OLYMPIA…The Senate Republican Caucus today elected Sen. Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla, to serve as Senate minority leader. Hewitt had previously served the caucus in the role of Republican whip.

“I am honored that my colleagues have selected me to serve as their leader in this challenging and exciting time,” Hewitt said. “The people of Washington are looking to us to make wise and responsible choices on their behalf. I look forward to working with my colleagues of both parties in the Senate and the House to pursue policies and legislation that will improve the lives of Washington citizens.

“One of my top priorities is to lift the burden from small businesses that are struggling with mountains of state government regulations,” Hewitt continued. “Doing so will help them create more jobs, which will have a direct, positive impact on people all across Washington. Protecting our agricultural community, including its access to water, is also vitally important. On top of that, citizens are looking to us to ensure their access to private, affordable health care, and to support our schools, with an emphasis on accountability.

“Protecting our $1.4 billion state budget surplus is another important item on our agenda this year. There are dozens of groups out there that want a piece of that growing pie. But spending it down to zero would be irresponsible and set us up for billion-dollar budget problems in the future. We will work hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.

“We will also make it a priority to reinstate the I-601 state tax and spending limits. Citizens want their government to keep a lid on spending and prioritize their needs. Last year the majority party gutted I-601 and irresponsibly pushed through more than $400 million in non-transportation taxes, including a new ‘death tax’ that is a huge burden on small business owners trying to pass their companies on to their children. They also skipped funding the state’s pension obligations, which sets us up for even bigger future debts, and raided accounts dedicated to other important needs. Turning these issues around is important to the people of Washington, and important to me as leader of the Senate Republican Caucus.”

Hewitt was first elected to the Senate in 2000 and re-elected in 2004. In addition to serving the caucus as Republican whip in 2004, Hewitt served as majority whip in 2003-04, assistant whip in 2001-02, and ranking majority member on the Capital Budget Committee in 2003-04, where he helped Sen. Dino Rossi write the no-new-taxes state budget. He has served on the Senate Labor, Commerce, Research and Development; Water, Energy and Environment; Ways and Means; and Rules committees, as well as the Capital Budget sub-committee. He has also served on many special legislative committees, including the Legislative Committee on Economic Development; Washington State Tourism Development Advisory Committee; State Treasurer’s Bond Financing Advisory Committee; and Community Economic Revitalization Board.

Hewitt was the owner of a small business for 23 years, and has long been an advocate for small business issues. He is the former executive director of the Walla Walla Chamber of Commerce and former chairman of the Walla Walla Planning Commission.

Among his many awards, Hewitt has earned the Dr. Pedro Celis “FUERZA Washington Republican National Hispanic Assembly” award; the Washington Association of Small Business Incubators’ “Small Business Advocate of the Year” award; the Washington State Coalition for the Homeless’ “Outstanding Support” award; and the “Preserving our Precious Places” Capitol Land Trust award. Hewitt has also received “Legislator of the Year” awards from the Washington State Farm Bureau and the Washington Wine Institute (that organization’s first such award).

“As I move into the new role of serving my colleagues as leader, I am also looking to those who set the standard, and one person who comes to mind is former Senator Jeannette Hayner,” said Hewitt, noting that Hayner also served the 16th District. “I admired Senator Hayner’s style, and want to emulate it now. She left big shoes to fill, and I will do my best – for the sake of the citizens of Washington and my colleagues here in the Legislature – to live up to her legacy.”

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For interviews contact Rebecca Japhet at (360) 786-7516 or Japhet.Rebecca@leg.wa.gov