Greetings
from Olympia! We are now one-quarter of the way through the 2015 legislative
session. This week we spent time both in committees hearing testimony on
legislation and on the Senate floor voting on bills.
We also held
a work session this week in the Senate Trade and Economic Development Committee
(which I chair) on the topics of science, technology, engineering and math
(STEM) education and meeting our workforce needs.
The
highlight of the work session was hearing directly from folks back home in the
Tri-Cities, who were able to participate remotely using videoconferencing
technology at Columbia Basin College. Among those testifying from the
remote-testimony center at CBC were:
-
Columbia
Basin College President Rich Cummins;
-
Jenny
Rodriguez, principal, Delta High School, along with several Delta students;
- Jason
Mercier, director of the Center for Government Reform, Washington Policy
Center;
-
Gabriela
Whitemarsh of Columbia Basin College, with students in the Math Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) Program;
- Representatives
of the Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce and-City Regional Chamber of
Commerce; and
- Paul
Randall, principal with the Tri-Tech Skills Center.
This work
session enabled us to take a tremendous step forward in giving citizens east of
the Cascades an opportunity to make their voices heard by a legislative
committee. This was a historic occasion as this was the first time people in
the Tri-Cities were able to appear via remote testimony.
A lot of the
credit for making this happen goes to Dr. Rich Cummins, the president at
Columbia Basin College, and Jason Mercier from the Washington Policy
Center. They really stepped up to make the logistics work, and set an
example for the role other community colleges can play in making remote
testimony a reality.
I am really
excited about this technology, and hope to use it for public comments during
bill hearings in the near future.
Click to watch my video update.
On Tuesday, the Senate
Energy, Environment and Telecommunications Committee approved my bills encouraging
and expanding the use of nuclear power as part of the state’s carbon-reduction
strategies. All four measures are now one step closer to a vote of the full
Senate.
I’m really pleased that my
colleagues on the committee agreed we should take an all-of-the-above approach
that focuses on innovation, technology and incentives, rather than a punitive approach
to reaching our goals. Nuclear power, and small modular reactors, must be a
part of that approach.
This week,
the Washington Council of Fire Fighters came to Olympia for its annual
Legislative Conference. The WSCFF represents 130 affiliated local firefighter
unions and more than 6,900 affiliated members of the International Association
of Fire Fighters (IAFF) within the state. A few of our local firefighters took
the opportunity while in town to stop by the office to say hello and discuss
some of the issues important to them.
If you have
plans to be in Olympia, and would like discuss issues important to you, I hope
you will let us know. We would love to see you.
Save the date: Monday, Feb. 23 8th District Telephone Town Hall!
Remote
testimony is one way we are working to make sure you have an opportunity to be
heard in the Legislature. Another useful tool we have is the telephone town
hall.
On Monday, Feb. 23, 8th District Representatives
Larry Haler and Brad Klippert will join me for a telephone town hall. The call
will last for one hour and start at 6:30pm.
You should be
receiving a call, but if by chance you don’t, you can still take part in this
community conversation using this information.
Inbound Listener Line: (509) 590-4711
(no PIN needed)
Constituent Web Login: listen.townhallinteractive.com
Web
Listener PIN:088713
As always, I value
hearing directly from you, and you don’t have to wait for a telephone town hall
to be heard.
If you would like to contact
me please write, phone, e-mail, or stop by if you’re in the Olympia area during
the next few weeks. It remains my honor to serve you in the Washington State
Senate.
Sincerely,
Sharon Brown State Senator 8th District
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