Author Archives: annrivers

Rivers receives 2014 Outstanding Legislator Award from WA Association of Sewer & Water Districts

The Washington Association of Sewer & Water Districts has recognized Sen. Ann Rivers for her outstanding support of special purpose sewer & water districts.

Rivers has been a tireless champion of the Public Works Trust Fund. The Fund is an innovative state program that provides low cost loans to build infrastructure delivering safe drinking water and protecting water quality. Since the program was initiated in 1985, almost 100 projects have been constructed in Clark County, partially funded by $217 million in low cost loans from the Fund. Rivers’ continued support for this fiscally responsible program means low cost loans through the Public Works Trust Fund can continue to build the critical projects to protect the public, while keeping utility rates affordable.

A plaque recognizing Rivers was presented on Tuesday, Sept. 23 at the Clark Regional Wastewater District office in Vancouver. Continue reading →

E-News Legislative Update

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I am hosting town hall meetings in Camas and Ridgefield this Saturday and I would love the chance to meet you and answer any questions you may have. Please see below for all the details.

This interim has been so busy that it hardly feels like we have a part-time Legislature. In past years interim is typically pretty quiet and I am free to meet with constituents, but the time demand is much more this year, and I think it’s mostly because we are faced with some seriously high-stake issues such as transportation and education.

Please click HERE to continue reading.

Rivers to host town-hall meetings Saturday

Clark County residents are encouraged to attend one of Sen. Ann Rivers’ town-hall meetings on Saturday.

“Town halls provide a great opportunity to check in with my constituents and answer questions about this past legislative session or update them on where things stand at this point,” said Rivers, R-La Center.

Rivers said she would also like to host a few town halls in early December to evaluate the needs and priorities of the 18th District before the 2015 legislative session begins in January.

Saturday, August 16

10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Camas Public Library
625 NE 4th Avenue, Camas

2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Clark County Fire and Rescue
911 N. 65th Avenue, Ridgefield

Residents needing more information should contact Sen. Rivers’ Olympia office at 360-786-7634 or via email at Ann.Rivers@leg.wa.gov.

IN THE NEWS: Public needs voice in carbon debate

Local View: Public needs voice in carbon debate

By Sen. Ann Rivers | Published: August 3, 2014, 6:00 AM

There’s enough chatter at the Capitol about a pair of climate-change policies — familiar but complex proposals known as “cap-and-trade” and “low-carbon fuel standards” — that it’s time to ask: What do these confusing and complicated discussions mean for the average Washington resident?

Both cap-and-trade and LCFS deal with controlling the production of carbon. The two main sources of carbon emissions are motor vehicles and power plants that generate electricity.

Washington is already a low-carbon place — especially when compared to a carbon giant such as China, which produces around 8,000 million metric tons annually compared to Washington’s 96 million. And while China’s carbon emissions are on the rise, Washington continues to find ways to reduce our carbon footprint without layering on new costly and intrusive regulations.

One study shows that cap-and-trade could ultimately cost each Washington household upwards of $8,200 in disposable income per year and eliminate up to 82,000 jobs.

Continue reading →

Rivers earns Crayon Award for work to promote early learning

Sen. Ann Rivers’ commitment to protect and grow early-learning programs in Washington has earned her a Silver Crayon Award from the Early Learning Action Alliance.

“It is always an honor to be recognized for the work we do in Olympia, but I am particularly proud of this award because it acknowledges the value and importance of investing in early learners, particularly those kids who start out with the odds stacked against them,” said Rivers, R-La Center.

“In a perfect world, a child would have two parents who are actively involved in its life, but the reality is that that doesn’t always happen. I have spoken time and again about the responsibility of legislators to take care of our most vulnerable, and as a state we need to make sure the necessary supports are in place from the very beginning because every child deserves the chance to succeed in life.”

Continue reading →

Rivers to represent southwest Washington on maritime and manufacturing task force

Sen. Ann Rivers has been appointed to the newly formed joint legislative task force to oversee the maritime and manufacturing sectors in our state.

“The maritime industry is particularly important to southwest Washington,” said Rivers, R-La Center. “While Christensen Yachts isn’t located in the 18th Legislative District, they represent an industry that serves as a major economic driver for the entire region.

“I’m particularly interested in examining how we can best support these industries for future job growth and industry development.” Continue reading →

E-News Legislative Update

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The weeks have been flying by since session ended in March and I have been busy meeting with constituents, stakeholders, businesses and civic organizations. I’ve had the opportunity to tour several businesses to get a firsthand glimpse at their operations and the role they play in our business economy.

On Saturday I left for a week-long trip to Taiwan to learn more about international trade opportunities and to promote tourism in Southwest Washington– you can read about my upcoming trip below.

Please click HERE to continue reading.

IN THE NEWS: Sen. Rivers joins state trade mission to Taiwan

Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, will join Lt. Gov. Brad Owen on a week-long trade mission to Taiwan, where she plans to promote tourism opportunities for Southwest Washington.

Owen’s goal of the trip will be to highlight the state’s seafood and agricultural products and sign a reciprocal driver license agreement. The delegation is slated to meet with government officials. They leave Saturday and return June 27.

The license agreement allows Taiwan nationals living in the state to skip the written portion of the state’s driver license exam if they have a license to drive in Taiwan. It would strike the same deal for Washington residents living in Taiwan. The state has similar agreements with British Columbia, Korea and Germany.

Continue reading →

Bi-State Bridge Coalition completes initial meeting to ask: ‘What’s next?’

A group of legislators from Washington and Oregon met in Vancouver Wednesday to initiate discussions on whether to seek new options for a bridge or bridges to connect the two states over the Columbia River between Clark County and Portland. The Bi-State Bridge Coalition meeting, organized by Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, and Rep. John Huffman, R-The Dalles, is the first between legislators since the Columbia River Crossing project was scrapped by the Washington and Oregon legislatures due to differences that included light rail and low river clearance.

“First, we want to make it very clear this is not an effort to revive the Columbia River Crossing project. We recognize, however, that although the CRC is dead, our interstate traffic problems will not simply vanish,” said Pike, a member of the Washington House Transportation Committee. “Hitting the reset button means we begin anew and determine what’s next. We believe it’s time to move past the CRC, leave behind components such as light rail that doomed that project, and focus on newer, comprehensive transportation solutions between Southwest Washington and the Portland metro area.”

Continue reading →