| 
    ||
| 
       Action 
          Alert Senate Ways and Means Key to Corrections Ombudsman Bill, SB5295 Dear Friends, 
        Sen. Margarita Prentice from the 11th 
        District (Renton), is chair of Senate Ways & Means, and is the key 
        figure in the progress of the corrections ombudsman bill, SB 5295. To 
        progress further, the bill must have a hearing and be reported out of 
        Ways & Means by next Monday, March 5, which is the cutoff for bills with 
        fiscal impact.  
       
      
        The ombudsman bill won't get a hearing 
        unless Sen. Prentice and committee leadership decide to fund it.  It 
        currently has a large price tag according to the fiscal note: $3.4 in 
        the first biennium, then $2.7 million in future biennia for a staff of 
        14.  This can be reduced by use of volunteers and other potential 
        resources, which weren't considered in the fiscal note but are 
        authorized in the substitute bill reported out of the policy committee. 
      
        It is particularly important for anyone in 
        the 11th district to contact Sen. Prentice to urge her to schedule 5295 
        for a hearing, and to fund it in some form.  Other members of the Ways & 
        Means Committee are listed below, including Sen. Fraser and Regala who 
        are cosponsors, and should be particularly urged to exert their 
        influence to get 5295 a hearing.  Committee members Fairley, 
        Kohl-Welles, and Rasmussen are also cosponsors. 
      
        Thanks for helping with this important 
        measure toward greater health, safety, and rehabilitation in our 
        correctional system in whatever way you can. 
      
        Best wishes, 
      
        Dan 
      
        Daniel N. Clark, Legislative Chair 
      
        Friends Committee on Washington Public 
        Policy 
      
      PO Box 1222 Walla Walla WA 99362 509-522-0399, fax 522-0415 [email protected] Senate Ways & MeansPrentice, Chair (D 11) Fraser, Vice Chair Capital Budget Chair (D 22) Pridemore, Vice Chair, Operating Budget (D-49) Zarelli, Ranking Minority Member (R 18) Brandland (R-42) Carrell (R-28) Fairley (D 32) Hatfield (D 19 ) Hewitt (R 16) Hobbs (D 44 ) Honeyford (R 15 ) Keiser (D 33) Kohl-Welles (D 36) Oemig (D-45) Parlette(R 12 ) Rasmussen (D 2) Regala (D-27) Roach (R 31) Rockefeller(D 23) Schoesler(R 9) Tom (D-48)  | 
    ||
| 
       
        |