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News from 2006
News ArchivesMessage from Rep. Toby Nixon to his friends and supportersKirkland (November 17, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon sent the following message to his friends and supports this morning.Dear Friends, I received in the mail a couple of days ago the November edition of The Washington Newspaper, the monthly newsletter of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association and Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington. It contains the following column, written by Rowland Thompson, who is executive director of Allied Daily Newspapers and the primary representative of the newspaper industry in Olympia. Rowland and I have gotten to know each other pretty well over the past five years as we worked together to strengthen Washington’s laws requiring government meetings and records to be open to the people. Toby Nixon: A public servant for all seasonsI have indeed sat on the floor of the House many times late into the evening, just as Rowland describes. When I’d finish my work, I’d always take a few minutes to just look around the room, to study the beautiful ceiling and the exquisite trim work and the furnishings and even the light fixtures, taking in every detail. I’d think about the supreme honor and privilege it was for me –- me, from a poor family, a welfare kid, son of a disabled father, who nobody would have anticipated ever would be even allowed to enter into such a place –- to serve as a member of the legislature. Each time, I would contemplate the sacrifices that had been made by the Founders and our veterans and everyone else who had made it possible for that place to exist and for me to be there, and renew my commitment to do my best to uphold the principles on which our nation was founded and that made it great. As Rowland wrote, however, the possibility always existed that the voters would “return [me] to private life in the next election and put someone else’s legs under the desk”. Rowland’s prediction notwithstanding (his deadline was obviously prior to November 7), the voters appear to have made just that choice. The first count on election night was distressing, but we had much hope that the later absentee and provisional ballots would favor me. While the percentage did improve, and in at least one daily count I did get more votes than my opponent, I would now need to get nearly 80% of the vote on the remaining uncounted ballots in order to win –- and that’s very unlikely to happen. I have already met with my opponent, acknowledged the likelihood that he will be certified as our next senator on November 28, and offered my assistance and advice to him as he undertakes this most important responsibility. I only hope he values it as much as I have. I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank all those who devoted so much of their money, time, talents, energy, and hard work to this year’s campaign as well as previous campaigns. I always hesitate to try to name everyone, but I must thank Eric Rohrbach, my campaign manager and most trusted advisor; Gerri Kirchner, my campaign treasurer for the past seven years, close personal friend and neighbor; Terri Ryan, who for several years has contributed her graphic design skills in putting together many of our campaign mailings; Debbie Tainter, who labored many hours on mailings and other tasks; Jack and Maureen Richardson, for running the best darn sign shop in the world and for so much else; Dale Edmonds for handling all the requests from voters for signs; and to all those who delivered those signs and posted others including Mike Wert, Arthur Best, Ted Tax, Mark Isaacs, Lowell Bergseid, Brent Harlin, Dan Farrer, Rick Miller, Bill Dorsey, Ron Braun, Phil Murray, Mark Higginbotham, John Vasko, Pat Young, Dan Griner, Keith Breinholt, Erik Moseid, K-Y Su, and Dave Griffin. I appreciate the hard work by all the PCOs who knocked on doors and delivered literature. I appreciate the dozens of Inglemoor High School students who came out and waved signs with us in the closing days of the campaign. I appreciate the advice and counsel and friendship of our district chair Dollie Kosters, Senator Bill Finkbeiner, Councilmember Kathy Lambert, Scott Jewett, Brett Bader, Jeffrey Possinger, Tim Lee, and so many others. Thanks to the nearly 500 individuals, families, and organizations who donated nearly $200,000 to the campaign to help us get our message out. And of course I could not have done anything without the love and support of my wife Irene, who is so tolerant of the thousands of hours I spend away from home serving and campaigning, and who feels as strongly as I do about the need for principled leadership in government. Many people have inquired about my future plans. First, let me dispel the rumor going around, that has made its way to me through several routes, that some are talking about me serving as state party chair –- that is not on the list for consideration. I’m looking forward to being able to spend more time at home with my wife and children during the coming Christmas season than I have for the past five. I have a lot of urgent work to do at Microsoft that will get more of my attention. I have many responsibilities at church, including directing one choir and singing in two others right now. I serve on the boards of three different non-profits, four if you count my homeowner association; I particularly plan to increase the work I do in the Washington Coalition for Open Government, and have volunteered to chair their Government committee, encouraging legislators and other government officials to strengthen and comply with our open government laws. I will continue to make my opinions known through blogs and newspaper columns whenever possible. I plan to continue working on the issue of annexation into Kirkland of Kingsgate, North Juanita, and Finn Hill. And I will be monitoring what goes on in Olympia, consulting with friends and advisors, and assessing future opportunities for service in elected office. I don’t know what the future holds, but I do know that I’m not done yet. I look forward to sitting on the floor of the House at least one more time before my term ends on January 8. Best regards, -- Toby (return to top) Nixon Responds to Further False Statements by DemocratsKirkland (November 5, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon, candidate for State Senator in the 45th legislative district, on Sunday responded to false statements regarding his positions on water pollution, stem cell research, vehicle emission standards, and other topics. His open letter, emailed to Senator Karen Keiser, chair of the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee and controller of The Roosevelt Fund (the Senate Democrats' Political Action Committee), and to Eric Oemig, Nixon's opponent in the race for 45th District Senate, was copied to political reporters throughout the state. The text is as follows.Dear Senator Keiser and Mr. Oemig: I cannot believe the lies you are telling to the voters of the 45th District. It is appalling that you are so desperate to win that you find it necessary to distort my record and positions on the issues, and twist the plain meanings of bills, to the extent you have. Here are the lies in your latest hit piece and the truth about those issues. CLAIM: “Toby Nixon voted against having clean drinking water for Washington” This is a LIE. The bill you reference, HB 1458, has NOTHING to do with “drinking water”. It has to do with failing septic systems that might be potentially leaking into PUGET SOUND. Puget Sound is SALT WATER. We DO NOT DRINK FROM PUGET SOUND. This is intentional inflammatory misrepresentation of the subject of the bill. In addition, this statement is also a LIE because I voted for HB 1458, a plain fact that is right there in the bill history. You make reference to an early vote on the bill in March 2005, and, yes, I voted No on the bill at that time – because the bill as presented to us was FLAWED. It was flawed in that it would have turned over the job of inspecting all the septic systems in the 12 counties surrounding Puget Sound to the STATE Department of Health; I did NOT want to grow the state bureaucracy to that extent. The bill failed in the DEMOCRAT-CONTROLLED SENATE because of its flaws (it got to 2nd Reading, but couldn’t get the votes so it was never brought to the floor). We went back and fixed the bill so that the inspections are done by county health departments with reporting to the state. Once that was changed, I voted FOR the bill, on February 11, 2006, and the bill passed the Senate as amended. It’s right there in the bill history; I voted FOR the bill that you claim I opposed. You LIED about what the bill does, and you LIED in saying that I voted against it when I actually voted FOR the bill that passed. CLAIM: “Toby Nixon believes that big businesses that operate these plants shouldn’t be subject to government testing” This is a LIE. This makes it sound like HB 1458 was about large privately-owned sewage treatment plants, and that I caved in to “big business” so those plants wouldn’t be regulated. That is NONSENSE. HB 1458 is about inspections of individual residential septic tank systems. Large wastewater treatment plants, whether public or private, have MUCH stricter standards than septic systems, and there has not been any finding that large public or private wastewater treatment systems are the cause of pollution in Puget Sound -- the water that comes out of them is nearly drinking-water quality. The issue is and always has been failing SEPTIC TANKS and SEPTIC FIELDS. These have nothing to do with big business. My vote on HB 1458 had NOTHING TO DO with who owns or operates the septic systems to be inspected. I SUPPORT THE INSPECTIONS, but I opposed hiring hundreds of new employees at the STATE Department of Health in order perform a task that has always been done by COUNTY health departments. CLAIM: “Nixon voted against stem cell research, even though this could help fight diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.” This is a LIE. Although Democrats like to characterize HB 1268 as a vote for or against stem cell research, IT WAS NOT. The bill did not authorize stem cell research. It did not ban stem cell research. It did not fund stem cell research. A vote against the bill was not a vote “against stem cell research” in any way. The bill would have created an advisory committee on stem cell research practices, and required owners of leftover embryos from in-vitro fertilization to be given information about their rights to those embryos. But the bill was FLAWED because while it bans human cloning for reproductive purposes, it would have allowed human cloning for organ harvesting. I think most people would be rightly appalled if they knew about that provision of the bill – and that Democrats support a bill that would allow fetuses to be killed so that their organs can be harvested. I voted against allowing human cloning for the purpose of organ harvesting. I would have voted FOR the bill if the provision related to human cloning had been fixed (because I supported everything else in the bill), but the bill sponsor refused even a minor amendment that would have corrected this flaw. HB 1268 FAILED in the DEMOCRAT-CONTROLLED SENATE because of its flaws. And even though the bill FAILED, stem cell research continues in Washington to this day. CLAIM: “Nixon voted against a bill to crack down on methamphetamine producers.” This is a LIE. This language implies that I voted against increasing penalties on meth producers or something like that, which is false; whenever I’ve been presented with a bill that really cracks down on meth producers (such as increasing penalties for producing meth with children in the home), I have voted for it. But the referenced bill (HB 2266) had nothing whatsoever to do with any “crack down” on meth producers. What the bill does do is to limit the amount of COLD MEDICINE that you can buy, and it requires you to produce identification and a log be kept of who makes purchases of cold medicine – a log that itself is an easy source of information for identity theft. I oppose criminalizing the purchase of legal, beneficial substances, or treating customers like they are potential criminals, just because the substances MIGHT be used to produce drugs. There must be a stop to this hysteria of banning the possession of anything that just might be used in the production of illegal drugs. Most people I talk to think the restrictions on buying Sudafed are ridiculous, and they’re right. CLAIM: “Nixon opposes safer, tougher vehicle emission standards” This is a LIE. I SUPPORT tougher vehicle emission standards, but I believe that those standards should be imposed at the FEDERAL LEVEL so that there is a level playing field between states – we should not impose higher costs on just our in-state businesses and cause them to be less competitive with rivals in other states (and vehicles meeting these standards are predicted to cost as much as $1,500 more than vehicles meeting current standards). Also, this bill does not actually SET any standards – what it does do is turn over the power to set Washington’s vehicle emission standards to an UNELECTED BUREAUCRACY IN CALIFORNIA (the California Air Resources Board) over which Washington citizens have ABSOLUTELY NO CONTROL – an unconstitutional abdication of the responsibility of the Washington State Legislature to control the laws of this state. The Washington State Administrative Procedures Act lays out very specific requirements for the rulemaking procedures that must be followed for rulemaking that is delegated by the legislature, and it is impossible for the California Air Resources Board to meet the requirements of the Washington state administrative procedures act. Any rules adopted by CARB would thus be illegal under Washington State Law because they were not adopted using our processes. Finally, the California emission standards are the subject of a federal lawsuit because the Congress has pre-empted all state regulation in this area (the area of fuel economy standards, and the fact is that a carbon dioxide emission standard IS a fuel economy standard); we should not reference a California rule that is at risk of being overturned until the legality of the rule is established. I support the PRINCIPLES behind HB 1397 (higher fuel economy), but not the way they are implemented in this bill. CLAIM: “…as well as plans to encourage alternative energy research.” This is a LIE. First of all, you reference HB 1397 as the evidence for this statement, but HB 1397 has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with “alternative energy research”. The fact is, I cosponsored HB 1645, requiring school buses to use biodiesel. I voted for HB 1646 in committee, creating tax incentives for alternative fuels. I voted for HB 2393, creating a grant and loan program for establishment of alternative fuel research and development projects. I voted for HB 2775 in committee, creating the Washington bioenergy loan program. I co-sponsored HB 2847, extending the expiration date of existing clean fuel sales and use tax exemptions. I voted for HB 2437, collecting information needed to determine if state alternative fuel stations can be opened to the general public. I voted for or co-sponsored every alternative-fuel bill and program in the 2005-2006 legislature, with a single exception: the biofuel mandate bill, ESSB 6508 (which the piece does not reference). But even if you had referenced ESSB 6508, that would have also been a LIE, because 6508 had nothing to do with “alternative energy research”. SB 6508 mandates that once the in-state capacity exists to produce biodiesel equivalent to 2% of diesel used in the state, then it becomes mandatory that distributors in the state sell biodiesel equal to 2% of diesel sales, and once in-state capacity exists to produce biodiesel equivalent to 3% of diesel used in the state, then it becomes mandatory that distributors in the state sell biodiesel equal to 5% of diesel sales. I voted against 6508 because there is no price protection whatsoever – even if the spot market price of those last few gallons of biodiesel needed to meet the mandate were $100 per gallon, the mandate would still apply (there’s