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Southwest Washington
lawmakers make pitch for timber jobs
A plan to bring jobs back
to Washington’s struggling timber communities has hit a snag. House Bill
1103, prime sponsored by
Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, is mired in
the House Finance Committee with time running out in the 2005
legislative session. The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Ed Orcutt,
R-Kalama, who is the lead Republican on the Finance Committee. Orcutt
said he is disappointed by the lack of support from the Democrat
committee chair who has refused to bring the bill up for a vote.
HB 1103 would provide
incentives for timber operations that harvest, transport and process
state timber using all local workers. DeBolt said the measure would be a
great stimulus for rural areas that have lost hundreds of jobs in recent
years. Under the bill, timber operators who harvest and process timber
from start to finish within Washington’s borders would receive expedited
permitting and tax incentives on mill construction and trucking.
“It’s a great way for our state to maximize the value of our natural
resources by turning timber supplies into jobs for our rural
communities,” said DeBolt. “The trickle-down effect would be tremendous.
It will provide jobs for timber workers in addition to the construction
laborers who build the mills, the trucking operators, the mechanics and
others who offer support to the industry, and business owners in the
communities where these mills are located. We have a ready workforce and
the resources. All we need to do is remove the regulatory barriers to
help these communities thrive.”
To make it happen,
however, the House Finance Committee chairman needs to let the bill come
up for a vote. Orcutt and DeBolt said Seattle Rep. Jim McIntire has been
unresponsive to their request to move the bill.
“So much for the ‘one
Washington’ they’ve talked so much about. The chairman’s unwillingness
to provide help for our rural communities is really an injustice,” said
Orcutt. “From where I live, I see the log trucks crossing the border to
mills deep in Oregon. Those aren’t just logs – they are jobs and revenue
we’re losing to the other side of the Columbia. We’re going to continue
to impress upon Representative McIntire and others from Seattle how
important this is to our local families.”
House Bill 1103 received
approval from the House Natural Resources, Ecology and Parks Committee.
Because it deals with tax issues, it must have the approval of the
Finance Committee to move forward.
The 2005 legislative
session is scheduled to end on April 24.
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For more information, contact:
John Rothlin, Staff
Director - (360) 786-7254
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