District 42 legislators appointed to key legislative committees

By Gwen Roley

District 42 legislators will serve on several key committees during the 105-day legislative session, which began on January 14. Seeing as 2019 is an odd year, legislators will be debating the state budget.

Doug Ericksen (R), state senator

Ericksen, who has represented District 42 since 2011, will be a minority ranking member of the senate environment, energy and technology committee. He was the chair of this same committee in 2017. Ericksen and his colleagues will consider issues such as water quality, solid and toxic waste, as well as telecommunications and availability of technology.

For a brief period in 2017, Ericksen served as communications lead for the federal transition team at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Ericksen will also serve on the senate financial institutions, economic development & trade committee which considers issues relating to insurance, state banks and credit unions, international trade, residential tenant-landlord policy and tourism.

He was also appointed to the senate higher education & workforce development committee a Senate counterpart to the education committee of Van Werven. This committee will also address higher education issues as they relate to governance, financial aid and workforce training.

Luanne Van Werven (R), state representative, position 1

Van Werven will be a minority ranking member of the House college and workforce development committee, formerly known as the higher education committee. The committee considers issues that affect Washington colleges and universities, such as governance, tuition, apprenticeships and the licensing of private colleges and career schools.

“[This will allow] me to continue my work on college affordability and accountability in the higher education system,” Van Werven said in a press release. “The additional emphasis on workforce development allows us to focus on those students who may not continue on to a four-year institution, making sure we connect students with successful careers.”

Van Werven was also appointed to the house innovation, technology and economic development committee which tackles issues of information technology systems, small business assistance and technology-driven jobs. She will also serve as a returning member on the house transportation committee which considers transportation funding and policies.

Sharon Shewmake (D), state representative, position 2

Newly-elected representative Shewmake is the vice chair of the house rural development, agriculture & natural resources committee. The committee addresses agricultural marketing, animal and plant disease control, fisheries and wildlife and forest fire protection.

Shewmake is a professor for the College of Business and Economics at Western Washington University and specializes in the intersection of economics and the environment.

Shewmake is also on the house environment and energy committee which will look into issues revolving around air and water quality, reduction of waste, climate change and renewable energy. She will be serving on the house transportation committee alongside Van Werven.