no price cap or off-ramp as there is in I-937 for renewable energy, which I endorsed). I voted against 6508 because, while it was touted as helping Washington farmers, there is no requirement that any biodiesel produced in Washington be used to meet the sales mandate (and there can’t be such a requirement under federal law). Because of quality and production consistency challenges inherent in any startup business, diesel distributors who are required to meet a hard mandate or face penalties are likely to enter into long-term supply contracts with huge Midwestern biodiesel producers such as ADM and Cargill, and our in-state producers could easily be LOCKED OUT of our own in-state market. This is especially true when the 3% in-state production threshold is met and the 5% sales mandate kicks in – it would be IMPOSSIBLE for in-state producers to fill the mandate at that point, and so supply contracts with out-of-state producers would be required. This has the potential to be terribly damaging to fledgling in-state producers, and we should not adopt feel good bills that have such potential to damage Washington businesses. It is absolutely clear from my voting record that I strongly support alternative fuel research, development, deployment, and encouragement of use by the consumer. I opposed this flawed mandate bill, but that just proves that I actually read the bills and understand what impact they would have rather than voting just on the basis of an attractive bill title. I do not know how you sleep at night knowing the extent to which you have lied. EVERY DECLARATIVE STATEMENT IN THIS PIECE IS A LIE, in one way or another. I am very disappointed, Senator Keiser, that as your colleague in the Senate I will never be able to trust a word you say to me, considering the extent to which you have repeatedly lied about what bills do and the way you have distorted my record. I expected more from a fellow board member of the Washington Coalition for Open Government, an organization which is dedicated to the TRUTH. It’s too bad the voters of the 33rd district don’t know the extent to which you have LIED to the voters of other legislative districts, so that they can consider the possibility that you have similarly lied to THEM. -- Toby (return to top) Nixon Demands Retraction of False Statements by OemigKirkland (October 24, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon, candidate for State Senator in the 45th legislative district, on Tuesday called upon his opponent Eric Oemig to retract false and misleading campaign advertisements.The first false advertisement, which has been circulating in the education community in the 45th district for about two weeks, claims to compare Oemig’s positions on education to Nixon’s voting record and positions on education, but the document is filled with misleading and outright false statements. The second advertisement, recently mailed to voters in the district, contains false and misleading statements about Nixon’s voting record and positions on education and other issues. Among the many faults in the documents are the following:
Nixon published today an open letter to the voters of the 45th district explaining Oemig’s false statements and his true positions and voting record, and will be making the information available to voters in the 45th district by direct mail and other means. The letter is available at http://www.tobynixon.com/TobyNixonLetterOnOemigLies.pdf. Attachments to the letter include copies of Oemig’s two advertisements, a point-by-point rebuttal of Oemig’s education advertisement, a public statement from Project Vote Smart condemning Oemig for his use of NPAT data in negative political advertising and for his misrepresentations of that NPAT data, and a copy of Nixon’s web site statement on abortion and reproductive rights. (return to top) Heart of America Northwest Names Rep. Nixon “Hanford Clean-Up Hero of the Year”from Heart of America Northwest “Citizen’s Guide”, October 2006Seattle (October 11, 2006) -- State Representative Toby Nixon (R-45, Woodinville) is our 2006 Hanford Clean-Up Hero. “Before everyone knew how popular Initiative 297 would be with Washington’s voters, Toby Nixon was working as a Sponsor and lining up other supporters,” said Gerry Pollet, Heart of America Northwest executive director. “That is just one small example of his willingness to stand up for what he believes in.” Nixon is actively engaged in defending Initiative 297, agreeing to be a named Defendant Sponsor in the suit to overturn the initiative, filed by the federal Energy Department and Hanford Contractors. With the federal Energy Department delaying the emptying of High-Level Nuclear Waste Tanks and building a vitrification plant, Toby’s work to implement the policies of I-297 by having state law require emptying of tanks make him a true “Hanford Clean-Up Hero.” (return to top) Nixon remarks on receiving Freedom’s Light Award from the Washington Newspaper Publishers AssociationKennewick (October 6, 2006) -- At the 119th annual convention of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association today in Kennewick, State Rep. Toby Nixon (R-45th District) was presented the Freedom’s Light Award, the highest honor for non-journalists given by WNPA. The award honors a Washington resident who has protected or advanced First Amendment interests in the state, a critical aspect of which is access to public information. He joins previous honorees including former Washington Chief Justice James Anderson; Washington Court of Appeal Judge C. Kenneth Grosse; Clyde Ballard, former Speaker of the House; Brian Sonntag, Washington State Auditor; state senators Cal Anderson and Adam Kline; former U.S. House Speaker Thomas Foley; Ronal Serpas, former chief of the Washington State Patrol; Michael Killeen, attorney for Davis Wright Tremaine; and Walt Woodward, former editor and publisher of the Bainbridge Island Review. Here is the text of the remarks made by Rep. Nixon upon receipt of the award:Thank you so much for this great honor. When I speak about my work in the legislature, especially with groups of schoolchildren, I’m often asked, “What got you interested in politics?” My answer is very simple: Mrs. Edelman and Judge Eaton. Mrs. Edelman was my 7th grade social studies and civics teacher at Sequoia Junior High School in Redding, California. She was not easy on us. To pass her class, you had to memorize the preamble to the Constitution, the first couple of paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and all four verses of the National Anthem. Most of the kids thought it was torture, but not me; I fell in love with it –- and I have either run for office myself or helped with some other campaign every year since. Judge Richard B. Eaton was a superior court judge in Shasta County, California, also while I was in 7th grade. He was my Boy Scout merit badge counselor for the “Citizenship in the Nation” merit badge. Judge Eaton wasn’t satisfied with just memorization -– he wanted his scouts to know what the words actually meant. I learned from him that we have natural rights that belong to us by virtue of being human –- rights that aren’t given to us by the government or by the Constitution, but that predate the existence of government: the right to not be killed, the right to do what we wish with our lives so long as we respect the rights of others, the right to enjoy the fruits of our labor and to be secure in our property. I learned that we, the people, created the government to help us defend our rights; that is the purpose of government. I learned that we are all equal as far as the government is concerned: none of us has God-given authority to rule over the rest, and none of us has any special dispensation of wisdom that entitles us to decide for other people how they should live their lives. I learned that we need to be ever vigilant, because if the government were to ever become destructive of our rights, it was not only our right but our duty to change the government and put it back in its place. Wouldn’t it be great if all of our young men and young women came out of seventh grade with such an education? These two great people instilled in me a passion that burns in me to this day to preserve what our founders created. Jefferson wrote, “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance”, and I feel that as a personal responsibility. Our founders’ creation was unique in the world at the time, and it is still special, even fragile, today. It wasn’t until later in my life that I thought long and hard about what it actually takes for us to be able to implement our duty to change the government if it goes down the wrong path. Now, here, I could give a discourse on the importance of the Second Amendment, but this is the NPA and not the NRA, and I think we’d all prefer to depend on the First Amendment rather than the Second. I think James Madison had the right answer when he wrote, “A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.” Having the trust of the people is essential to government being able to accomplish the very important purposes for which we created it. Such trust is not easily earned or retained, and is based on the ability of the people to verify that they, and not unseen forces, are in control of the government, and that public officials are acting in the interest of the people and not for personal gain. We have constructed a framework of laws that enable that verification, including strong ethics laws, campaign finance disclosure, transparent and verifiable elections, comprehensive independent financial and performance audits, open lawmaking and rulemaking processes, open courts, and, of course, open public meetings and records. Loss or erosion of any of these sets us on a course of losing the public trust. When that trust is lost, the people begin the process of changing the government. I am convinced that the success of initiative measures that have deprived the government of financial resources can be largely attributed to such a loss of trust, because it is by withdrawing financial support that the people can most immediately effect a change in the government. Unfortunately, legislative nibbling, court decisions and lax enforcement have, in fact, combined to erode the public’s ability to keep an eye on the government. We have had far too many cases of government waste and corruption covered up by officials concealing records, sometimes on a pretence that the matter was subject to attorney-client privilege. Technology allows records to come into existence and then disappear again in the blink of an eye with little left in the way of evidence, and technology also allows public officials to debate issues and make decisions without any public involvement or observation whatsoever. The penalties assessed for violations of our open government laws are so low that agencies just pay them as a cost of doing business. Personal accountability for those who break the rules, even knowingly and willfully, is unheard of. And who among the citizenry actually has time to pay attention to everything necessary to verify the integrity of those in government? To pore over PDC reports? To watch as ballot envelopes are opened and signatures verified, and examine voting machine audit reports? To make records requests and hold elected officials accountable? To sit through interminably boring city council or school board meetings and question the purpose of every executive session? The sheer volume of information and number of agencies to monitor makes it impossible for any of us to do it alone. That is why the news media are so important. That is why the freedom of the press is essential to the preservation of liberty -– and to fulfillment of the duty we each have as citizens to hold the government accountable and to keep it in check. And so, in addition to thanking you for this award today, I also thank you for your diligence, your persistence, and your hard work on behalf of the people of the state of Washington. Thank you for the investments you make in staff and technology and ink and all the other resources required to get the information citizens need and make it available to us. Thank you for your courage in the face of powerful forces that would conceal essential information from you and from all of us. When Benjamin Franklin emerged from the constitutional convention and was asked what form of government had been created, he replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” I am committed to not only stopping the erosion of our open government laws and the freedom of the press, but to expanding and strengthening them. If we work together, we will keep our republic. Thank you very much! (return to top) Democrat complaint ruled “nonsensical” by Legislative Ethics BoardKirkland (September 29, 2006) -- The Washington State Legislative Ethics Board has dismissed a complaint filed on August 31 by the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee against Rep. Toby Nixon and a senate staff member regarding a campaign press release that had been published in the Woodinville Chamber of Commerce newsletter. In the order of dismissal, the board said that the SDCC complaint was not only unfounded but “nonsensical as well as unsupported by any facts”, and that “there are no facts or reasonable inferences there from which [to] support the allegations that Rep. Nixon or Rebecca Japhet utilized public resources with respect to the Nixon campaign release”.“I appreciate the Board’s quick action to dismiss this completely false and trumped-up complaint,” Nixon said in response to the dismissal. “Anyone with the slightest bit of sense would have assumed in a single glance that the text fragment in the Woodinville Chamber newsletter was a formatting error, and a simple phone call to the Chamber would have confirmed that. Either the SDCC does not have even that slight bit of sense, or they are so desperate to find something to attack me and support their candidate that they’re willing to ignore plain facts and waste scarce state resources on baseless charges for purely political purposes.” In an email to the SDCC on September 15, John Erdman, executive director of the Woodinville Chamber of Commerce, said that the news of the complaint “saddened me greatly. This is and was an obvious formatting error that slipped by both my printer and my staff. A simple call to my office would have gotten you the correct explanation and saved everyone the time and money spent to pursue this matter.” He went on to write, “I am disappointed in the fact that you didn’t even attempt to contact us about the situation and instead chose the low road to travel.” In an SDCC press release that had been briefly posted on the SDCC web site on September 14 but has since been removed, Senator Karen Keiser, chair of the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, was quoted as saying “It’s a shame that Representative Nixon is using Karl Rove’s worn-out tactic of blaming Democrats for his own ethical problems instead of taking responsibility for his actions.” In response to Keiser’s remark, Nixon said, “Since the Legislative Ethics Board has found that there never was an ‘ethical problem’ and that the Senate Democrats’ allegation was ‘nonsensical’ and ‘unsupported by any facts’, the only ‘worn-out tactics’ being employed here are the Senate Democrats’ filing of false ethical charges for political gain. I would hope that Sen. Keiser would take responsibility for her actions and issue a prompt apology to me and especially to the innocent and completely uninvolved Senate staff member, Rebecca Japhet -- but I’m not going to hold my breath. The people of the 45th district are already tired of all the negative campaigning that has occurred this year, and if these tactics by the Senate Democrats are any indication, the voters are in store for much more.” (return to top) Seattle Times Blog: Ethics complaint against Nixon dismissed as “non-sensical”By DAVID POSTMANTIMES CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER (Click here for the original article) Seattle (September 27, 2006) -- The Legislative Ethics Board has dismissed a complaint against Rep. Toby Nixon, R-Kirkland, that had been filed by the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee. Nixon is running for the Senate in the 45th District.
