NEWS RELEASE

For more information contact:
Office of the Lieutenant Governor:                                 June 6, 2005
Brian Hatfield
(360) 786-7745
hatfield_br@leg.wa.gov

Lieutenant Governor’s Committee Will Talk Defense In Yakima

Yakima (June 6, 2005) — Fresh off the heels of an 11-day trade mission to China, Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen is back home in Washington, and bringing his Legislative Committee on Economic Development and International Relations (LCEDIR) to Yakima.  The two-day event, beginning June 15th, will focus on Washington’s defense industries and what state government can do to protect and promote the family-wage jobs they provide.

Created by state law, to make sure Washington maintains a comprehensive and consistent economic development policy, the LCEDIR consists of 12 legislators plus the Lieutenant Governor, who serves as chair.  It is balanced by an equal number of members from the State House and the Senate, and equal split between Democrats and Republicans.  Their work in Yakima will begin on Wednesday afternoon (June 15), when they meet with local business and community leaders at the Central Washington Business Resource Center.  A public meeting is scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Thursday, June 16th at the Washington Army National Guard Readiness Center, 2501 Airport Lane, in Yakima.  The Committee will then tour the Training Center and view the training procedures of the 420^th National Guard Chemical Unit.

“There’s a lot more to defense industry jobs in Washington than simply promoting Boeing and preventing base closures,” stated Lt. Governor Owen.  “Of course we’ll continue to do those things, but we also need to hear more about the amazing research that’s going on at our universities, the impressive list of private, defense-related companies doing business in our state and what we can do to help them,” added Owen.  The committee will hear from a number of industry experts, including presenters from the Insitu Group, Amtech Corporation and Smith Aerospace.  The strong presence these companies have in central Washington, combined with a premier, National Guard, training center made Yakima the perfect location for the LCEDIR to meet.  Local legislators will be participating, as well.

In addition to Yakima, the LCEDIR has a September meeting scheduled in Victoria, B.C. to discuss trade, homeland security and the 2010 Olympics; and an October meeting in Vancouver, WA that will focus on cultural and eco-tourism.