News The Supermajority Democrats Strike Again
posted by on December 21 at 11:03 AM
So, who did the supermajority Democrats appoint to head up the state House Agriculture and Natural Resources committee—the committee that’s central to drafting state environmental policies that affect water, watershed planning, timber, mining, and fish and wildlife?
Answer, an environmental conservative from logging country, of course. The new chair is Rep. Brian Blake (D-19, Aberdeen) who gets a C from the local Sierra club’s Cascade chapter. Blake voted, for example, against a bill to up biodiesel use.
“Brian Blake, in the past, has not had environmental issues as a priority and he has been hard to convince,” Clifford Traisman, state lobbyist for Washington Conservation Voters, says diplomatically.
Blake is replacing Brian Sullivan (D-21, Mukilteo) who’s leaving the legislature for a spot on the Snohomish County Council. Sullivan rated an A+ from the Sierra Club.
Silver-Lining UPDATE
Brand new Rep. Sharon Nelson (D-34)—appointed to fill now-state-Senator Joe McDermott’s seat—was assigned to Ag & Natural Resources. Nelson, an environmental warrior who was appointed by her district based on her record of fighting to save Maury Island from strip mining, will be a pain in Blake’s ass.
I’ve linked all the committee reassignments for the 2008 House Democrats below the jump.
Rep. Sherry Appleton reassigned from Early Learning & Children’s Services to
Capital Budget
Rep. Brian Blake, appointed Chair, Agriculture & Natural Resources
Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, reassigned from Agriculture & Natural Resources to Ecology & Parks
Rep. Hans Dunshee, reassigned from Appropriations Subcommittee on Education to Ecology & Parks
Rep Deb Eddy, appointed Vice Chair, Technology, Energy & Communications
Rep Bill Eickmeyer, appointed to Ecology & Parks
Rep. Roger Goodman, reassigned from Capital Budget to Early Learning & Children’s Services
Rep Tami Green, reassigned from State Government & Tribal Affairs to Appropriations
Rep. Ruth Kagi, removed from Agriculture & Natural Resources
Rep Troy Kelley, reassigned from Housing to Technology, Energy & Communications
Rep Steve Kirby, assigned to Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness
Rep. John McCoy, appointed Chair, Technology, Energy & Communications
Rep Jeff Morris, assigned to Rules
Rep Jim Moeller, assigned to Rules, replacing Rep John McCoy
Rep Sharon Nelson, assigned to Agriculture & Natural Resources, Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government & Audit Review, and Local Government
Rep Al O’Brien, assigned to Ecology & Parks
Rep Mary Helen Roberts, appointed Vice Chair of Early Learning & Children’s Services
Rep Christine Rolfes, assigned to Ecology & Parks, and appointed Vice Chair
Rep Larry Springer, assigned to Appropriations Subcommittee on Education
Rep Dean Takko, appointed Vice Chair of Local Government, replacing Rep Deb Eddy
Rep Dave Upthegrove, assigned to Ecology & Parks, and appointed Chair
Rep Kevin Van De Wege, appointed Vice Chair of Agriculture & Natural Resources
Rep Brendan Williams, reassigned from Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government & Audit Review to Transportation
21st District appointee, assigned to Education, Housing, and State Government & Tribal Affairs
44th District appointee, assigned to Agriculture & Natural Resources, Insurance, Financial Services & Consumer Protection, and Transportation
Well, it's just a committee. There are many people on a committee, and they represent this giant thing called a state - a state that has many different viewpoints.
The question is more what the Rules Committee does - which pushes thru bills and decides the order they are done (or more usually by sleight of hand, NOT done).
The 6-8 foot Blue Wave in 2008 (2006 was a 2 footer) will create a lot more D's in areas that have been R before. You work with what you get.
oh thank christ jeff morris was appointed to rules. i knew santa would pull through.
Biodiesel is a red-herring. It's not all that green, and the corn that goes into making it costs a ton in fossil fuels.
"The 6-8 foot Blue Wave in 2008 (2006 was a 2 footer) will create a lot more D's in areas that have been R before."
Where? The suburbs are already nearly maxed-out from 2006, and even with the state GOP in such sorry shape it's highly unlikely to pick up seats in the rock-solid rural GOP areas.
In my estimation, Democrats can realistically target five Senate seats: Pflug, Benton, Zarelli, Carrell, and Stevens. The only ones that might change absent a wave are Benton and Carrell, which are genuine swing districts. Republicans can realistically target McAuliffe, Rasmussen, Haugen, Kastama, and perhaps Pridemore. At least for the upper house, 2008 won't be anywhere near 2006 as far as Democratic successes, and may well end up a wash.
The House might still have some fruit to bear, but I can't imagine it would surpass the six seat gain from last cycle. Democrats should have no problem picking up the Dunn seat, probably even if the GOP gets their act together and primaries him, and then the seat Joyce McDonald is vacating should be ripe for a pick-up. Both 10th district races should be competitive. The GOP can still target Barlow in the 6th, Green/Kelley in the 28th, and maybe a few Eastside seats still. Steve Litzow should keep the old Jarrett seat competitive, but the 41st has gone Democratic so fast that I suspect it will stay Democratic regardless.
Please don't trouble Will in Seattle with realism--it is a waste of all of our time.
TMW - my, you haven't been paying attention to the polls, have you? How's Mercer Island working for you, by the way?
@3 - most bio-diesel in this state is not corn-based (caveat: I own 100 shares of Valero Energy) but from other crops (or food waste). Switchgrass and algae are major research subjects for bio-diesel in Washington state, as well. But the subsidies for corn ethanol do distort this market.
At least Rep. Upthegrove is the new Chair of the Ecology & Parks Committee. He's got an A+ Sierra Club rating and led the Puget Sound stuff last year and was a big-time champ trying to stop the Maury Island mine. Hopefully his ascencion is a silver lining....
@7: More than a silver lining. All the enviro issues, except for straight resource issues will go to Upthegrove's committee. Global Warming legislation, as well as Puget Sound will be heard in his Ecology committee. That's great news. Upthegrove is one of the greener House members and is already conspiring with Hans Dunshee on major climate legislation.
On the other hand, Blake is all about cutting down trees and supporting the Farm Bureau's unsustainable, corporate farming agenda - definitely a bad development on those issues.
"TMW - my, you haven't been paying attention to the polls, have you? How's Mercer Island working for you, by the way?"
Did you read a word of what I posted? The numbers aren't there for another Democratic landslide, they've already won too much. To think otherwise is unrealistic.
@7 and @8. It was my understanding as well that ecology and parks would be getting the enivro issues, while Blacks committee would get farm and timber shit.
Upthegrove is an awesome choice for this by the way. He was a leader on the Puget Sound Partnership and leader on environmental issues. He is one of Olympia's up and coming stars and will serve well as the leader of of this committee.
It's funny that Blake would come out against biodiesel when the biggest production plant around will be in Gray's Harbor. The possibility of a methanol producer that will work with wood chips (eg small diameter thinnings from forests) might be a good thing. Re corn: even if local ethanol production isn't from corn, the wheat prices are doubled above last year's record price... somewhat unnerving. Algae research = good... but more acreage in oil crops?.. maybe not so...
Sharon Nelson a definite "plus".
Q: When do the turbines go into The Narrows for the "tidal power" demo? ^..^
Comments Closed
In order to combat spam, we are no longer accepting comments on this post (or any post more than 14 days old).