Hewitt says no special session needed

April 29, 2009

Olympia...Today Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla, issued this statement on the now-looming special legislative session:

“It sounds like a special session is becoming more and more likely. While Governor Gregoire said she wants to keep the list of topics to three bills, just yesterday the Senate Majority Leader said a special session would ‘give lawmakers time to revive a couple other key bills,’ including the cap-and-tax bill and a measure that would cause utility customers’ rates to skyrocket. Clearly, Pandora’s box has been opened and shows exactly why we should not return for a special session. There’s simply no reason for legislators to come back to town to consider measures that will cost taxpayers even more money – especially at a cost of twenty thousand dollars a day.

“While I am against coming into a special session, if Democrats do decide to come back to town they should abide by three key principles. First, they should stick with a specific list of bills. Second, the bills should only save taxpayers money, not cost them more. And third, they should bring back only the minimum number of legislators needed to pass bills as a way to save money. There’s no reason to add insult to taxpayers’ injury by forcing them to pay more for a special session than they have to.”  

For more information contact Senate Republican Caucus Communications Director  Rebecca Japhet at (360) 786-7516 or japhet.rebecca@leg.wa.gov.