With so much in the news about the SR 520 floating bridge project, Rep. Deb Eddy has been fielding a growing number of questions from constituents. Last night she hosted and facilitated a community forum so Eastsiders could get an update on the project and speak with local political leaders and project staff from the state Department of Transportation.
WSDOT presented an overview of the project and Rep. Eddy talked about the political landscape related to decisions such as the design for the west side of the bridge and how to fully fund the project.
About sixty Eastside residents showed up, including Rep. Judy Clibborn, chair of the House Transportation Committee. Eddy's fellow legislators from the 48th legislative district, Senator Rodney Tom and Rep. Ross Hunter, also participated.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
The train in Spain...
Last month, Rep. Marko Liias experienced life in the fast lane in Spain. That is, the high-speed train lane. As a guest of the Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade, Liias was invited to visit the new Spanish high-speed rail system - one of the fastest in the world - which zips along at speeds of nearly 200 miles per hour. He also gave a presentation to a gathering of Spanish companies on Washington's progress in establishing the Amtrak Cascades service.
As vice-chair of the House Transportation Committee, Liias takes a keen interest in anything that can move people and goods from one place to another quickly and efficiently. His itinerary included a visit to the Spanish rail system's high tech control center, and a tour of a deep bore tunnel project in the city of Barcelona. When complete, the project will connect two train stations with a tunnel that will run under the center of the city.
"I was impressed with Spain's investment in their rail system," Liias said last week in Olympia. "It's both inspiring and motivating to see how other countries tackle their transportation challenges. I also believe Washington state can be a leader in transportation innovation, and look forward to working with my colleagues on the House Transportation committee this fall."
In the photo above, Rep. Liias is pictured on a tour of a manufacturing plant operated by the Spanish rail operator RENFE. With him are state Senator Katie Sieben of Minnesota and RENFE's Alberto Gonzalez.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Today's committee meeting line-up
Another full day of committee meetings continues. Some notable topics include:
- Right now the Education Committee is discussing federal Race to the Top funding and reviewing the status of the basic eduction funding bill passed last session.
- At 10, the Technology, Energy & Communications Committee will talk about efforts to expand broadband services statewide.
- At 1:30, the Finance Committee will hear a briefing on the latest Economic and Revenue Forecast, and discuss various implementation issues of the Streamlined Sales Tax.
- Also at 1:30, the Health Care Committee will get an update on federal health care reform efforts.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Women of Color Empowered Committee honors Rep. Kenney for her ongoing political leadership
Rep. Phyllis Gutiérrez Kenney, chairwoman of the House Committee on Community & Economic Development & Trade and dedicated advocate for the Hispanic community in Seattle, was honored by the Women of Color Empowered Committee last Friday for her commitment to helping local communities of color.“It is an honor to work toward a more promising future for our communities of color and to inspire other women to do the same,” Kenney said. “I’m truly thankful for those who continue to support me in the work that I do. My political achievements are merely a reflection of the continued collaboration among our diverse communities.”
For more than a decade, Kenney has served as a leader for women in politics and has worked to motivate others to venture into the male-dominated political realm. Click here for a more extensive list of her community involvement.
Photos from Vancouver area education forum
This week, state Reps. Deb Wallace and Tim Probst hosted a two-part forum to talk about the basic education funding bill passed last session and gather feedback about the work taking place now to implement the many changes outlined in the bill.
Wallace and Probst invited staff from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State Board of Education, and the Professional Educator Standards Board to talk about that work.
On Tuesday evening, more than a dozen community members gathered for a broad discussion about the bill, and on Wednesday evening, more than 50 teachers and educators participated in a discussion focused more on the changes that will affect teacher certification and accountability.
The discussions were lively and participants shared compelling personal stories that shed light on how these changes may, or may not, have a positive effect on student learning.
Wallace and Probst invited staff from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State Board of Education, and the Professional Educator Standards Board to talk about that work.
On Tuesday evening, more than a dozen community members gathered for a broad discussion about the bill, and on Wednesday evening, more than 50 teachers and educators participated in a discussion focused more on the changes that will affect teacher certification and accountability.
The discussions were lively and participants shared compelling personal stories that shed light on how these changes may, or may not, have a positive effect on student learning.
Insurance bundling and black boxes - House committee will take a closer look
In a couple of hours, a meeting will convene that privacy advocates and people concerned about "creative" money-management schemes might be interested in - the House Financial Institutions & Insurance Committee at 1:30.
Have you ever heard of a device called an event data recorder (or EDR)? These things can be installed in a motor vehicle, either by the manufacturer when it’s built or by someone else sometime down the road. EDRs can gather a variety of details about what you and your vehicle are doing, including how fast you’re going and where you’re headed.
