four committees in the 2025 session, including two that fit my long-time law enforcement background: the Community Safety and Civil Rights and Judiciary committees.

I am also serving as the assistant ranking Republican on the Early Learning and Human Services Committee. The committee covers issues and services affecting children and families, such as early learning, child care, child and youth development, child welfare services, children’s mental health, at-risk and homeless youth, juvenile justice, and economic assistance programs.

Finally, I am also on the House Appropriations Committee, which covers the operating budget and other fiscal issues, such as pension policy and compensation.

Stay in touch

I encourage you to stay engaged and follow the legislative session. Your input and feedback are helpful to me and other legislators as we represent you in Olympia. Below are some websites that can help you follow the action.

You can also stay connected by following us on social media. Please consider sharing our content.

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or concerns about this email update or the legislative session.

Sincerely,

Brian Burnett

 

State Representative Brian Burnett
12th Legislative District
RepresentativeBrianBurnett.com
410 John L. O’Brien Building | P.O. Box 40600 | Olympia, WA 98504-0600
brian.burnett@leg.wa.gov
360-786-7954 | Toll-free: (800) 562-6000