Commentary by State Sens. John Braun and Ann Rivers
Washington’s transportation system is in major need of a fix.
Cowlitz County/Southwest Washington taxpayers depend on the state to maintain functioning highways they can use for commuting and shipping their products. Without good roads, the local economy would grind to a halt.
Unfortunately, the Department of Transportation has not been a good steward of taxpayers’ money.
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Posted on September 30, 2013 by Stevie Mathieu
State Sen. Ann Rivers condemned the state attorney general’s office over the weekend for saying an Oregon-led Columbia River Crossing project could legally move forward without approval from the Washington Legislature.
Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s top assistant said earlier this month that Oregon can conduct CRC work in Washington as long as Washington doesn’t contribute any money to the project. And, an inter-local agreement between the two states could be agreed upon by Washington’s executive branch, rather than its legislators. Continue reading
OLYMPIA… Sen. Ann Rivers is disappointed in the Washington State Attorney General Office’s support for proceeding with the multi-billion dollar Columbia River Crossing Project without any specific legislative authority. The attorney general’s opinion was expressed in a memo to the Coast Guard, which must approve any project that could affect Columbia River navigation.
“The Legislature controls the purse strings and sets policy in this state while the governor implements the policies we set,” said Rivers, R-La Center. “Each branch of government must respect the other branches’ authority for our constitutional system to function. The attorney general’s lack of respect for the Legislature’s authority will damage our ability to move forward on with the governor on important issues like transportation.” Continue reading
Sen. Ann Rivers and Rep. Liz Pike want to hear from citizens on legislative-related issues of interest and concern to the 18th District. The two lawmakers have scheduled town hall meetings for Ridgefield and Battle Ground on Oct. 5. Another town hall meeting has been set for Nov. 9 in Camas.
“Representative Pike and I have always felt it’s important to know what’s in the hearts and minds of our constituents. These town hall meetings will prepare us to be more effective in the upcoming session,” said Rivers, R-La Center, who noted it is the first 18th District town hall meeting in Ridgefield in recent memory. Continue reading
OLYMPIA…Marking the recent release of rules from Washington’s Liquor Control Board for the recreational marijuana market, Sen. Ann Rivers is doubling down on her commitment to pass legislation in 2014 that would regulate and license the medical cannabis industry under a separate set of rules from Initiative-502.
“The passage of I-502 created a loophole on a largely unregulated industry,” said Rivers, R-La Center. “Now that the citizens of Washington state have made recreational marijuana use the law of the land, someone needed to step up and create much needed parameters on the medical use side. Many of the rules regarding authorizations need tightening up. Right now minors under the age of 18 can obtain medical cannabis without their parents’ knowledge. To me this is a problem.” Continue reading
OLYMPIA… Sens. Ann Rivers and Annette Cleveland are pleased with the state Department of Revenue’s decision to review regulations that could potentially prevent churches from holding non-profit fundraisers on their property.
“Non-profit religious institutions need clarity on what they can do on their properties without jeopardizing their property tax exemption,” said Rivers, R-La Center. “The department’s decision to examine its regulations affecting church-related fundraisers is a big step in the right direction.” Continue reading
Washington State’s 18th District Senator Ann Rivers, R-La Center, talks about how the Majority Coalition Caucus will be embarking on a listening tour around the state to get transportation priorities straight from the citizens.
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With the end of the 2013 regular and two special sessions now in the rear-view mirror, members of the Washington State Senate Majority Coalition Caucus have their sights set firmly on reforming the state’s transportation system. Listen to Senator Ann Rivers, R-La Center, explain why these reforms are necessary, what they hope to accomplish, how they intend on focusing their efforts, and what the final product will look like when the Legislature meets again in January of 2014.
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