Live from the Tri-Cities...

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video testimony

Live from the Tri-Cities...

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.

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Watch my video update

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Click to watch my video update.

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Nuclear-power bills clear energy committee

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.

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Local firefighters visit Olympia

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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.

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In closing...

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,

New Sig

Sharon Brown
State Senator
8th District

Feb. 6, 2015

 

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Olympia, WA 98504-0408

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