The devices can also determine what kind of a driver you are (your acceleration and braking habits, for instance, as well as the way you do your steering). You better believe this is a big consumer-privacy issue. Specifically, we’ve got to be asking ourselves, “What the heck’s gonna be done with the information gathered by these black-box type EDRs?”
That's what the committee will discuss, specifically looking into the way auto-insurance companies can use these EDRs.
Chaired by state Rep. Steve Kirby, the House panel wants to know the answer to a few questions including:
The House Financial Institutions & Insurance Committee will also review the securitizing of asset streams, AKA “bundling” – a growing practice on the part of the big-money folks in the financial world.
In this bundling operation, mortgages and other loans are packaged up and sold to investors. The borrower frequently isn’t even aware of the sale of his or her loan. Insurance-related products, including the right to collect the benefits of a life-insurance policy, are also being sold off in this same manner. Since the states and the federal government have definite regulatory roles in overseeing these securitized products, the Kirby committee wants to keep an eye on this securitization of asset streams.
Now, consider the practice of bundling subprime mortgages that’s been dragged into the spotlight as a result of the current chaos in the financial world. You bet there’s very serious concern that bundling is still happening today on Wall Street.
Even when it doesn’t involve subprime mortgages, the bundling of life settlements and life-insurance policies is also a very grave issue. What the bundler does is get his or her hands on, say, a thousand $1-million life-insurance policies, bundle them all up, and sell the whole package off to someone else. And then voila, he or she can make a “bundle,” so to speak – without the general public (that’s us) ever getting so much as a whiff of what’s going on. As we’re seeing all too clearly these days, it’s not always a happy ending for consumers when the fiscal foxes find a way to game the financial henhouse.
Have you ever heard of a device called an event data recorder (or EDR)? These things can be installed in a motor vehicle, either by the manufacturer when it’s built or by someone else sometime down the road. EDRs can gather a variety of details about what you and your vehicle are doing, including how fast you’re going and where you’re headed.
The devices can also determine what kind of a driver you are (your acceleration and braking habits, for instance, as well as the way you do your steering). You better believe this is a big consumer-privacy issue. Specifically, we’ve got to be asking ourselves, “What the heck’s gonna be done with the information gathered by these black-box type EDRs?”
That's what the committee will discuss, specifically looking into the way auto-insurance companies can use these EDRs.
Chaired by state Rep. Steve Kirby, the House panel wants to know the answer to a few questions including:
- Can the proprietary information gathered by one of these devices ever be used against the consumer?
- What happens if the insurance company determines that the “locations” you and your vehicle are visiting are “risky”?
The House Financial Institutions & Insurance Committee will also review the securitizing of asset streams, AKA “bundling” – a growing practice on the part of the big-money folks in the financial world.
In this bundling operation, mortgages and other loans are packaged up and sold to investors. The borrower frequently isn’t even aware of the sale of his or her loan. Insurance-related products, including the right to collect the benefits of a life-insurance policy, are also being sold off in this same manner. Since the states and the federal government have definite regulatory roles in overseeing these securitized products, the Kirby committee wants to keep an eye on this securitization of asset streams.
Now, consider the practice of bundling subprime mortgages that’s been dragged into the spotlight as a result of the current chaos in the financial world. You bet there’s very serious concern that bundling is still happening today on Wall Street.
Even when it doesn’t involve subprime mortgages, the bundling of life settlements and life-insurance policies is also a very grave issue. What the bundler does is get his or her hands on, say, a thousand $1-million life-insurance policies, bundle them all up, and sell the whole package off to someone else. And then voila, he or she can make a “bundle,” so to speak – without the general public (that’s us) ever getting so much as a whiff of what’s going on. As we’re seeing all too clearly these days, it’s not always a happy ending for consumers when the fiscal foxes find a way to game the financial henhouse.
Welcome back, legislators! Is everyone assembled?
The ramp-up to Committee Assembly Days is over and the legislators are assembled, with a full two days of committee meetings underway.
Typically there is no floor action during this week. Rather, legislators use this time to touch base about issues coming up in the next session, look at the bills we passed last session and how they're being implemented, and manage other ongoing interim work.
After this morning's first round of meetings, legislators are now gathering for caucus. Whenever you manage to corral 63 House Democrats into one room, you know something exciting is going to happen.
Typically there is no floor action during this week. Rather, legislators use this time to touch base about issues coming up in the next session, look at the bills we passed last session and how they're being implemented, and manage other ongoing interim work.
After this morning's first round of meetings, legislators are now gathering for caucus. Whenever you manage to corral 63 House Democrats into one room, you know something exciting is going to happen.
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