Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This week, a bill I introduced (House Bill 1352) to extend the statute of limitations for child sex crimes received a public hearing. You can read more about the hearing here. This bill is an important issue for victims who were abused as children and need time to process what has happened and have the courage to come forward. As a police officer, I saw all too often that children are afraid to report abuse. Currently, sex crimes with a minor of a certain age may only be prosecuted up until the victim’s 21st birthday. My proposal would allow victims until their 30th birthday to bring their abusers to justice.

Stay connected

With technology at our fingertips, the Legislature has a variety of ways to keep constituents informed with what their lawmakers are doing. Here are some important methods in which I use to communicate with the people back home, and ways people back home can stay informed:

• Capitol Buzz – A daily electronic clip service of House Republicans. Click here to subscribe.
• The Current – An online publication from House Republicans to include you in the legislative process. Click here to subscribe.
• Check out my Web site, houserepublicans.wa.gov/holy – From this link, you can get more information about me, the bills I’ve sponsored, look at our district map boundaries, read my news releases and more.
• Photos – Access my photo gallery here.
• This e-mail update – Please share this with everyone you know and encourage them to sign up directly from my Web site.
• Video updates – Each week, I record a video update of the session. This is posted on my Web site and on YouTube. You can subscribe to my playlist or check my Web site periodically. Click on the picture below to watch my most recent video:

• TVW – The state’s own version of C-Span, TVW broadcasts floor and committee action live. You can also watch on your computer, smartphone or tablet: www.tvw.org
• Legislature’s Web site – You can get bill reports, committee agendas and information about upcoming activities in the Legislature at: www.leg.wa.gov. You can also provide comments on a bill directly from the Web site.

Getting teens involved in their government

If you know a teen who is interested in their state government and would enjoy spending a week in Olympia, encourage them to apply to be a student page. To become a page, applicants must have a legislative sponsor like myself, be between the ages of 14 and 16, and obtain written permission from their parents and school. Student pages attend page school two hours a day and are responsible for helping run errands and distribute important documents in the House chamber. At the end of the week, they are able to sponsor their own mock bill and hold a hearing with their peers. For more information about the legislative page program and to apply, click here.

Hot issues coming up

Here are some other issues you should keep an eye on:

• A proposal to mandate insurance coverage for abortions (House Bill 1044) in our state received a public hearing last week. It is scheduled for a vote in the Health Care & Wellness Committee this afternoon. Not only does it infringe upon the religious liberty and freedom of insurance providers, federal law provides protection for insurers who do not want to offer abortion coverage. I encourage you to contact the members and chair of the committee, and ask them to not move this bill. You can also contact other lawmakers at the Legislative Hotline – (800) 562-6000.
• In the Government Accountability & Oversight Committee on which I sit, we are discussing how to implement the legalization of marijuana and the resale of liquor by retailers.
• There have been 13 proposals introduced so far relating to school safety, 2nd Amendment rights and mental health. You can find the proposals within this list.
• The Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee is discussing wolf management, efficiencies in processing water rights applications, training in agriculture help people move from jobs to careers, and removing the lid on sales from cottage food operations.

This is the 26th day of the scheduled 105-day session, and this is the best time for you to weigh in on proposals being considered by the Legislature. Please contact my office anytime with questions, concerns or suggestions. If you are planning a trip to Olympia, please contact my office so I can make time to meet with you. It’s an honor to serve as your voice in the state Legislature.