Author Archives: sdcadmin

Oil Train Hearing Spokane was the site of one of two public hearings last week on the Governor’s Rail and Marine Oil Transportation Study. I testified at the hearing on the growth of oil transportation by rail through our state ...

Commencement Address Last month, I had the honor of delivering the commencement address for the Spokane Falls Community College graduation ceremony. In my speech I focused on the benefit to being open-minded and quoted Dr. Seuss’ “Green Eggs and Ham,” ...

Protecting the Spokane River Safeguarding the Spokane River is a priority for our community and has been one of my legislative priorities over the past four years. In that work, I often end up viewing the river through the lens ...

In the community One of my priorities during the interim between legislative sessions is to spend time diving deeper into the challenges and successes in our community. I work toward this goal by touring businesses, visiting with teachers and students ...

Passing the Operating Budget Last week, both the Senate and the House passed their supplemental operating budget proposals. Our state operates on a two-year budget cycle. In the odd years, we do two-year biennial budgets. In the even years, like ...

The DREAM Act   Last week, after three years of work the Legislature passed the DREAM Act. This historic piece of legislation will provide equal access to state-based higher education financial aid without regard to immigration status as long as ...

Focus on Safety – Oil by Rail One of the most pressing and growing safety concerns for our community is the dramatic increase in trains traveling through Spokane carrying Bakken crude oil from North Dakota to terminals in Western Washington. ...