UPDATE: Here’s the board’s order. David Postman is The Seattle Times’ chief political reporter. Reach him at 360-236-8267 or at dpostman@seattletimes.com. (return to top) Nixon to receive Freedom’s Light Award from Washington Newspaper Publishers AssociationPRESS RELEASEWashington Newspaper Publishers Association 12354 30th Ave. NE Seattle, WA 98125 Contact: Bill Will, General Manager, (206) 634-3838; bwill@wnpa.com Sept. 22, 2006 State Rep. Toby Nixon will receive the Freedom’s Light Award, the highest honor for non-journalists given by Washington Newspaper Publisher Association, early next month at the association’s 119th annual convention. The award will be presented Friday, Oct. 6 in Kennewick. Nearly every year since the award was created in 1995, WNPA has honored a Washington resident who has protected or advanced First Amendment interests in the state, a critical aspect of which is access to public information. In announcing Rep. Nixon’s selection as the 2006 honoree, WNPA General Manager Bill Will said, “Rep. Nixon is that all too rare public official who backs up campaign rhetoric about open and accountable government with action in Olympia. Toby has grabbed the banner of open government, and his commitment to transparency and accountability has distinguished his legislative career.” The Kirkland Republican has represented the 45th legislative district in the Washington State House of Representatives since January 2002. Among his other responsibilities, he is ranking Republican member of the State Government Operations and Accountability Committee, which oversees the state’s open public records and open public meetings laws. He is the Republican nominee for a vacant state senate seat in the 45th District. “Having the trust of the people is essential to government being able to accomplish its purposes,” said Nixon. “Transparency and openness in government — open public records, meetings, courts, and rulemaking and legislative processes — are critical elements of earning and retaining that trust. We must stop the erosion of our open government laws.” Attorney General Rob McKenna, who has also championed public access, praised Rep. Nixon, “Representative Nixon is a champion of open government and accountable public process. Whenever my office and I have proposed strengthening our state’s sunshine laws, we have found in him an effective, passionate legislative voice for those proposals.” Another key player in government access issues, Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington executive director Rowland Thompson, said, “Toby Nixon has a better understanding of the Open Public Records Act and The Open Public Meetings Act than any other legislator in Olympia. He comes by that understanding both from the words written in the law books and the court cases, but also from the state and federal constitutional requirements that put those words on the page. Beyond his intellectual command of the principles is his deep philosophical commitment to rights of the people to hold their government accountable. He is deeply deserving of the Freedom’s Light Award,” Thompson added. In addition to his legislative responsibilities, Nixon works as a program manager in the Windows Networking and Device Technologies group at Microsoft in Redmond. He has held various positions with Microsoft since January 1993. His expertise is in communicating over the Internet, and he takes a special interest in communication for the disabled; his current assignment involves designing technology for the smart homes of the future. Nixon, his wife Irene, and their five children make their home in Kirkland. Previous winners of the Freedom’s Light Award are Washington Court of Appeal Judge C. Kenneth Grosse in 2004; Ronal Serpas, Chief of the Washington State Patrol, 2003, Sen. Adam Kline, 2002; Clyde Ballard, former House Co-Speaker, 2001; Brian Sonntag, Washington State Auditor, 2000; Michael Killeen, attorney, Davis Wright Tremaine, 1999; Walt C. Woodward, former editor and publisher, Bainbridge Island Review, 1998; former U.S. House Speaker Thomas Foley, 1997; former Washington Chief Justice James Anderson, 1996; and state Sen. Cal Anderson, 1995. WNPA represents 114 community newspapers across Washington state. WNPA promotes open government, defends the First Amendment, sponsors the state’s annual Better Newspaper Contest and offers continuing education for publishers and staff members. The organization was founded in 1887, two years before Washington was admitted to the United States. (return to top) Nixon responds to continuing false and reprehensible attacks by Senate DemocratsKirkland (September 9, 2006)Dear Friends, This past week, I received notification from the state Legislative Ethics Board that a second complaint has been submitted against me by the Operations Director of the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee. In this new complaint, the Democrats alleged that a member of the Senate Republican communications staff wrote my press release on April 27 announcing my candidacy for state senator for the 45th district. These charges are entirely false. The false accusation is based on a document, the source of which the Democrats have not disclosed, which was crudely altered to make it appear as though it was prepared by the senate staff member. This is now the fourth instance of gutter politics being used by the Democrats to attack me, and is just the latest example of their desperation to come up with something, anything, to use to attack my record, even if they must manufacture false evidence to do it. The simple fact is that if any abuse of state resources has taken place during this campaign, it is this abuse by the Democrats of the Legislative Ethics Board staff and process for campaign purposes. The voters of the 45th District are intelligent and recognize reprehensible, even illegal, campaign tactics when they see them, and I trust they will hold the Democrats accountable. You may click here to see a scanned copy of the complaint as I received it, and judge its veracity for yourself. I have also attached below the text of my response to the counsel of the Legislative Ethics Board denying the charges and requesting quick and open action on them. As always, I appreciate your prayers and support, even more so as my family and I endure these continuing false attacks on my character. Best regards, -- Toby Text of my email to the Legislative Ethics Board: Date: September 9, 2006 To: Mike O’Connell, Board Counsel, Legislative Ethics Board CC: Tim Sekerak, House Counsel Re: Response to Ethics Complaint C2006 – No. 9 Dear Mr. O’Connell: I have received your letter dated September 5 regarding the second ethics complaint filed against me by the Operations Director of the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee, Kenneth Camp. I completely and unequivocally deny that any ethics violation took place, by me or Rebecca Japhet, in this case or at any other time. The allegations made by Mr. Camp and the SDCC are false. The press release issued on April 27, 2006, announcing my intention to seek the 45th District senate seat, was originally drafted by Stan Shore, a political consultant who works with me on my campaign who is also under contract with the Senate Republican’s Leadership Council. I still have in my possession the original draft of the press release in electronic form. The Microsoft Word File Properties of that document clearly indicate that the file was created using a copy of Word registered to Mr. Shore, at 6:07AM on April 27. It was emailed to me at 6:56AM that same day. The release was subsequently edited by myself and by my campaign manager, Eric Rohrbach, and returned to Mr. Shore by email. The release was then, at approximately 2:00PM, emailed by Mr. Shore from his private, non-governmental office to a variety of news media outlets, and I emailed additional copies of the release to my campaign email list and other contacts from my campaign email account. At no time were any state resources used in the creation or distribution of this release. At no time did Rebecca Japhet or any other state employee have any involvement in the creation or distribution of this or any other campaign-related press release that I have issued -– ever. No version of this press release ever included Ms. Japhet’s contact information as alleged by the SDCC, even in draft form. It is astounding, even stupefying, that Mr. Camp and his supervisor, SDCC chair Sen. Karen Keiser, would imagine for a moment that the ranking member of the House committee with responsibility for state ethics laws would be so stupid as to not only use state resources for preparation of a campaign press release, but to actually send out a campaign press release with the name, legislative phone number, and legislative email address of a state employee attached! There appear to be two possible explanations for the document that the SDCC discovered: it was a simple cut-and-paste of my release into the document sent out by Sen. Finkbeiner the same day announcing he was not running again, or this is a deliberate fabrication for campaign purposes by Sen. Keiser and her staff. First, it is possible that the unidentified “community publication”, as the SDCC calls it, in its haste to publish the release “in its entirety”, made a simple cut-and-paste error in preparing their publication. Senator Finkbeiner had sent out a press release a short time prior to my release, announcing that he was not seeking re-election. Senator Finkbeiner’s release was written by Rebecca Japhet, legitimately so, and her contact information did appear at the bottom of Sen. Finkbeiner’s release. It is possible that the editor of the “community publication”, processing my release after Senator Finkbeiner’s release, inadvertently left behind a fragment of Senator Finkbeiner’s release when incorporating my release into their publication. This would explain why the document submitted by the SDCC contains only partial, fragmentary contact information for Ms. Japhet. A second possible explanation is that the document presented by the SDCC was intentionally altered, or even created, for the purpose of establishing a basis for this ethics complaint. There are several characteristics of the document that could lead one to such a conclusion. First, the heading of the document is “Toby Nixon for State Senate”, while every copy of the release actually sent out by my campaign was entitled “Toby Nixon Announces for State Senate” (emphasis added). If this “community publication” truly has a practice of publishing press releases in their entirety, then why would the word “Announces” have been removed from the title? Second, the text of the document presented by the SDCC begins with “Kirkland (April 27, 2006) –” in boldface type. This text was not in any of the copies of the press release faxed or emailed by Mr. Shore or myself. However, this text does appear in boldface in the version of the release that was later posted by me on my campaign web site at http://www.tobynixon.com/news.htm#a169. That is the only place that boldfaced text has appeared. This leads to the conclusion that the document presented by the SDCC was not derived from an authentic copy of the original press release received by the “community publication” through normal means, but that the text they published was cut and pasted from my campaign web site after the fact. But Ms. Japhet’s contact information has never appeared as part of this or any other release on my campaign web site, and could not have been cut and pasted from that source; however, Ms. Japhet’s contact information could have been added to the version presented to you by the SDCC with the intent of establishing a basis for the present complaint. Finally, the fact that the document presented by the SDCC apparently was faxed from “HDCC” (presumably the House Democratic Campaign Committee) calls into question its origin, as does the fact that the SDCC refused to identify the “community publication” where the document was allegedly published. I cannot imagine any legitimate reason for not disclosing the identity and date of the alleged publication as part of the initial complaint so that the content of the document can be independently verified and the staff of the publication questioned regarding its authenticity. Unfortunately, this latter explanation fits into the disturbing pattern established by Sen. Keiser recently. First, Senate Democrats or others acting on behalf of my opponent, Eric Oemig, placed phone calls to voters in the 45th district asserting that I had not paid my property taxes, when in fact the payment had been made but was not properly handled and recorded by King County. Senator Keiser later personally defamed me in writing to a group of lobbyists, alleging that there had been “erosion of [my] personal and professional standing.” She apologized for that action, but shortly thereafter her employees filed two legislative ethics complaints against me. It’s very disturbing to see campaigning conducted in the gutter. Mr. O’Connell, I sincerely hope that the first explanation –- an innocent error by an inexperienced and careless editor –- is the correct explanation. I shudder to consider the ramifications of the second explanation, but would not be at all surprised if it is correct. The fact that the SDCC’s complaint omits essential information and is based on supposition and innuendo leads to the inescapable conclusion that the SDCC and HDCC are engaging in an orchestrated smear campaign against me, using the Legislative Ethics Board during a political campaign for political purposes. In your letter, you indicated that you would like to meet with me for an interview. I would be happy to do so, at a time and place of your convenience, and look forward eagerly to the opportunity. I would like to undertake this as speedily as possible; the submitters of false accusations should not be rewarded for their nefarious actions by allowing them to use those false accusations for political purposes, claiming that the falsely accused is “under investigation for ethics violations”. Resolving this matter expeditiously, with full public disclosure of all materials and testimony, is in the interest of truth and justice. Committed as I am to openness and transparency in government, I will be distributing copies of this letter forthwith to the news media and on my web site, including a scanned copy of your letter and its attachments. I also will want our interview to be on the record and open to the public for their perusal. The inevitable interview with Sen. Keiser about her foreknowledge of these events will also be on the record, I should hope. As Justice Louis Brandeis said, “Sunshine is the best disinfectant”, and open government is always the best solution to lies and false charges. Best regards, Toby Nixon State Representative, 45th District (return to top) Republicans for Environmental Protection: REP Endorses Washington Legislative Candidates Seattle (September 5, 2006) --
The Washington chapter of Republicans for Environmental Protection, a national grassroots organization, is pleased to endorse the following Republican candidates for the state House and Senate.
REP was founded in 1995 to restore the Republican Party’s great conservation tradition. REP, whose membership includes ordinary citizens and elected officials, has chapters in nine other states in addition to Washington. Visit REP on line at www.rep.org. (return to top) Seattle Times: Free the press releasesBy DAVID POSTMANTIMES CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER (Click here for the original article) Seattle (September 1, 2006) --
Partisan, taxpayer- funded public- relations workers produce hundreds of press releases each year touting the accomplishments of state legislators.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Deciphering ethics in the digital ageBy KENNETH F. BUNTINGP-I ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER (Click here for the original article) Seattle (September 1, 2006) --
Most lawmakers or legislative candidates facing an election-year ethics complaint would be doing everything possible to keep it quiet, not publicize it.
