Dent, Manweller to run for re-election

Representatives Tom Dent and Matt Manweller, both Republicans serving the 13th Legislative District of the state of Washington, have announced plans to seek reelection to the Washington State House of Representatives.

Dent lives in the Moses Lake, Grant County area, and is currently serving his first term in the State House.

He serves on three House committees, the Appropriations Committee, responsible for writing the budget; the Early Learning & Human Services Committee, responsible for early learning, foster care and mental health issues for young people (assistant ranking member on the committee) and the Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee (also assistant ranking member of this committee).

Dent also serves on the Waters of Washington task force to evaluate critical water issues, look for possible solutions and identify possible funding sources.

Dent organized the Kid Kaucus, a group of legislators and concerned citizens to work on and evaluate foster care and other child issues and to find pathways to success for young people who have had a less-than-opportune start in life. The caucus has continued to grow in membership.

As a result of the devastating wild fires the past few years, Dent began the Wildfire Caucus. "I began an effort to encourage the use of Single Engine Air Tankers as an initial attack force on fires, with the goal to be on the fire in two hours, not two days," he said. With the interest within the legislature around the fire issue, it grew to include looking at and evaluating forest health, fire suppression and salvage and restoration efforts. "Burning up our natural resources is inherently wrong; we can and must do better," Dent said.

He has been effective working with other legislators by building relationships based on respect and trust.

For more information, please contact Dent at: tomdentcommittee@gmail.com or call his Moses Lake office at 509-765-6926.

Representative Mathew Manweller is a 46-year-old, two-term member of the state House of Representatives and professor of political science at Central Washington University.

He currently serves as a member of the House Leadership team and is the Deputy Floor Leader. He is also a member of the powerful Appropriations and Finance Committees which oversee all spending decision in the Legislature. Additionally, he serves as the ranking member of the Labor Committee and a member of the Joint Select Committee on Pensions.

"Over the past four years, you have seen a Legislature live within its means yet still increase spending for K-12 education to historic levels, lower the cost of college tuition and avoid new taxes to pay the bills. I hope we continue the approach to government in the next two years" Manweller said.

Before being hired at CWU, Manweller worked as a high school math and economics teacher and as a book editor for the International Society for Technology in Education, an educational non-profit. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Economics from Whitman College in Walla Walla and then a Master's degree in political science from the University of Montana in Missoula. He completed his education by earning his doctorate from the University of Oregon. Manweller and his wife Shelley have two children, Lincoln and Grayson.

For more information about Manweller's candidacy, you can visit http://www.manwellerforstaterep.com