KEPR Tracks Tri-Cities Lawmakers Missing Votes
OLYMPIA -- You voted them into office, so why are your lawmakers missing votes?
KEPR Action News is digging deeper now that the legislative regular session is over.
KEPR uncovered hundreds of "missed votes" happening in a time when budgets are tight and the state is making big decisions that affect you.
Action News investigates who's actually on the job in Olympia.
They knew it was going to be a tough legislative session from the get go because budgets are tight so it's up to lawmakers to make those tough decisions.
And now that the regular session is over, KEPR tallied up the number of votes missed by those you voted in.
One by one KEPR looked up each lawmaker from Walla Walla to the Tri-Cities.
Our two local state senators missed the most votes, even compared to all state senators.
Republican Jerome Delvin tops the list with 112 votes missed out of 565 total. And Mike Hewitt comes in at number 5 with 39 votes missed this year alone.
A much better track record for our state reps. Terry Nealey missed 27 votes and Maureen Walsh missed 25.
But it was a perfect record for Tri-Cities state representatives Brad Klippert and Larry Haler.
According to washingtonvotes.org, both have not missed a single vote this year.
KEPR reached out to both Delvin and Hewitt to find out, why so many missed votes?
Senator Hewitt sent KEPR this statement:
"I was ill for one day during the legislative session…a day on which the Senate voted on 24 bills. The remainder of the votes took place during times I was, as Senate Republican Leader, involved in budget negotiations or in meetings in the governor's office. "
Senator Delvin had been gone from Olympia recently because his father died. The funeral service was just this week. His staff tells KEPR he will be back in Olympia by Thursday.
Because even though the regular session is over, there's work still left to be done.
KEPR Action News is digging deeper now that the legislative regular session is over.
KEPR uncovered hundreds of "missed votes" happening in a time when budgets are tight and the state is making big decisions that affect you.
Action News investigates who's actually on the job in Olympia.
They knew it was going to be a tough legislative session from the get go because budgets are tight so it's up to lawmakers to make those tough decisions.
And now that the regular session is over, KEPR tallied up the number of votes missed by those you voted in.
One by one KEPR looked up each lawmaker from Walla Walla to the Tri-Cities.
Our two local state senators missed the most votes, even compared to all state senators.
Republican Jerome Delvin tops the list with 112 votes missed out of 565 total. And Mike Hewitt comes in at number 5 with 39 votes missed this year alone.
A much better track record for our state reps. Terry Nealey missed 27 votes and Maureen Walsh missed 25.
But it was a perfect record for Tri-Cities state representatives Brad Klippert and Larry Haler.
According to washingtonvotes.org, both have not missed a single vote this year.
KEPR reached out to both Delvin and Hewitt to find out, why so many missed votes?
Senator Hewitt sent KEPR this statement:
"I was ill for one day during the legislative session…a day on which the Senate voted on 24 bills. The remainder of the votes took place during times I was, as Senate Republican Leader, involved in budget negotiations or in meetings in the governor's office. "
Senator Delvin had been gone from Olympia recently because his father died. The funeral service was just this week. His staff tells KEPR he will be back in Olympia by Thursday.
Because even though the regular session is over, there's work still left to be done.
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