Text of historical press releases redacted due to legislative rulesKirkland (August 27, 2006)Dear Friends, This past week, I received notification from the state Legislative Ethics Board that a complaint had been submitted saying that my practice of posting historical legislative press releases on this web site is a violation of legislative rules. While this matter is pending, I have decided to redact the text of the press releases in question from this site. That’s why you’ll see a lot of empty spots in these pages. For your information, I have posted below an email I sent moments ago to the counsel of the Board explaining my position on the issue and asking the Board to reconsider the policy. As you know, I am a strong advocate of open government. I believe every legislator has a responsibility to inform their constituents of their actions as a legislator. Making available to constituents the official statements a legislator makes in the form of press releases is a part of that. That is why I have always sent copies of my press releases to individuals who request to be on the distribution list, and archived copies of my press releases on this web site. Completely unknown to me, the Board in 2004 issued an “advisory opinion” that such postings are an inappropriate use of state resources. This new policy was not included in the Legislative Ethics Manual update issued prior to the 2005 legislative session. I disagree with the policy, and you can read why in the email below. I am firm and unwavering in my commitment to the public’s right to know, and you can count on me to work to change this rule so that legislators cannot hide behind it to prevent the press releases they issue during the legislative session from being easily available to their constituents and their political opponents. In the meantime, if you want copies of these press releases, they will need to be requested from the Office of the Chief Clerk, P.O. Box 40600, Olympia WA 98504-0600, 360-786-7750. I have left the titles and dates on this site to make it easy for you to identify the release to request. If you believe as I do that press releases issued by legislators should be available for viewing by voters during the campaign season, either through the legislature’s web site or through the legislator’s own sites, then I would encourage you to share your opinion with the Legislative Ethics Board. They can be contacted by email through their staff counsel, Mike O’Connell, at oconnell.mike@leg.wa.gov. Best regards, -- Toby Text of my email to the Legislative Ethics Board: Date: August 27, 2006 To: Mike O’Connell, Board Counsel, Legislative Ethics Board CC: Tim Sekerak, House Counsel Re: Complaint regarding posting of press releases on my campaign web site Dear Mr. O’Connell: I have received your letter dated August 17 regarding the complaint filed on August 16 by Mr. Kenneth Camp. In his complaint, Mr. Camp says that I have posted press releases on my campaign web site that were initially distributed through House Media at public expense, and indicates that he believes this is contrary to Legislative Ethics Board Advisory Opinion 2004-01. When my very first legislative press release was prepared (“Nixon sworn in as 45th district representative”, 14 January 2002), I asked two questions of House media and House counsel: (1) am I allowed to send the text of the release on my personal email list, and (2) am I allowed to post the text of the release on my personal or campaign web site? At that time, I was told that once the release was sent out, it was public information that could be used by anyone, and that there was no clear prohibition in the law or in ethics rules to the uses I proposed. Since then, I have forwarded every press release that mentions me issued through House Media to my personal email list and posted them on my web site, at no cost to the state. By my estimation, just over 100 such releases have been so distributed during my tenure in the House. I do not recall ever having received a copy of Advisory Opinion 2004-01, or being informed of its existence, prior to receiving your letter. To this day, the Legislative Ethics Manual (http://www1.leg.wa.gov/documents/leb/2005EthicsManual.pdf) says nothing about this prohibition on posting of historical press releases, and the current version of the manual was prepared after this advisory opinion was issued. There is in fact a section of this Manual entitled “Use of resources – Press releases”, and even that section, which is directly on topic, says nothing about any prohibition or limitation on historical press releases being posted to campaign or personal web sites. Press releases issued during previous legislative sessions are historical information. They are a matter of public record. They are not campaign-related; because of limitations on the content of press releases (which the Manual does address), such releases are by their very nature not campaign materials; legislators are prohibited from using press releases, even before the June 30 election-year cutoff, to promote themselves, attack others, or in any way advocate for or against any campaign, and House staff, as directed by the majority caucus, has recently been quite strict in enforcing these rules. What such releases actually do is to help document what a legislator said and did during the performance of their official duties. They are therefore valuable information for constituents in evaluating the performance of legislators in office. They are likewise valuable information to election opponents. It could be argued that depriving voters and opponents of this valuable resource for evaluating the positions and actions of legislators is an inappropriate concealment of public records. While RCW 42.52 clearly prohibits use of state resources to prepare a campaign press release (such as announcing candidacy for re-election or otherwise directly related to a campaign), it is silent on whether information created during the course of normal legislative duties and made available to the general public can be subsequently made available, at no cost to the state, during a campaign. The key question is whether the posting of historical press releases that, at the time of their creation, met strict content guidelines and were not considered campaigning, can become a use of public resources to support a political campaign because of how they are subsequently used. While the Board has, in Advisory Opinion 2004-01, taken the position that this is the case, I respectfully request that the Board reconsider this decision. A number of additional questions need to be addressed which apparently were not considered by the Board in formulating Advisory Opinion 2004-01, and I would like to share these questions and my views on them with the Board at the appropriate time. Suffice it to say now that as a strong advocate of open government, I firmly believe that legislators have no fewer rights than other citizens to access and use of public documents; the question should be the appropriateness under state law of the original content and purpose of a press release, not its subsequent use as a historical document. Nevertheless, in the interest of compliance with the policy as it currently exists, I have removed the text of press releases on my web site that were originally issued through House Media, pending such reconsideration. As both government and elections move from being primarily paper-based to being primarily electronic, and as the public becomes increasingly accustomed to and rightfully expects unfettered and immediate access to all government information, we will undoubtedly go through periods of transition where our understanding of what is appropriate and inappropriate evolves over time. I look forward to having an opportunity to discuss this matter further with you and the members of the Legislative Ethics Board. Best regards, Toby Nixon State Representative, 45th District (return to top) Representative Toby Nixon Files for State SenateKirkland (July 25, 2006) -- State Representative Toby Nixon (R-45th District) officially filed today as a candidate for State Senator representing the 45th Legislative district. Nixon filed using the Secretary of State’s online filing option that was newly expanded to all legislative candidates as a result of legislation Nixon sponsored in the 2005 legislative session.Focusing on building a stronger state economy, safer communities and restoring trust, Nixon declared, “It’s been an honor representing my constituents as State Representative for the past five years. My experience and leadership in the House will enable me to be highly effective representing them as their new State Senator.” Nixon has worked to strengthen our state economy by reducing government red tape, promoting congestion relief, improving educational opportunities for our children and promoting private sector economic development and job creation. Nixon said, “We can have a job-friendly economy and still protect the natural treasures of our state. As senator, I will continue to be a leader in finding that balance.” Nixon has worked to make our communities safer, supporting better protection for children from sexual predators, tougher standards for homeless encampments, protection for social security numbers and increased penalties for identity theft, and cracking down on computer phishing and spyware. Nixon declared, “My 31 years of technical experience in the computer and communications industry enable me to effectively advance innovative solutions to many of the challenges coming from the growing impact of new technology on our every-day lives.” Nixon has also been recognized for his bi-partisan work to ensure accurate and fair elections, open public records and meetings, and implementation of comprehensive performance audits of government programs. Nixon pledged, “I worked hard to advance comprehensive performance audits and I’ll continue in the Senate to make sure these new audits are implemented to ensure taxpayers are getting effective use of their tax dollars.” “Voters have asked me to keep taxes low, spend tax dollars wisely and minimize government intrusion in our individual lives, “ Nixon declared. “I will continue to champion solutions that empower individuals, families and private enterprise to solve problems directly. I would like to keep my leadership skills working for my constituents as their new State Senator.” The 45th Legislative District includes Carnation, Duvall and Woodinville, and parts of Kirkland, Redmond and Sammamish. Visit www.tobynixon.com for more information. (return to top) Rep. Nixon responds to negative personal attacksKirkland (July 13, 2006) -- State Rep. Toby Nixon issued the following statement in response to negative personal attacks leveled by his opponent in the race for State Senator in the 45th District:“It was recently brought to my attention that the campaign of my opponent, directly or indirectly, has been making telephone calls to voters in the 45th District, claiming to be taking a poll, and then using leading questions as a way to make accusations and influence the voters –- a practice known as “push polling”. While this practice is widespread and is hardly surprising in this age of negative campaigning, I was very surprised indeed to learn that my opponent was telling voters that I was past due on the property taxes on my home, since to the best of my knowledge the taxes had been paid in full and on time. I checked the King County web site, and, sure enough, the county treasury is claiming that the first half 2006 taxes on my home have not been paid. This was a complete surprise to me! “What happened, as far as we’ve been able to determine so far, is this. In mid-April, my wife and I refinanced the first mortgage on our home to take advantage of low fixed interest rates, as have tens of thousands of other families in the area. As part of that process, the bank said that their policy was to require the title company handling the closing to make the tax payment to the county, instead of us making the payment ourselves as we have for many years. This didn’t seem negotiable with them, so we consented. The title company has the records to prove that they printed the tax payment check and mailed it to King County before the due date. However, King County claims to have not received the check. The check has not been cashed, and has also not been returned to the title company in the mail. Nobody knows where it is. The title company has committed to stopping payment on the previous check and issuing a new check to King County. Even though the past due payment is not directly the fault of Irene and me, it appears that we will be the ones paying the interest and penalties. It’s not fair, but it’s the most expedient way to resolve the situation. “Unfortunately, King County does not send out notices to property taxpayers when their tax payment checks are not received -- all the county does is post a notice on their web site that the payment is past due. The title company doesn’t double-check to make sure their check has been processed until six months later when it is flagged as “stale”. Perhaps I should have remembered to check the county web site to make sure the payment was credited to our account, but have never had to do that before with my tax payments and have never had a problem until now. So this is an interesting lesson learned –- just as many of us now check the county elections web site to confirm that our absentee ballots have been received, perhaps now I and many others will be checking to make sure our property tax checks are received and properly posted. I’m sure we’re not the first family this has ever happened to, and as a result I will be drafting legislation requiring counties to send out reminder notices for past due property taxes. “I have provided this explanation to my opponent. Now that he is aware of what has actually happened in this situation, I’m sure he’ll stop his scurrilous, personal, mudslinging attack on my character, and instruct his campaign and supporters to either provide a complete description of what actually happened or refrain from mentioning it at all. If he continues to try to profit politically from an unfortunate accident, I’m sure the educated and understanding voters of the 45th district will treat his activities as the petty, spiteful, and desperate moves that they are.” (return to top) Thoughts on Independence DayKirkland (July 1, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon emailed the following remarks to his friends and supporters in recognition of the 230th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence:I find too often that when you ask people to enumerate the “self-evident truths” mentioned in our Declaration of Independence that, if they even have a clue what you’re asking, they too often stop at “pursuit of Happiness”. That’s a shame, because it is in the remainder of that paragraph that we find the most important principles -- principles which we must be reminded of, since, in the words of Article 1 Section 32 of our Washington State Constitution, “a frequent recurrence to fundamental principles is essential to the security of individual right and the perpetuity of free government.” Here’s a slightly edited statement of those self-evident truths, with punctuation and the numbers before each truth inserted to highlight them (the words are all the original): We hold these truths to be self-evident:These self-evident truths were revolutionary in 1776, and are just as important today. Our founding fathers asserted that we are all equal –- that there is no “elite ruling class” with a divine right to govern that knows better than we do how we should live our lives. Our rights come from God, and existed before the establishment of government rather than being granted to us by the government in the Constitution or otherwise. We created the government for the purpose of helping us to defend our rights, and if the government infringes our rights rather than protecting them, it is not only our right, but our duty, to change or replace the government. Today, our government too often assumes for itself the power to take from us our lives, our liberty, and our property. It may be in the form of a “critical areas ordinance” that takes from each rural landowner the use of 65% of their land, or a U.S. Supreme Court decision that says any local government can take our home from us if they think some other private landowner would pay them more in taxes for it, or a state legislature that says the government should take ownership of a significant part of our assets when we die instead of them being inherited by our children or that uses spurious declarations of “emergency” to eviscerate the people’s right of referendum, or any of a number of other incremental and insidious infringements. Whatever form it takes, we should each be continuously asking ourselves whether government has become destructive of the ends for which we created it. The Declaration goes on to say “Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” In other words, we are a patient people and will put up with a lot of abuse, but eventually enough is enough. Thomas Jefferson also wrote “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance”. Are we willing to pay that price? Are we willing to step up on this Independence Day and commit, as did our founding fathers, “our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor” to the task of protecting our rights? Will we contribute our time, talents, and money to restoring government to its proper role and place, as a protector rather than a destroyer of our fundamental rights? If we’re not willing, then who will? Many of us have family traditions of reading from the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke on Christmas Eve. Would it not be a great tradition to read the Declaration of Independence on July 4th each year? It only takes about 10 minutes to read aloud the entire document. If you can make time on Tuesday to do it, I think you would be blessed for it; here’s a link. Take a few minutes to think about the marvelous creation our Founding Fathers blessed us with 230 years ago, and how our lives would be different if those principles were to be cast on “the ash heap of history” through our own neglect. May we each have a safe and happy Independence Day with our families! (return to top) Nixon remarks on environmental protection at 2006 Campaign KickoffBellevue (June 14, 2006) -- At the campaign kickoff breakfast for his 2006 campaign for State Senate in the 45th District, before an audience of nearly 300 people, Rep. Toby Nixon made the following remarks:When I first came before you six years ago and asked for your support to represent you in the legislature, I told you that I was committed to the fundamental principles that made this country great: individual liberty, personal responsibility, limited government, and the free market. Some other legislators seem to just drift with the current of public opinion, but I still hold fast to these principles today, and I always will. My legislative priorities have been and will remain the same: to keep our communities safe for our families, and help people protect their lives, liberty, and property; to enable private-sector economic development and job creation; and to restore trust in government. Some people have made note of the fact that I’ve been an active participant in the ongoing debates on protecting our Northwest environment. I’m a member of the state executive committee of Republicans for Environmental Protection –- which is not an oxymoron, by the way. I helped found a new group called the “Washington Environmental Roundtable” to try to reach bipartisan consensus on environmental issues. But as you know, the environmental community doesn’t always see eye to eye with Republicans and they certainly doesn’t base their positions on the same principles we do, some people might wonder why I’ve focused on the environment as an issue. Ever since my younger slimmer days when I hiked 100 miles through the Trinity Alps in California and spent a lot of other time in the outdoors as a Boy Scout, I’ve had a great love for our natural environment and a desire to protect it. The fact is, people shouldn’t be surprised that Republicans care about the environment. Just look at history; Republicans have a proud legacy of conservation and environmental leadership. The national park system was created by a Republican president -– Teddy Roosevelt. Another Republican president, Richard Nixon (no relation), signed into law the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, among others. The root word of “conservative” and “conservation” is the same. True conservatives take to heart the scriptural admonition to be wise stewards, to take care of the earth so that we can pass it down to our posterity. Clearly, we and our liberal friends share an interest in protecting the environment. Where we disagree is on how best to accomplish it. If nobody speaks up and offers solutions that are consistent with our principles, then their way of doing it gets implemented, almost by default. But their way carries a great risk of destroying our way of life. Let me tell you why. It is only by respecting property rights and the free market that we can protect the environment in a sustainable way, for the long term. Why is that? Caring about the environment is a luxury that only a prosperous society can afford. If you doubt me, think on the images you’ve seen of poor countries around the world. Do they look like places where protection of the environment is a high priority? Every waterway is an open sewer –- but people get their drinking water there anyway. The land is stripped bare as people collect wood to burn or to make room to grow crops. The air is polluted with the burning of that wood and animal dung. People who are living on a subsistence level, who spend every waking hour just trying to find their next meal, don’t have time to care about the environment! If you look at the United States and other wealthy countries, you can see the benefit to the environment of having a robust economy. As a society, we have so much excess wealth that we pay for swarms of government agents to look after the environment for us. Millions of people use their free time to enjoy the natural environment and to voluntarily work on projects to improve and preserve it. Can you imagine the extreme irony if, in the name of protecting the environment, we were to destroy our economy, and with it the very engine that enables us to care about protecting the environment? So what does it take to have a robust economy that generates enough wealth so that both we as individuals and as a society can afford to care about the environment? In a recent article in Imprimis, published by Hillsdale College, Steve Forbes outlined five basic principles of economic growth. The first is the rule of law. Due Process. Equality before the law. Without it, you have a dictatorship in which those in power help their friends, and barriers are placed in the way of starting new businesses that compete. The second is property rights. People simply will not invest in a business, or a home, or anything else, unless they believe their investment is secure and won’t be taken from them by whoever has a bigger gun. The third principle is low taxes. Taxes that are too high are a disincentive to work, to success, and to risk-taking. We’ve seen again and again that when taxes are too high, the economy stagnates, and when taxes are lowered, the economy takes off again. Our problem is not that our taxes are too low, but that government spends too much! The fourth essential principle is limited regulation. Economic growth depends on it being simple to start and operate businesses; we don’t need bureaucrats meddling in every detail. And the fifth principle is free trade. Expanding markets and creating greater opportunity for trade benefits everyone. Too often, liberals in Olympia and Washington DC ignore the rule of law, ignore our property rights, tax everything in sight at exorbitant rates, and impose burdensome regulations and trade restrictions that make it almost impossible to operate a business at a profit and to create jobs. They say they care about the environment, but they don’t seem to understand the essential link between a robust economy and environmental protection. It is our responsibility to teach them. We can’t “Just Vote No” on their proposals. We must be creative, step up and propose solutions that protect the environment and protect our property rights, that protect the environment and enable job creation, that protect the environment and keep the government in check and hold it accountable. So why am I involved in environmental issues? I refuse to just stand back and throw stones. What I will do is step into the middle of the debate, bring people together, and find common-sense solutions that accomplish everyone’s goals in a way that is consistent with our fundamental principles of individual liberty, personal responsibility, limited government, and the free market. That is called leadership. We need more of it today. Send me back to Olympia, and that is what you will get. My friends, the thing to remember is this: freedom works. The free market works. Whatever problems face us –- transportation, education, health care, creating jobs, economic development, housing, the environment, I could go on and on –- the answer in every case is to turn away from the path toward bigger government that we’ve been on, and return to the divinely-inspired principles that guided our founding fathers. With your help, I will return to Olympia and continue that fight on your behalf. Thank you very much! (return to top) Nixon applauds AG’s opinion on initiative declarationOlympia (May 31, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon today called on the secretary of state to immediately rescind the requirement that the declaration printed on the reverse side of initiative, referendum, and recall petitions be signed by the petition circulator. He also asked the secretary of state’s office to inform all initiative and referendum petition sponsors that petition forms will be accepted even if no name or signature is provided on the declaration.Nixon’s request was in response to the publication today of Attorney General Rob McKenna’s opinion (Attorney General Opinion No. 13) that House Bill 1222, passed in 2005, does not require the declaration to be signed. The opinion also said that the secretary of state’s office does not have authority to reject petition forms that are not signed. The AG’s opinion cited substantial research into the legislative history of HB 1222 and a previous version of the bill, HB 1660 from the 2003 and 2004 Legislative sessions. “I greatly appreciate the fine work done by the attorney general’s staff in researching the legislative history of HB 1222 and the requirements associated with the statement that is printed on the back of initiative, referendum, and recall petition forms,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “I’m pleased that the attorney general shares my opinion that the Legislature did not intend to require petition circulators to sign the statement on the back of each form.” Nixon, who was a co-sponsor of HB 1222, is the ranking Republican member of the House State Government Operations and Accountability Committee. That committee has responsibility for consideration of bills related to Washington election laws, including initiative, referendum, and recall petitions. “The original legislation, HB 1660 introduced in 2003, would have made it much more difficult to get an initiative or referendum qualified for the ballot, because it would have required every petition form to be signed by the petition circulator in front of a notary public,” Nixon said. “I worked hard to amend that bill and its successor, HB 1222, to keep the citizen’s right of initiative and referendum as unencumbered as possible, while fully informing petition circulators of the penalties for falsifying signatures or paying people to sign petitions. HB 1222 would not have passed the Legislature with stronger requirements, and I’m glad the attorney general agrees that the secretary of state’s office cannot create additional or stronger requirements on its own.” The 45th Legislative District, which Nixon has represented since 2002, includes Woodinville, Duvall, Carnation, and portions of Kirkland, Bothell, Redmond, and Sammamish. (return to top) King County Journal: Running for hot state legislative seats takes more than the job paysby NOEL BRADYJournal Reporter (Click here for the original article) Note: The article below says that I am "One of Microsoft’s original 300 employees". This is incorrect; I am actually Microsoft employee number 31,522. Noel Brady misread an earlier article that said Ross Hunter is one of Microsoft's original 300 employees, and thought it referred to me. The King County Journal subsequently printed a correction. -- Toby Bellevue (May 29, 2006) --
When Kirkland lawyer Roger Goodman got the tap on the shoulder earlier this month, he didn’t have much time to ponder how he was going to afford a six-figure campaign for one of the priciest seats in the state House or Representatives.
