Warnick urges action on Hirst in letter to governor   Where does the Hirst Fix stand as of March 31 Senate Bill 5239 Press release on passage of SB 5239 Sen. Judy Warnick’s testimony on the Hirst fix Sen. Shelly Short discusses Hirst

Read more about the what the chair of the Senate’s water-related committee, Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, has been doing to help rural families suffering as a result of the flawed Hirst decision. Since the regular session, Warnick who sponsored the Hirst-fix legislation, Senate Bill 5239, has been working to elevate the issue and keep […]

Legislature must find water-well solution – Spokesman Editorial The Impact “Hirst decision debated between House and Senate” – KOZI “Legislature gearing up for Hirst bill negotiations” – The Columbian “State Senate passes bill (again) aimed at solving controversy over rural wells” – Bellingham Herald “Some home building halted as counties respond to water-rights case” – […]

In late 2016, the state Supreme Court issued a ruling resulting from a challenge to rules in Whatcom County relating to the Growth Management Act.   The ruling turned decades of water law on its head by requiring local jurisdictions, such as counties, to make legal determinations on water availability before issuing a building permit, […]