13th District lawmakers to host virtual town hall today
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 month, 2 weeks AGO
Top-to-bottom: Judy Warnick, Alex Ybarra and Tom Dent will hold a virtual town hall at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday evening. The three Republicans all represent the 13th Legislative District which includes Grant and Adams counties.
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OLYMPIA — Lawmakers representing Washington’s 13th Legislative District will hold a virtual town hall Wednesday as the 2026 legislative session enters its final weeks and several of their priority bills move forward.
Sen. Judy Warnick, R‑Moses Lake, and Reps. Tom Dent, R‑Moses Lake, and Alex Ybarra, R‑Quincy, will meet with constituents from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. Participants must register online to attend. To register visit: tinyurl.com/TownHall13LD.
The event comes shortly after the Legislature’s Feb. 17 cutoff for bills to pass out of their chamber of origin. Wednesday marks the last day to read committee reports from the opposite house, except for House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees. Several measures sponsored by Dent and Warnick cleared that deadline and remain alive in the legislative process.
“With less than three weeks remaining in the 2026 legislative session, we still have much work to be done, including finalizing and voting on the state’s three budgets: operating, transportation, and capital,” Ybarra said in a statement. “We have already passed the House of Origin cutoff, and more deadlines are nearing for bills to remain alive and reach the governor’s desk.”
Dent saw four bills advance out of the House with broad bipartisan support. House Bill 2619, which passed 95–2, would create a task force to review regulations that contribute to stress among agricultural producers. HB 2104, approved 94–0, would make permanent a program reimbursing local fire departments for aviation costs during initial wildfire attacks. HB 2348, which passed 95–0, would modernize the Department of Natural Resources’ timber and land sale procedures. HB 2109, also approved 95–0, would allow debris‑covered equipment being towed on trailers to be covered rather than washed before transport.
Warnick advanced six bills through the Senate. Among them are SB 6132, allowing inland port districts to incur certain debt, and SB 5928, which updates wildland fire risk modeling. Both passed with near‑unanimous support. Other measures include SB 5931 on workforce board administration, SB 6007 addressing assessment practices at the Department of Children, Youth and Families, and SB 5325 designating a state cactus.
Ybarra’s bills remained in earlier stages of the legislative process and did not reach the cutoff.
“This is a great opportunity for you to ask us questions about the 2026 legislative session, share your thoughts and concerns, and discuss key issues affecting our communities and state,” Dent said in a statement.
March 2 is the last day to read committee reports from fiscal committees. Then, the opposite house cutoff is scheduled March 6, marking the last day to consider any bills, except for budget related matters. The legislative session is set to adjourn March 12.
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