Woodinville Weekly: Brightwater stinks – and it’s not the sewage you’re smellingby TOBY NIXON(Click here for the original article) Woodinville (May 22, 2006) --
As a Republican environmentalist, I’ve never thought of the environment as a partisan issue. But I’m baffled when environmental advocates seem uninterested in what may turn out to be, after Hanford, the second biggest man-made environmental disaster in our state’s history.
The Washington Newspaper: Friends of openness look to legislative sessionBy BILL WILLGeneral Manager, Washington Newspaper Publisher’s Association (Click here and go to page 2 for the original article) Seattle (May, 2006) --
In a strict political sense, the start of the next Legislative session is light years away, Jan. 8, 2007. But elephants purportedly have long memories and one — Republican Rep. Toby Nixon of Kirkland — will have a recent history lesson ready for his legislative colleagues.
Dear Friends -- Some of you have commented that the “black helicopters” comment in the article below is out of character for me. And you’re right, it is -- because the quote was taken complete out of context by the reporter. I made a general reference to the many people who have concerns about national ID cards and the influence of the United Nations on U.S. domestic policy and how they are sometimes pejoratively characterized as the “black helicopter crowd”, and that got transposed and edited into what you read in the article. Sometimes you might think it would be safer to just not talk to reporters at all, but you know I’ve never been one to keep my opinions to myself! While Real ID would certainly help us ensure that only citizens are registered to vote, there are legitimate concerns about the potential for misuse of such a database (such as for identity theft) and about the immense cost. There’s never a simple answer. -- Toby New York Times: Mandate for ID Hits Resistance Among StatesBy PAM BELLUCK(Click here for the original article) New York (May 6, 2006) --
Reacting to the Sept. 11 attacks, Congress passed the Real ID law last year, intending to make it tougher for terrorists to obtain driver’s licenses and for people without proper identification to board planes or enter federal buildings.
KIRO TV: Lawmakers Push To Ease Smoking BanBy CHRIS HALSNEKIRO 7 Eyewitness News Investigative Reporter (Click here for the original article) Seattle (May 5, 2006) --
The state has nailed a Bremerton nursing home with an emergency safety inspection.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Legislative races get costlier: Nearly $150,000 for state Senate runBy CHRIS MCGANNP-I Capitol Correspondent (Click here for the original article) Olympia (May 4, 2006) --
High-stakes politics make for expensive elections, and this year the price tags on legislative campaigns are making Olympia look like Rodeo Drive.
Woodinville Weekly: Toby Nixon announces run for State Senateby JEANETTE KNUTSONStaff Writer (Click here for the original article) Woodinville (May 1, 2006) --
State Rep. Toby Nixon (R-45th District) announced last week that he is vacating his seat in the House and running for the State Senate. State Sen. Bill Finkbeiner (R-45th District) is not seeking re-election and he endorses Rep. Nixon for the Senate.
Toby Nixon announces for State SenateKirkland (April 27, 2006) -- 45th District State Rep. Toby Nixon (R-Kirkland) today announced he is running for the State Senate with an agenda to restore trust in government, making it more open, honest – and less intrusive.“The people on the Eastside want the government to provide essential services efficiently, but not to overreach and over-expand. We cannot afford a government that tries to solve all of our individual problems,” said Nixon. Sen. Bill Finkbeiner has just announced he is not seeking re-election, and that he endorses Rep. Nixon for the Senate. “I’m grateful for the opportunity the people of the 45th District have given me to serve them in Olympia, and the trust and confidence they’ve placed in me,” said Nixon. “I’ve worked hard in a bipartisan way to restore trust in government by making it open and accountable to the voters.” Nixon is a very independent legislator, who judges each issue by his personal principles and by how it will affect his district. In 2004 he was endorsed by the Washington Conservation Voters, the state’s key environmental group. Nixon has focused much energy on improving public safety. In the past two years, Nixon sponsored legislation to stop e-mail fraud, penalize computer crimes, and improve accountability for state patrol troopers involved in multiple at-fault vehicle accidents. He served as the sole legislator on Attorney General Rob McKenna’s advisory council on identity theft for the past year. Nixon is endorsed by Secretary of State Sam Reed, County Councilmember Kathy Lambert, and many other local leaders. Nixon has served in the legislature since January, 2002. He is ranking Republican on the House State Government Operations and Accountability Committee which considers state government functions such as performance audits and election laws. He took the lead in the House on election reform this biennium, including perfecting key legislation on voter registration, election processes, auditing of voting machines, and voter challenges. He is also a member of the House Transportation Committee and the Technology, Energy, and Communications Committee.. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Washington Coalition for Open Government, and the executive committee of the Washington state chapter of Republicans for Environmental Protection. Nixon is a 13-year veteran of Microsoft, where he works as technology advocate, promoting Microsoft innovations to the worldwide industry. He is vice chair of the Steering Committee of the UPnP Forum (www.upnp.org), an industry organization of over 780 companies developing standards for networked devices and smart home technology. Nixon, 47 years old, has been married to his wife Irene for 23 years. They and their five children make their home in the Kingsgate area of Kirkland. The 45th legislative district covers areas of northeast King County including Woodinville, Duvall, Carnation, and parts of Kirkland, Redmond, Bothell, and Sammamish. (return to top) Nixon chosen to represent House on select committeeOlympia (April 19, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon was selected by the Speaker of the House to be the only member from the state House of Representatives on the recently created Homeowners’ Association Act Committee. The committee was formed by legislation to study homeowners’ association statutes and to examine other issues surrounding homeowners’ groups.“I appreciate the confidence of the Speaker of the House in appointing me to represent all 98 members of the House on this committee,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “I have served as a homeowner association trustee and officer for most of the past 16 years, including serving as founding president of one association and president of another, and I currently serve as vice president of my homeowner association in Kirkland.” Senate Concurrent Resolution 8423 passed the Legislature this year and calls for study of the Homeowners’ Association Act (RCW 64.38) and review of other issues, such as the manner of amending restrictive covenants, dispute resolution mechanisms, communications between board members and residents, budgeting, conflict resolution, and the need for reforms. “Homeowner associations are the most local of all our local governments, providing a number of services that, if they had to be provided by cities or counties, would require significant tax increases,” Nixon said. “We must recognize the value and importance of homeowner associations in the overall system of delivering services and protecting the property values of our citizens. We must also ensure that associations respect the property rights of homeowners, and that they operate with transparency, accountability, high ethical standards, and due process.” The committee is also tasked with deciding whether changes need to be made to the statute and must deliver a report to the Legislature by Sept. 1, 2007. “The associations I’ve been involved with, while they’ve had their challenges as all do, have generally functioned very well. Part of my goal in serving on this Homeowners’ Association Act Committee is to ensure that any changes proposed won’t interfere with associations that are working well. At the same time, I know that many people around the state have concerns with the operation of their homeowner associations, and I invite them to send me their issues and concerns so they can be considered by the committee,” Nixon said. (return to top) 45th District Lawmakers Announce Town Hall Meetings for April 22Olympia (April 5, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon, Rep. Larry Springer and Sen. Bill Finkbeiner, the three members of the 45th District legislative team, invite the residents of the district to one of two town hall meetings in Duvall and Kirkland set for Saturday April 22nd.The 45th District legislators will discuss issues dealt with during the last legislative session– as well as listen to citizens’ concerns and ideas, and answer questions about state government. Here are the details of the Town Hall meetings:
Glen Kuntz WRECK Youth Center (return to top) 45th District Lawmakers laud signing of annexation tax measureOlympia (March 30, 2006) -- Sen. Bill Finkbeiner, Rep. Toby Nixon, and Rep. Larry Springer, the three members of the 45th District legislative team, were pleased to see the governor sign Senate Bill 6686 today in Olympia. The measure removes one of the last major obstacles to the proposed annexation of unincorporated areas into the city of Kirkland.Finkbeiner was a co-sponsor of the measure and ushered it through both chambers. “There are unincorporated areas like Juanita, Kingsgate and Finn Hill that would like to be incorporated into a larger city like Kirkland,” Finkbeiner said. “The difficulty is that Kirkland would need to provide services to nearly twice the number of residents. This bill eases the financial burden without placing an additional tax onto residents.” The language of the measure is narrowly crafted to address a small number of large annexations that are required under Washington’s Growth Management Act but that have been held back because the cost of providing city-level services in the annexation area substantially exceeds the tax revenue the city would obtain from the area. It allows the city council to impose a citywide temporary sales tax of up to two-tenths of one percent after annexation is complete. However, a tax credit of an equal amount is granted from the state general fund to cover the tax, so the net effect is that the total sales tax rate within the city remains unchanged. The amount of tax transferred from the state to the city each year is capped at the amount needed to close the gap between the cost of providing services in the annexed area and the revenue the city receives from the annexed area, and the tax would expire after a maximum of ten years. Only annexations larger than 10,000 people qualify, and only cities with a population less than 400,000 that are in counties with a population over 600,000 qualify. The annexation must take place prior to January of 2010. Rep. Nixon, a resident of Kingsgate and leader of a homeowner association in the annexation area, has worked for several years to find a way to annex the area into Kirkland – a matter that gained renewed urgency with the opening this year of a casino close to his neighborhood. “This measure is aimed squarely at facilitating specific annexations in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, such as the Kingsgate area where I live” Nixon said. “Many of these areas want to annex into adjacent cities in order to get improved police, fire, and other services, but the cities can’t afford it. The cities understandably don’t want to either increase taxes citywide or reduce services citywide in order to complete these annexations. Since completing the annexations is a key part of state growth management policy, it makes sense for the state to help with temporary funding while the city absorbs the increased population and equalizes taxes and services across its entire area.” Rep. Springer worked for many years on the Kirkland city council and as Kirkland mayor to find a solution to funding the proposed annexations. He introduced several solutions in the House before the legislature settled on the funding mechanism in SB 6686. “I am pleased after two years of trying and four different bills we have passed legislation that will allow cities to fully meet their obligations mandated by the state GMA,” said Springer. “The City of Kirkland has been trying to solve the annexation problems since 1995. This legislation is a win-win that will allow the residents of Kingsgate, Finn Hill and North Juanita to receive much needed services without having to raise taxes.” Because Kirkland bans cardrooms within its boundaries, completion of the Kingsgate annexation would likely result in closure of the cardroom at the Casino Caribbean. All three legislators have publicly opposed the cardroom, including arguing against issuance of its liquor license and gaming license. (return to top) IEEE-USA Today’s Engineer Online: Q&A With Washington State Representative Toby Nixonby RUSSELL HARRISON(Click here for the original article) Washington State Representative Toby Nixon (R-45) is an IEEE Senior Member and a program manager at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington. After a 26 October Town Hall meeting hosted by the Seattle Section’s Computer Society, Representative Nixon agreed to discuss his career and how politics and engineering intersect.
