I hope this e-mail finds you enjoying your summer.  It's been a few months since the end of session and I wanted to take a minute to update you on a few important issues affecting our district and our region.

Earlier this spring, I had the privilege of helping host the National Conference of State Legislators' Environmental Management Roundtable at Hanford.  State Legislators from around the nation came and toured Hanford.  We listened to presentations from the Department of Ecology, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Office of River Protection, CH2M Hill, Volpentest HAMMER Training and Education Center, Mission Support Alliance and representatives from the tribal nations.

Legislators were impressed with not only the work being done through the Tri-Party Agreement, but with the attention to worker safety and the impacts the work has on our local communities and economies.  Hanford is serving as a guidepost for the work being done around the nation at other clean-up sites and the lessons and examples learned at the conference will help other legislators in dealing with the federal government and contractors in their own states. I was extremely proud of the contractors working at Hanford and the professionalism of all involved.  It was a very successful event.
Also, as many of you know, changes to the Tri-Party Agreement were recently announced by Energy Secretary Steven Chu.		Reps. Larry Haler and Steve Conway speak with Gary Karnofski, Manager of Strategic Planning during a tour of Volpentest HAMMER Training & Education Center

Having been involved at Hanford for years as a plant operator, trainer and through outreach efforts, I'm very aware that many of the original timelines found in the Tri-Party Agreement looked good on paper, but were impractical.  This new tentative agreement redefines "clean-up" while allowing more time for certain deadlines to be met.

Beginning Sept. 3, there is a 45-day public comment period.  For more information on the public comment period, or to register your comments and opinions, visit the Department of Ecology's Hanford web site.

For more information about the new, tentative Tri-Party Agreement, view the Department of Ecology's press release.

Thanks for taking the time to stay involved and for reading my E-newsletter.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact my district office at (509) 372-7997.  I'm always available for coffee or for a quick meeting if you need help wading through state government.  I represent you and I'm here to serve.

Sincerely,


Larry Haler
State Representative, 8th District

Upcoming events...
I will be holding another round of 'community coffees' in October.  Please stay tuned for more information.

Also, Rep. Brad Klippert and I will be holding a 'health care forum' with Rep. Doug Ericksen, our ranking member on the House Health Care Committee.  We'll be discussing the House Republican plan to reform health care in our state.  You won't want to miss this event.  Health care reform, on both the state and national level, is a huge issue impacting us all.  I encourage you to attend if you are able.  I'll send out more information as details are finalized

Helping our most vulnerable citizens...
As many of you are aware, the Legislature had to deal with the largest projected budget shortfall in Washington state history this past session.  Years of overspending combined with a national and state economic decline in the housing and banking sectors combined to create the perfect financial storm.  Lawmakers were faced with an estimated $9 billion budget hole for the 2009-11 biennium.

I am encouraged that tax increases were NOT part of the budget solution as I believe hardworking families cannot afford to give more money out of their pockets to a government that seems incapable of saying "no" to special interests.

However, I am very distressed that the Legislature chose to reduce or cut services to some of our most truly vulnerable citizens.  Many of our state's adult day care centers will be closing down over the next year.  The families served by these centers will have little options available to them. I am writing letters to churches and faith-based organizations in our area to see if there is interest from the faith community to step up and possibly occupy a role that has, until recently, been fulfilled by the state.  I would like to ask you the same.  Has your church considered setting up a faith-based adult care or low-income and elderly assistance center? If so, what are the main obstacles in your way and how can my office help? If not, would your church consider it in the future in light of the growing needs of our community? If you are interested in looking seriously into this issue, or if you just want more information, or if you have experience in faith-based social services and can help others get started, please contact me and let me know if you'd be interested in a meeting at the end of September or middle of October.

Delta High School opens this fall...
Delta High School is a STEM school focusing on science, technology, engineering and math.  It will be located at the Columbia Basin College campus in Richland.  Delta High will provide a hands-on learning experience while preparing the next generation of science and technology leaders.

For more information, visit Delta High School's web site.

When Washington House of Representatives’ Speaker Frank Chopp recently told Tri-Citians he believed hydro-electricity should be considered a renewable resource in our state’s “green” energy portfolio and that nuclear energy will have to eventually be included in our future energy solutions, I could not have agreed more. However, once safely planted back in Seattle, he performed a “west side flip-flop” on these serious issues. What was his excuse for not telling his Tri-Cities audience the truth?  He had a “long day” according to his e-mail to the Tri-City Herald.

Our state and nation are in the middle of a complicated debate on energy conservation and renewable energy policies that will impact all of us. Energy independence, innovative fuel and power generation, as well as carbon taxation are extremely serious issues that should not be taken lightly. These issues are tied to much-needed job creation and the lifeblood of our economy – energy.  So, the questions remain – what are the views of the Speaker and how does he expect to power our state? Clear and coherent leadership on vital energy policies should not be too much to ask our state’s top House Democrat.

The Speaker’s flip-flop is insulting to me considering many of his Democrat colleagues in the House voted in support of my amendment to Senate Bill 5840, which would have updated I-937 to include hydro-electric energy as a renewable resource.  Despite what some on the west side think, House Republicans are working to creatively meet the energy needs of this generation and the next in ways that leave a pristine and livable landscape.

My approach has been a no-nonsense, straight-talk dialog about how to create real-world energy policies, particularly in light of our struggling economy, for both sides of the state.  I know where I stand on critical energy policies, and so should Democrat leaders, who hold the majority in the Legislature and governor’s mansion.

Washington state must put in place a law or, better still, a constitutional amendment that clearly states hydro-power is a renewable and clean source of energy generation. I plan to introduce a resolution next legislative session to do just that!  Further, I believe hydro-power is a key element in helping Washington meet its goals of clean energy production, conservation and development of innovative, low-carbon renewable resources.

Think of it this way: Using our environmentally-friendly hydro-electric energy to power a solar panel manufacturing plant in our state hits several of our self-directed goals. This scenario would allow for lower energy costs for the solar manufacturing firm, generate products that produce “green” energy and create family-wage jobs. It’s a win-win situation – we need the power and we certainly want the jobs and innovation these companies can offer us. On the issue of nuclear power generation, I understand both sides of the debate and believe we must start the dialog about how we meet our energy needs as a state and a nation in low-carbon ways. Nuclear energy is just one part of a complete package of energy alternatives. It will help meet the needs of our industries, individuals, and to ensure future generations have the infrastructure to grow the economy in ways that fit their job base. We are one of the only nations in the world that does not utilize nuclear power as a means of meeting ever-more demanding energy needs.

It’s also a matter of good jobs for Washingtonians. The Tri-Cities region is full of highly-trained workers that can maintain a nuclear facility in a way that has the least impact on all of us. Just as Boeing creates all types of family-wage jobs in the Puget Sound area, a new energy facility would do the same for Eastern Washington.

Before we let special interest groups draft our energy policies for state leaders, let’s have the debate about what our energy demands are, and will be in the future, and how to realistically meet them in ways that create jobs and ensure a solid economy while protecting our land, water and way of life.

State Parks "Opt-Out" fee goes into effect...
Here is an updated look at what your vehicle license renewal now looks like after the Legislature changed the previous "opt-in" fee to an "opt-out" fee.  Citizens that want to donate money to our state parks have been able to do so for years.  Now, unless you very specifically check the box and subtract the donation yourself, you'll be charged with a fee that you otherwise may not have wanted to pay.

An ingenious and dishonest way to raise money for state parks, in my view.  The state says it will raise more money this way, but it's still wrong.  So, if you want to donate money to our state parks, do nothing.  If you can't afford to, don't forget to check the box as seen below: