Here are the committee assignments for Clark County’s legislative delegation
If you pay attention to the Legislature, you know that a key part of legislating occurs in legislative committees where legislators hammer out the finer details of legislation.
With the Washington Legislature set to convene next month, parties in both chambers have announced who will serve on the various legislative committees that will work on budgeting, appropriations, business, health care and other topics.
The Democratic Party expanded its majorities in the November election. When announcing their committee structure, the Senate Democrats highlighted how it would help “prioritize affordable housing, mental health care and the environment.” Annette Cleveland, Clark County’s sole Democratic state senator, will hold sway over part of that agenda as chair of the Health & Long Term Care Committee.
Rep. Vicki Kraft, a Vancouver Republican elected to her second term, sent out a press release touting her ranking position on the House Local Government Committee.
“There’s an immense amount of pressure building across the state for affordable housing. The largest cost drivers contributing to this problem are excessive Growth Management Act regulations and the onerous permitting process. We need to find ways to lower these costs,” said Kraft in a statement. “Being the top Republican on this committee creates an opportunity for dialogue about how we can modify GMA and excessive stormwater regulations that impact businesses and residential housing across Washington.”
In the statement, Kraft also stated she would use her position on the House Appropriations Committee to scrutinize the fiscal implications of potential legislation. She also stated that she supported letting the McCleary education funding package play out instead of reopening it, as some legislators have suggested.
With the committee assignments, Clark County’s legislative delegation will have say over transportation and other infrastructure projects, how money gets spent in Olympia and other things. Here are those assignments.
Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver
Health & Long Term Care (chair)
Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation
Transportation
Rules
Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center
Early Learning & K-12 Education
Health & Long Term Care
Ways & Means
Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver
Ways & Means
Law & Justice
Financial Institutions, Economic Development & Trade (ranking member)
Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver
Capital Budget
Education
Health Care & Wellness
Rules
(Stonier will also serve as floor leader).
State Rep. Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver
Transportation – (first vice chair)
Finance, Innovation, Technology & Economic Development
Rules
Rep.-elect Larry Hoff, R-Felida.
Appropriations
Consumer Protection and Business
Labor and Workplace Standards
Rep. Brandon Vick, R-Felida
Commerce and Gaming
Consumer Protection and Business (ranking member)
Finance
Rep. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver
Appropriations
Education
Health Care and Wellness
(Harris will also serve as caucus chair.)
Rep. Vicki Kraft, R-Vancouver
Appropriations
Education
Local government (ranking member)