Seattle Times: The faux emergenciesSEATTLE TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD(Click here for the original article) Seattle (March 16, 2006) --
Fewer state emergencies were declared in Olympia this year, but still too many.
Evergreen Freedom Foundation: Legislature improves voter challenge process Olympia (March 8, 2006) -- Today the Senate concurred with the House version of Substitute Senate Bill 6362 (introduced by Senator Kohl-Welles), which establishes uniform standards for filing a voter registration challenge.
Representative Toby Nixon (R-45th District) offered several key amendments to the bill in the House.
For more information, please visit the Voter Integrity Project website.
King County Journal: Letter to the Editor: Sex Education - Age-appropriate info helps(Click here for the original letter)
In a front-page Journal article Monday regarding sex education in the public schools, Associated Press and Journal staff writers wrote that I believe
“public school is the last place children should study this subject.” This statement does not accurately reflect my position.
Nixon tries to amend operating budget to restore prioritiesOlympia (February 24, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon introduced an amendment to the state operating budget today that would have redirected funds to help sexual assault victims. The amendment was defeated by the majority and kept the money directed at the Pacific Science Center for a Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. The amendment to ESSB 6386, the state operating budget, was defeated on the House floor, 52-44.Here’s the full text of Nixon’s floor speech: “When I read through this bill, I could not find a juxtaposition of appropriations that more perfectly highlights the misplaced priorities in the budget. Subsection 24 would provide a quarter of a million dollars to help promote a museum exhibit. Subsection 25, right next to it, provides funding to help victims of sexual assault. “I must ask: Where are our priorities, Mr. Speaker? “The tax revenue that flows into this government does not come from some endless artesian well of dollars. It is not pennies from heaven raining down on us like magic. What money we have is the blood, sweat and tears of the people of the state of Washington. “Every dollar we spend is a dollar that a young family doesn’t have to make the rent. “Every dollar we spend is a dollar one of our seniors doesn’t have to meet a prescription co-pay. “Every dollar we spend is a dollar one of our small business owners doesn’t have to provide a family-wage job. “Every dollar we spend is a dollar taken from someone in this state, either by force or with the knowledge that it would be taken by force. “Every dollar we spend represents a substitution of our judgment of how it should best be spent, for the judgment of the person who earned it. “If we are going to use that awful power of government, then, Mr. Speaker, we have a moral responsibility to insure that every dollar we spend is spent wisely, and for an essential public purpose. “No matter how great a contribution the Pacific Science Center makes to our community, and no matter how interesting the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit might be, it simply doesn’t rise to the level of importance that we should be expending the confiscated blood, sweat, and tears of the people of this state for it. “On the other hand, Mr. Speaker, we have focused a great deal this session on sex offenders and putting them in jail for a long time. We are investing in the prison space to accommodate them. But I don’t think we’ve done enough to help the victims of sexual assault with their recovery and to regain some normalcy in their lives. “If we must spend this quarter of a million dollars on something, then I think it is far more important that we spend it to help victims of sexual assault than it is to help a museum exhibit.” (return to top) Evergreen Freedom Foundation: EFF releases report on election reform and our state’s top election officials73% of Washington voters say “comprehensive election reform is a top priority.” 85% want issue addressed at the ballot this fall. Olympia (February 22, 2006) -- The Evergreen Freedom Foundation (EFF) and the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) today released a report on the condition of election reform and the job performance of our state’s top election officials.
Representative Toby Nixon (R-Kirkland) also remarked on legislation aimed at restoring integrity to Washington’s elections process.
Nixon joins call for voters to reregisterOlympia (February 22, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon joined with the Evergreen Freedom Foundation (EFF) today in support of asking every state voter to reregister. Nixon and the conservative think-tank also take issue with the integrity of the state’s new $6 million voter registration database.“If the people of this state don’t trust the security, accuracy, and integrity of our elections, then they will question whether the government is legitimate,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “Election officials must be held accountable for following our laws and that’s why I’ve made improving our election laws and holding state officials accountable my top priority.” Nixon introduced 12 bills this session to strengthen the election system, including HB 2532 that would require random audits of optical scan voting machines to verify their accuracy. That bill stalled in the House Rules Committee. Nixon said that many voter groups, including groups whose members are mostly Democrats, supported these bills and wondered why the majority party was satisfied with the status quo. “My bill on the optical scan audits was declared to be the most important election reform bill by many of these voting rights groups,” Nixon said. “Why does the majority turn a deaf ear to its party faithful? What do the Democrats in Olympia know that their own supporters don’t? The citizens of Washington continue to have serious concerns about the integrity of our voting system.” Some of the other bills that Nixon introduced are summarized below. None of these bills were allowed to the House floor for a vote.
(return to top) Everett Herald: Students getting sweet lesson in civics, politicsHERALD EDITORIAL WRITERS(Click here for the original article) Everett (February 21, 2006) --
The students from Kirkland Junior High who lobbied for a bill declaring the Walla Walla Sweet Onion the state vegetable deserve commendation for their civic and culinary zeal.
King County Journal: A Nixon that Democrats actually likeKirkland Republican says he isn’t bound by conservative lineBy NOEL S. BRADY JOURNAL REPORTER (Click here for the original article) Bellevue (February 18, 2006) --
His surname may forever be linked to the GOP, but one look at a few of the 46 bills Rep. Toby Nixon of Kirkland is sponsoring in this year’s state Legislature suggests he isn’t a typical Republican.
Vancouver Columbian: In Our View - No Right to Walk OutCOLUMBIAN EDITORIAL WRITERS(Click here for the original article) Vancouver (February 13, 2006) --
Sixty days is not enough time to pass the thousands of laws and amendments proposed in a legislative session. Thank heavens, in many cases. But as bills died by the hundreds earlier this month due to a lack of committee action, we grieved the loss of House Bill 2808.
Kirkland teens pass onion bill through HouseOlympia (February 13, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon praised the enthusiasm and hard work of over 160 students from Kirkland Junior High who succeeded in their quest to pass a bill declaring the Walla Walla Sweet Onion as the state’s official vegetable.“These kids took this on as a civics project and wrote letters, testified in committee, and generally championed this bill for three years,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “It’s wonderful that today they see all their hard work come to fruition.” House Bill 1964, sponsored by Rep. Maureen Walsh, R-Walla Walla, passed the House 95-1 today. The classes of Kirkland Junior High were led by teacher Toni Miller, who took it on as an exercise in the legislative process. “These kids had little knowledge of state economics beyond Boeing and Microsoft,” Miller said. “So it was a way for them to study the importance of agriculture, tourism, and international trade in generating state revenue. And they could learn about the legislative process at the same time.” Over 60 of the students were in the House gallery to witness the floor debate and the final vote on the bill, then enjoyed a lunch of Walla Walla sweet onion sausages immediately thereafter. Miller said that the students chose the Walla Walla Sweet Onion because it’s unique to the state and makes a more appropriate state symbol than some of the other vegetables grown in the state. “I’m happy that this bill passed,” said Nixon. “I know the kids learned a lot about economics, politics, and certainly the sometimes crooked path that a bill takes through the Legislature. They were very patient and persistent over the three years that it took for this bill to pass the House – and now they’ll get to see how hard it is to pass a bill through the Senate!” HB 1964 is headed to the Senate for consideration. A similar bill originating in the Senate was defeated last week due to opposition from potato growers.
Nixon’s bill to detail vehicle taxes being paid passes HouseOlympia (February 11, 2006) -- Legislation that would reveal and itemize all taxes or fees citizens are paying when they renew their vehicle licenses, sponsored by Rep. Toby Nixon, overwhelmingly passed the House today. House Bill 2534 would require the Department of Licensing’s vehicle license tab renewal notices to itemize all fees and taxes due, which jurisdiction imposed the charges, and whether or not the charges were approved by voters.Prior to 2006, vehicle license tab renewal notices included details of all included charges. After the 2005 transportation funding package added new weight fees and other charges, the Department of Licensing decided to omit the itemization of charges from renewal notices, claiming that there was insufficient space on their existing forms. Vehicle owners are instead directed to the Department’s internet web site in order to view the details of what they’re paying to renew their vehicle tabs. “Not everyone has ready access to the Internet, and they shouldn’t need to in order to know exactly what they’re paying for and where their tax money is going,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “We require in statute that property tax bills be itemized so that the public is fully informed, and we should do the same with vehicle license bills.” The bill passed the House 95-0 today. “The bill would also force DOL to outline whether each tax or fee was approved by voters,” said Nixon. “We as taxpayers need to know not only where our tax money is going but whether we have a say in how much we’re paying and if we agreed to the tax with a vote, so we know who to contact if we disagree.” (return to top) 45th District Lawmakers Announce Town Hall Meetings for Feb. 18Olympia (February 9, 2006) -- Sen. Bill Finkbeiner, Rep. Toby Nixon and Rep. Larry Springer, members of the 45th District legislative team, invite the residents of the district to two town hall meetings in Sammamish and Woodinville set for Saturday Feb. 18.The legislators will discuss issues that are before the Legislature –- which is in session until March 9 –- as well as listen to citizens’ concerns and ideas, and answer questions about state government. Here are the details of the Town Hall meetings: Sammamish Library 825 228th Ave. NE Sammamish 10:30AM-12:00PM Woodinville Library 17105 Avondale Rd. NE Woodinville 1:30PM-3:00PM (return to top) Nixon concerned by report of possible election law violationOlympia (February 8, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon is upset over a report alleging supporters of a Bethel School District levy were too close to a polling place at Graham Elementary, which is prohibited by state law. Supporters of the levy were reportedly set up outside the school building and inside the polling place wearing “Vote Yes for Bethel Schools” t-shirts, in clear violation of election laws.“There are good reasons why this state prohibits campaigning within 300 feet of a polling place,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland, Ranking Republican on the House State Government Operations and Accountability Committee that handles election law legislation. “This activity at Graham Elementary appears to be a particularly egregious example of prohibited campaigning. If there’s a loophole in this law, as lawmakers we need to resolve any problems this may create. Otherwise, the organizers of this activity must be held accountable.” Nixon was informed of the alleged illegal activity by voters in the school district and wrote letters to the Secretary of State, Pierce County Auditor, and state Attorney General. This behavior would be a violation of RCW 29A.84.510 and is punishable as a gross misdemeanor. “If the school board is found to have known about the activity, approved it, or stood by and allowed it to happen, they should be held accountable as well,” said Nixon. “The Pierce County Auditor should tell us why her poll workers did not object to this violation of the law. Poll workers should have asked the campaigners to move at least the required 300 feet away from the polling place.” According to the Bethel School District, both ballot measures are failing after neither achieved the 60 percent “supermajority” required for levy and bond measures. (return to top) USA Today: News from Washington(Click here for the original article) Olympia (February 3, 2006) --
State Rep. Toby Nixon is sponsoring a bill that would establish penalties for teacher strikes. Attorney General Rob McKenna notes that public school teachers have no right to strike, but current law imposes no penalties for a walkout. Nixon pushes for teacher strike penalties after AG opinionOlympia (February 2, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon has redoubled his efforts to enact penalties for teacher strikes after an attorney general opinion affirming they have no right to strike. Nixon introduced House Bill 2808 last month that would impose penalties of up to $10,000 per day on labor unions that incite illegal strikes.“I asked the Attorney General’s Office to give me an opinion on whether public employees have the right to strike and whether there are penalties for striking,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. Attorney General Rob McKenna released his opinion on Jan. 31. “The opinion expressly says that state and public employees have no right to strike and currently no penalties exist in statute. That’s why I introduced HB 2808 to impose penalties. If they choose to strike and try to intimidate school districts during contract negotiations, that action will have consequences.” The bill was sent to the House Commerce and Labor Committee, but has not yet received a hearing. “Parents and students have had to helplessly stand by while the teacher’s union has pressured their members into an illegal strike, disrupting learning, college plans, and family life,” said Nixon. “I’ve had enough of this tactic. Previous attorney generals refused to take a stand on the issue; I appreciate that Rob McKenna had the courage to stand up to the unions and make a clear statement that public employee strikes, including teacher strikes, are illegal.” (return to top) Seattle Post-Intelligencer: State AG says public school teachers have no right to strikeBy DONNA GORDON BLANKINSHIPASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER (Click here for the original article) Seattle (February 1, 2006) --
Public school teachers have no right to strike in Washington, but state law imposes no penalties for such walkouts, the state attorney general said this week.
Evergreen Freedom Foundation: Attorney general issues opinion on legality of teacher strikesNo right to strike; legislature can enact penalties(Click here for the original article) Olympia (February 1, 2006) --
Responding to a request from Representative Toby Nixon (R-45), Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna released a formal opinion yesterday clarifying the illegality of public school teacher strikes.
Nixon’s bill asks DOL to detail vehicle taxes being paidOlympia (February 1, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon announced a Feb. 1 public hearing for his bill that would reveal and itemize all taxes or fees citizens are paying when they renew their vehicle licenses. House Bill 2534 would require the Department of Licensing’s vehicle license tab renewal notices to itemize all fees and taxes due, which jurisdiction imposed the charges, and whether or not the charges were approved by voters.Prior to 2006, vehicle license tab renewal notices included details of all included charges. After the 2005 transportation funding package added new weight fees and other charges, the Department of Licensing decided to omit the itemization of charges from renewal notices, claiming that there was insufficient space on their existing forms. Vehicle owners are instead directed to the Department’s internet web site in order to view the details of what they’re paying to renew their vehicle tabs. “Not everyone has ready access to the Internet, and they shouldn’t need to in order to know exactly what they’re paying for and where their tax money is going,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “We require in statute that property tax bills be itemized so that the public is fully informed, and we should do the same with vehicle license bills.” The bill is set for public hearing before the House Transportation Committee on Feb. 1 at 3:30 in House Hearing Room B in the John L. O’Brien building. “The bill would also force DOL to outline whether each tax or fee was approved by voters,” said Nixon. “We as taxpayers need to know not only where our tax money is going but whether we have a say in how much we’re paying and if we agreed to the tax with a vote, so we know who to contact if we disagree.” (return to top) Nixon calls on feds to allow states to decide medical marijuana useOlympia (January 31, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon introduced a measure this month that calls on the President and Congress to allow the voters of the state to decide whether to authorize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. It’s scheduled for a hearing today.“One of federalism’s chief virtues is allowing for the possibility that a single state may, if the citizens choose, serve as a laboratory to try novel social and economic experiments,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “Our federalist system, properly understood, should allow states to decide for themselves whether marijuana should be used for medicinal purposes and how best to safeguard the health and welfare of their citizens.” House Joint Memorial 4033 asks the President and Congress to give states the power to decide for themselves on the merits of medical marijuana use. The measure also asks that this issue be put on the ballot in November for a vote of the people. “The people of Washington passed Initiative 692 authorizing medicinal use of marijuana with a 59 percent approval vote,” said Nixon. “Putting this request to Congress on the ballot in November will give the people an opportunity to once again weigh in on the issue of medical marijuana and provide the additional impetus needed to get Congress to act.” The measure is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Health Care Committee today at 1:30 in House Hearing Room A in the John L. O’Brien building. (return to top) Nixon’s bill clarifies and tightens sexual misconduct crimesOlympia (January 30, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon announced a Jan. 31 public hearing for his bill that would clarify the law on sexual misconduct with a minor. House Bill 2533 would remove the provisions in current law that require the perpetrator to have a special supervisory relationship with the victim for the sexual misconduct law to apply.“We must protect our children from so-called family friends who are skirting the law and getting little or no punishment for their crimes,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “This law would help people like Patty Carson’s 16-year-old relative who was taken advantage of by a scheming pedophile.” Patty Carson of Woodinville has been speaking to legislators about deficiencies in the state pedophilia law. Carson believes the law allowed a 45-year-old “friend of the family” to take advantage of her 16-year-old relative and lure her into a sexual affair for two years behind the backs of the girl’s parents. Carson will be testifying at Tuesday’s hearing. “Situations like we hear from Ms. Carson shouldn’t be allowed to happen,” said Nixon. “HB 2533 will simplify the sexual misconduct law and close the loophole these pedophiles are sneaking through. Her family had no recourse for this predatory abuse and we can’t let other victims suffer this way just because the law is deficient in its language.” The bill is set for public hearing before the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee on Jan. 31 at 1:30 in House Hearing Room E in the John L. O’Brien building. (return to top) Nixon calls on feds to stop interfering in chronic and end-of-life pain managementOlympia (January 27, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon introduced a measure this week that calls on the President and Congress to allow Washington’s laws to control and guide physicians in the area of pain management.“Our laws include a Medical Practice Act that recognizes that pain management is a part of accepted medical practice,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “However, many physicians in this state are afraid of being branded as ‘drug pushers’ by the Drug Enforcement Administration just because they prescribe enough pain relievers to help dying patients feel comfortable in their last days. This is a matter that should be between doctors and patients. Federal bureaucrats and drug agents should butt out.” House Joint Memorial 4037 asks the President and Congress to stop interfering with a state’s right to define legitimate medical practice and not expand the Drug Enforcement Administration’s authority over a physician’s best medical judgment. “This state has developed and adopted guidelines for the management of pain in order to acquaint practitioners with recognized national standards in the field of pain management,” said Nixon. “We need to halt federal interference and let the treating physicians feel free to treat patients who need this kind of help.” The measure has been sent to the House Health Care Committee. (return to top) Vancouver Columbian: Feds urged to repeal new ID lawby KATHIE DURBINColumbian staff writer (Click here for the original article) Olympia (January 26, 2006) --
Big changes are coming to your Washington state driver’s license, thanks to language Congress added to a mammoth defense and disaster appropriations bill last year that makes driver’s licenses into federal identification cards.
Nixon proposes studying effectiveness of drug-control policiesOlympia (January 26, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon introduced legislation yesterday that would create a commission to investigate and recommend approaches to controlling psychoactive substances, chemicals that alter brain function. Drugs such as “ecstasy”, marijuana, and cocaine are examples of psychoactive substances.“We must protect our children from those who would sell or give drugs to them, protect our neighborhoods from drug dealers who would endanger them with drug production using hazardous chemicals, and protect our society from criminals and from those who would drive under the influence or engage in behaviors that endanger others,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “But our policies do not seem to be reducing the impact of drugs on our communities. This commission will conduct what amounts to a ‘performance audit’ of our drug-control policies, and examine whether there are more efficient and effective ways of tackling the problem using the scarce public resources available.” House Bill 3171, which has several co-sponsors from both parties, calls for the appointment of experts in the field and four members of the Legislature to a commission for psychoactive substance control. The state Department of Health would staff the commission. More than a dozen groups around the state have been calling for such a commission. “I’ve heard from the bar association, the medical association and many other groups about the importance of creating this commission,” said Nixon. “It’s time we had an open and objective study of this issue and find the best way to deal with the impact of drugs on our families and communities.” The bill has been sent to the House Health Care Committee. (return to top) Nixon joins bipartisan environmental effortOlympia (January 25, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon joined ten members of the state House and ten members of Northwest environmental groups in a new coalition intended to advance environmental legislation this session and in the future.“All of us, regardless of party, share common goals of protecting habitat and being good stewards of the environment,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “We need to leave a better state for our children. We may not initially agree on the best solution, but by working together we can find common solutions among these disparate groups.” The group, called “Environmental Roundtable,” was founded by Rep. Jay Rodne, R-Snoqualmie, Gail Twelves of Sammamish, a member and leader of the Sierra Club, and Scott Hamilton, a member of Eastside Transportation Choices and the Sammamish Planning Commission. Members of the Environmental Roundtable include ten House representatives, comprising six Republicans and four Democrats, and eight members representing environmental organizations. “This group begins as a coalition of Republican and Democrat legislators in the crescent districts around Seattle, and Puget Sound-based environmental groups, but our goal is to expand participation as quickly as possible to Eastern Washington,” said Hamilton. “We all recognize that Eastern Washington is different from Western Washington—and the suburban and rural areas around Seattle are different than Seattle. It is critical to the future of our state that we build a bipartisan coalition that includes voices from these areas from all political, economic and environmental spectrums.” (return to top) Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Capitol Watch: A simple gestureSEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD(Click here for the original article) Seattle (January 25, 2006) --
When the state Legislature passes what’s called a “joint memorial,” it has no real legal impact. No statute is changed. No money is appropriated. It’s perhaps best described as a gesture.
Nixon’s package of election audit bills get hearingOlympia (January 24, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon, ranking Republican member on the House committee on State Government Operations and Accountability, announced public hearings on House Bills 2523 and 2532 that would mandate additional election audits to increase public trust in Washington state elections.“The 2005 elections demonstrated that the work of reforming our election processes is not done yet,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “The people of Washington demand security, accuracy, and integrity in our elections and these bills will continue to move us that direction.” Current signature matching procedures require verification only when signatures are declared to not match, meaning that quality checks are never done on matching signatures. HB 2523 would require verification of randomly selected batches of signatures declared to match the registration signature. It would also require keeping records of which election worker declared signatures to match, so they can be held accountable if errors are later found. HB 2532 would require random audits of votes counted by optical scan counting machines. Precincts would be selected at random to represent a statistically-valid percentage of the votes cast, and three races or ballot measures would be selected at random in each of those precincts for a manual audit count. If any discrepancies occur that can’t be explained except as a machine counting error, it would be possible to request a full manual recount of any race on the ballot at no cost to the candidate or committee requesting the recount. “As we saw in King County, there are still problems with identifying voters and making sure that every vote cast is a legal one. Public confidence in our election systems continues to be low,” Nixon said. “The audits established last year for touch-screen machines are now largely moot. With the growing number of counties voting entirely by mail, we must have audits of the signature matching process and of optical scan vote counting machines.” Both bills are scheduled for public hearing on Jan. 25 at 1:30 p.m. Hearing Room D in the House State Government Operations and Accountability Committee. (return to top) Woodinville Weekly: Statewide initiative seeks to set rules for forming new countiesTwin bills to be proposed in Houseby JEANETTE KNUTSON Staff Writer (Click here for the original article) Woodinville (January 23, 2006) -- Last week, Northshore resident Steve Pyeatt submitted required paperwork for a statewide initiative that would set out procedures to combine or split counties.
State Rep. Toby Nixon (R- 45th District) plans to introduce a bill with similar language in the Legislature.
King County Journal: New law would crack down on sex with minorsby NOEL S. BRADYJournal Reporter (Click here for the original article) Bellevue (January 23, 2006) --
In a year when more than a dozen bills in the state Legislature seek to stiffen the
penalties for sex crimes, a Woodinville woman is celebrating the inclusion of one
bill that would simplify a law aimed at pedophiles.
Spokane Spokesman-Review: Open records abuse must stopSPOKESMAN-REVIEW EDITORIAL BOARD Spokane (January 22, 2006) --
Washington state lawmakers have some unfinished business to attend to regarding public records.
Seattle Times: Three ideas for cleaner governmentSEATTLE TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD(Click here for the original article) Seattle (January 20, 2006) --
Three bills introduced by Rep. Toby Nixon, R-Kirkland, deserve special attention.
The topics are different, but they have two things in common: Each protects a
fundamental right of the people; in each case, the Washington Supreme Court
should have protected that right, but didn’t.
Rep. Nixon wants to put a stop to the sale of public informationOlympia (January 18, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon, ranking Republican member on the House committee on State Government Operations and Accountability, has introduced a pair of bills that would put a stop to the use of information gleaned from public records for direct marketing purposes.“It’s come to my attention that a group of lawyers from Colorado is actively scanning and capturing large numbers of traffic accident reports at the Redmond Police Department,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “I believe they are violating state law by accessing this information without proper interest and by selling this information for profit. The states of Arizona and California stopped this same group of lawyers from operating in their states, and we should stop these violations of victims’ privacy in Washington as well.” Nixon introduced House Bill 2530, which would require law enforcement agencies to redact personal information from accident reports when a non-interested party requests the reports. A companion bill, HB 2831, would prohibit the use of any collection of similar public records for direct marketing purposes, making it a gross misdemeanor for someone to use information obtained by the Public Records Act for such purposes. “These lawyers are violating the law by requesting accident report data that is not supposed to be released to people who don’t have ‘proper interest’,” Nixon said. “Further, lists obtained through public records are not supposed to be used for commercial purposes. Yet, these lawyers are relying on shaky case law to justify their right to look at the accident data. My legislation clarifies the law and prevents this kind of misuse.” Nixon said that the lawyers are requesting the data by asking for an “inspection” of the public records rather than copies. “They don’t pay for copies of the records because they know asking for an ‘inspection’ exempts them from being charged. They set up a scanner at the police department and scan each and every accident report, imposing on the department to provide them the space and electricity to do so. When they’re done, they have information on dozens or hundreds of accidents and victims, which they sell for profit—all for the use of marketing by medical practitioners. This is absolutely wrong.” The bills are being considered by the House State Government Operations and Accountability committee. For additional background information, click here: http://hrc.leg.wa.gov/members/nixon/newsreleases/011806supplemental.htm (return to top) Rep. Nixon moves to rein in government’s use of property takingsOlympia (January 16, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon today introduced two measures that would limit the government’s use of eminent domain –- the taking of private property for public use. House Joint Resolution 4217 would amend the state constitution by putting stricter limits on the taking of property for public use and gives previous owners a first right to reacquire their former property. HB 2854 would flesh out the constitutional limitations, defining detailed processes for implementing the strengthened constitutional protections. The measures are co-sponsored by more than two dozen other members of the House.Eminent domain is the power governments have to confiscate or “take” private property as long as it is for a legitimate “public use” and they pay “just compensation.” Traditionally, public use has meant taking property for such things as roads, schools, or parks, and also public utility requirements such as pipelines and power transmission lines. “This country’s founding principles are grounded in the idea of private property,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “Americans who own property have found themselves increasingly entangled in litigation to prevent the government from taking their land for purposes that are not truly public use. Often those purposes involve transferring the property to other private parties with deeper pockets. I want to stop that kind of government abuse in this state by narrowly defining what public use is.” Over the past few years, Nixon said, “public use” has been more broadly interpreted by public officials as for public “benefit” or public “purpose,” distorting and expanding the traditional eminent domain right of government. Many of these cases involve projects where private parties benefit substantially from government property seizures. This is all done under the banner of economic development or urban redevelopment. The U.S. Supreme Court recently upheld the government right to do this in a landmark case, Kelo v. New London. “We’ve seen an example of government abuse right here in Washington with the Seattle monorail project,” Nixon said. “It ran up a debt of more than $100 million, often buying more property than was needed for the project with the hope of later selling that excess property for a profit. I’m sorry, but the government shouldn’t be in the business of land speculation!” Nixon’s eminent domain package would eliminate this kind of excess buying of land and limit acquisitions to only that which is needed for the proposed public project. It would give the original property owner the right to reacquire that property by paying back compensation received with interest, if the property was used for a purpose other than for what it was originally acquired or if it sat idle for ten years or more. Nixon said, “Government should focus on providing core services that serve the broad-based citizenry, and avoid acting as though the biggest or wealthiest citizen or corporation has more to offer than hundreds of hard-working homeowners and business people that are the foundation of our communities and our economy.” (return to top) Complete text of Rep. Nixon’s remarks on Martin Luther King Jr. ResolutionOlympia (January 16, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon delivered the following remarks today in support of House Resolution 4679 honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Before Thanksgiving, we were having a discussion in our men’s group at church, and the instructor asked a simple question: “What are you thankful for?” It would have been easy to answer with the usual, almost trite responses: my family; my faith; good health; happiness; our country; freedom; liberty. And I am thankful for all those things, of course, and recognize that many people in our world are not so blessed. But this time, I really thought about the question. In the past year, what had really made a difference in my life, for the better? What, if it had been missing, would have meant that the year would have been very different? And the answer came to me: passion. Not the passion I still feel for my lovely wife, or that any lovers feel for each other. No, I’m talking about the passion that makes people care enough about a cause that they are willing to get up off their sofa, put down the remote control, and actually do something to make a difference in the lives of others. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose life we celebrate today, said in 1963: “If a man hasn’t discovered something he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.” It brought to mind the words of one of my favorite hymns. I was tempted to sing it for you, but after hearing the choir today I had second thoughts! So I’ll just recite the relevant words: Have I done any good in the world today? Have I helped anyone in need? Have I cheered up the sad, and made someone feel glad? If not, I have failed indeed. I’m thankful for all those in our communities who devote their lives in service to others. Whether it be helping the homeless, or victims of domestic violence, or troubled youth; whether it be as a scout leader, a school volunteer, or a coach for youth sports; whether it be as a board member or fundraiser for a non-profit organization, working to clean up streams and trails, or assembling orders at the food bank; whether it be serving on your city council, or school board, or even in the legislature. Whatever it is that you are passionate about, that motivates you to do something that helps others, thank you for what you do. I want to mention a particular group of people that I’m especially thankful for. Dr. King also said this: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” I’m thankful for the citizens across our state who speak out to us in the legislature and to other government officials at all levels about the things that concern you. We could not do our jobs without you. We would certainly not do them as well without you. We need you to teach us, to help us understand how the laws affect your lives, to share with us your ideas of how things could be better, and to hold us accountable. This is your government, and those of you who take the time to visit us, to call us on the phone, to send us a letter or email, or to join with others in organizations that do those things on your behalf, thank you for helping us. Reverend King set the example for all of us. He taught the legislators of his day much about how the laws affected people across the country. He was certainly not silent, and the result of his speaking out and of his passion was that things changed for the better. May we all follow his example, and be passionate about something that will improve the lives of others. I urge you all to support the resolution. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. (return to top) Martin Luther King Jr.’s passion for a cause should be celebrated, Nixon tells HouseOlympia (January 16, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon today praised Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for his passion in pursuing a cause and the motivation to devote his life in service to others. Nixon’s observation came during a speech honoring King on the holiday that commemorates his birth and life.“Dr. King had a great passion for his cause, and I’m thankful for all those in our communities who devote their lives to serving others as he did,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. Nixon lived in King’s hometown of Atlanta from 1984-93 and took part in that city’s celebration when Martin Luther King Jr. Day became a federal holiday in 1986. Nixon based today’s speech on one of Dr. King’s quotes from 1963, “If a man hasn’t discovered something he will die for, he isn’t fit to live.” “I want to thank all our citizens who speak out to us in the Legislature and government officials at all levels about things that concern you,” Nixon said. “We could not do our jobs without you. You help us understand how government affects you. “Dr. King taught the legislators of his day about how the laws affected people across the country. He was certainly not silent, and the result of his speaking out and of his passion was that things changed for the better. May we all follow his example and be passionate about something that will improve the lives of others,” Nixon said. (return to top) Redmond teen serves as page for Rep. NixonOlympia (January 13, 2006) -- Lauren Reed, from Redmond, served as a legislative page during the week of January 9. She was sponsored by Rep. Toby Nixon, R-Kirkland.Lauren is 15 and is home schooled in Redmond. Since 1891, young people from across the state have come to Olympia to serve as pages for the Washington State House of Representatives. Several hundred students between the ages of 14 and 16 will participate this year in the legislative page program. As a page, Lauren’s responsibilities included delivering messages and documents to legislators in their offices, committee meetings, and the House chambers during floor sessions. The job is vital to the efficient operation of the Legislature. In addition to her assigned duties, Lauren continued her regular schoolwork two hours a day. She also spent time in the Legislative Page School learning about state government. Pages must be in good academic standing and obtain permission from their parents and school. They are paid a stipend for their service and many of them live with volunteer host families while in the state capital. Additional information about the House Page Program can be found on the Internet by visiting http://www1.leg.wa.gov/House/PageInternProgram/.
Rep. Nixon moves to end “emergency clause abuse”Olympia (January 13, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon today introduced an amendment to the state constitution that would require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature for declaration of an emergency in legislation. House Joint Resolution 4216 would stop legislators from including an emergency clause in legislation when there is no consensus that an emergency truly exists.“During the 2005 session, lawmakers attached emergency clauses to nearly 100 bills,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “Most of these were not truly ‘necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health or safety, support of the state government and its existing public institutions’ as required by the state constitution. The emergency clause was added either just because an earlier effective date was needed or as a way to prevent citizens from filing a referendum against the bill.” In the Legislature, an emergency clause added to a bill allows the measure to become law at any time after the governor signs it. Bills without emergency clauses become effective no sooner than 90 days after the legislative session ends. An emergency clause also exempts the bill from the referendum process. HJR 4216 would amend the constitution to require a two-thirds legislative vote in order to use an emergency clause in legislation, except for appropriations bills. “When government powers are abused, people lose trust and become angry and cynical,” Nixon said. “This constitutional amendment would ensure that emergency clauses are used only for real emergencies and not as a means to shut out the will of the people.” Nixon also introduced another constitutional amendment, HJR 4215, that would preserve the ability to file a referendum on a bill while allowing the bill to become effective in less than 90 days. “The combination of these two constitutional amendments would ensure that ordinary bills, needing earlier effective dates, can be enacted without infringing on the people’s constitutional power to file referendums. It would also ensure that the referendum power would be overridden only when consensus exists that there is a true emergency,” Nixon said. (return to top) Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Capitol Watch: Perfecting the voteSEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD(Click here for the original article) Seattle (January 13, 2006) --
Rep. Toby Nixon, R-Kirkland, was busy between legislative sessions. On the second day of this year’s session, Nixon introduced 32 bills. Eight of them deal with open government and a dozen with election law.
King County Journal: Statewide initiative seen as way to form new countiesby DEAN A. RADFORDJournal Reporter (Click here for the original article) Bellevue (January 12, 2006) --
Proponents of a breakaway Cascade County are finalizing plans for a statewide initiative setting up a way to form a new county or combine existing ones that are struggling financially.
Woodinville teen serves as page for Rep. NixonOlympia (January 12, 2006) -- Mary McIntosh, from Woodinville, served as a legislative page during the week of January 9. She was sponsored by Rep. Toby Nixon, R-Kirkland.Mary is 14 and an eighth grader at St. Brendan Parish School in Bothell. Since 1891, young people from across the state have come to Olympia to serve as pages for the Washington State House of Representatives. Several hundred students between the ages of 14 and 16 will participate this year in the legislative page program. As a page, Mary’s responsibilities included delivering messages and documents to legislators in their offices, committee meetings, and the House chambers during floor sessions. The job is vital to the efficient operation of the Legislature. In addition to her assigned duties, Mary continued her regular schoolwork two hours a day. She also spent time in the Legislative Page School learning about state government. Pages must be in good academic standing and obtain permission from their parents and school. They are paid a stipend for their service and many of them live with volunteer host families while in the state capital. Additional information about the House Page Program can be found on the Internet by visiting http://www1.leg.wa.gov/House/PageInternProgram/.
Rep. Nixon works to prepare Legislature for natural disaster or terror attackOlympia (January 12, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon today introduced legislation that outlines procedures to allow the Legislature to continue operating after a natural disaster or terror attack. House Bill 2519 also establishes a task force to study how the Legislature can operate remotely through teleconferencing, web conferencing, or other means.“This past year we’ve seen the effects of natural disaster on the operation of government,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “The people of Washington will expect their Legislature to be able to continue meeting and doing their business even after a catastrophic disaster or pandemic disease, to ensure the interests and liberties of the people are protected in decisions made by the government.” Laws established during the Cold War era in the 1960s allow for the Legislature to meet outside of Olympia in the event of an enemy attack. HB 2519 would allow the Legislature to convene anywhere in Washington or an adjoining state if it’s impossible to meet in Olympia, and would allow convening by electronic means in the event that a quarantine or other emergency prevented the Legislature from meeting in person. While this bill helps to prepare state government for disaster, Nixon urges families to be prepared for at least 72 hours without any outside help. “Experience has shown that it can take three days or more for volunteers and government workers to mobilize and start rescue and relief efforts after an earthquake or other disaster, since they will naturally want to ensure their own families are secure first. Every family should have a disaster kit in their home.” The state Emergency Management Division recommends the following be in a 72-hour disaster kit:
Rep. Nixon calls for a more open governmentOlympia (January 11, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon, ranking Republican member on the House committee on State Government Operations and Accountability, has introduced a package of seven bills that would maintain an open government for citizens and ensure effective and responsive public disclosure by state officials.“We have had far too many cases of government waste and corruption covered up by officials concealing records, and the assessment of penalties is so low that agencies just pay them as a cost of doing business,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “To correct that, I’m sponsoring legislation that would increase penalties for violations of the public disclosure act, including jail time for public officials who violate disclosure requirements.” Nixon introduced House Bill 2548 that would make it a gross misdemeanor to willfully or intentionally violate the Public Records Act. “Having these penalties could have prevented something like the Yousoufian case in King County,” he said. Armen Yousoufian is a Seattle business and real-estate entrepreneur embroiled in a nearly nine-year battle to hold King County accountable for stonewalling his request for documents relating to studies of the economic impacts of sports teams. Nixon is also clarifying attorney-client privilege involving public agencies with House Bill 2515. “It’s necessary to inform agencies what is subject to attorney-client privilege and what can’t be hidden by abusing this concept,” Nixon said. Records would not be exempt from disclosure merely because they were communicated to legal counsel or were provided to counsel in a meeting. Another issue addressed by Nixon’s legislation is the use of accident report information for direct marketing. House Bill 2530 requires that personal information be redacted by law enforcement when giving copies of accident reports to noninvolved parties. “We have a case in Redmond where an out-of-state law firm is collecting accident reports for marketing by medical professionals,” Nixon said. “We need to close this hole in the public disclosure law and protect the privacy of accident victims.” Below is a summary of some of the other open government bills that Nixon introduced:
Rep. Nixon introduces package of bills to reform electionsOlympia (January 10, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon, ranking Republican member on the House committee on State Government Operations and Accountability, has introduced a package of 12 bills that would strengthen the security, accuracy and integrity of elections in Washington. The legislation ranges from requiring audits of optical scan machines to making it illegal for voters who have traditional addresses to use a non-traditional address for voter registration.“The 2005 elections demonstrated that the work of reforming our election processes is not done yet,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “The people of Washington demand security, accuracy, and integrity in our elections, and these bills will continue to move us that direction.” Nixon’s election reform legislation was introduced today in Olympia. Nixon is the prime sponsor of all 12 bills. Nixon also called on election officials to ensure full compliance with the reforms passed during the 2005 session as well as other elements of existing state law. “Our secretary of state needs to fully implement and comply with all of our election laws, and identify errors made by election officials,” Nixon said. “Then, state and federal prosecutors need to hold county election officials accountable for violations of the law.” Below is a summary of some of the bills that Nixon introduced:
The other bills in the package are House Bills
2512,
2513,
2514,
2525,
2528, and
2549.
Rep. Nixon lays out legislative agendaOlympia (January 9, 2006) -- Rep. Toby Nixon plans an aggressive legislative agenda during the 60-day session, beginning in Olympia today, sponsoring nearly 30 bills that deal with many issues affecting the 45th District and the state as a whole.“I’m honored to be representing the people of our district,” said Nixon, R-Kirkland. “And I believe the best way to represent our constituents is to introduce bills that respond to their needs. I don’t go to Olympia to warm a seat; I go to get things done.” Issues covered in the Nixon-sponsored bills include preparing state government for natural disaster, election reform, public disclosure laws, and auditing standards for state agencies. “All of the bills I’m sponsoring are important issues to my district and the state,” Nixon said. “Election reform is still needed as seen by the recent problems in King County. Also, ensuring that state agencies fully comply with and are responsive to requests for public disclosure is absolutely necessary.” Below is a summary of some of the 30 bills that Nixon plans to introduce:
Seattle Times: Disclosure law lacks teethBy KATE RILEYSeattle Times editorial columnist (Click here for the original article) Seattle (January 9, 2006) --
No teeth. No attention.
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