PRESS RELEASE 8/3/17
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that the Port of Moses Lake has received $9.9 million to complete the Northern Columbia Basin Railroad Project, which expands rail access to vital industries in the northern Columbia Basin.
Specifically, the grant will assist the Port in building, expanding, and upgrading Columbia Basin Railroad lines around the Wheeler Industrial Corridor and industrial lands near Grant County International Airport as well as connect to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway mainline. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, the Columbia Basin Railroad is the busiest short line railroad in Eastern Washington.
The new and improved rail lines will help retain local manufacturers, provide opportunities for business expansion, and attract new industries. The project is expected to help generate around 13,000 new family-wage jobs throughout the Columbia Basin by increasing the efficiency of moving manufactured goods.
“Ensuring the Port of Moses Lake can expand rail infrastructure is critical to bolstering the area’s manufacturing industry, expanding economic opportunity, and creating good paying jobs,” Senator Cantwell said. “This project has capacity to create 13,000 new jobs in our region as a result of the increased efficiency of freight moving through the Columbia Basin. We will continue the work to improve our infrastructure to reduce delays in freight movement to continue to grow jobs and advance the Pacific Northwest’s leadership in the global economy.”
“This investment is great news for the Moses Lake community, and I commend the Port for submitting a strong application. This will further work that is already underway to spur economic growth and create jobs in central Washington. I am proud to fight to make sure the federal government does its part as we work at all levels to support investments in our infrastructure that make a real difference to families, workers, and communities in Washington state,” said Senator Murray.
“So many of the Port’s business development and job growth opportunities are tied to rail. That is why we appreciate the support of Senators Cantwell and Murray on this important grant application,” said Jeffrey Bishop, Executive Director of the Port of Moses Lake.
Both Senators Cantwell and Murray sent a letter of support to the U.S. Department of Transportation, asking them to fully fund the grant.
The $9.9 million award was made possible by a program created by Senator Cantwell, the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program (formerly known as FASTLANE). The grants provide funding for projects of national or regional significance that increase safety and reduce congestion, including railway, sea seaport, and highway projects, such as highway-rail separations.
The Port of Moses Lake award is the third INFRA grant in Washington state and the second highest dollar amount. In 2016, Senators Cantwell and Murray announced two INFRA grants in Washington state: $45 million for the City of Seattle to complete the South Lander Street grade separation and railroad safety project; and $5 million for the City of Tukwila to address the bottleneck of train, truck, and car traffic on Strander Boulevard.
Multimodal freight transportation is critical to Washington state’s economy, with 44 percent of Washington state jobs dependent on freight. For every billion dollars of freight investment, it is estimated that 20,000 jobs are created. The American Society of Civil Engineers has said that a failure to adequately invest in our infrastructure could cost the country more than 875,000 jobs.
Without targeted investment in our multimodal freight infrastructure, the United States could lose out to its Canadian competitors. Canada has dedicated $1.4 billion to upgrading its national freight network, specifically focused on the Pacific trade gateways.
PAGE 2: STATE & REGIONAL
From ferries to trains, Inslee looks for opportunities to partner with Japanese leaders on future projectsFrom the Governor's blog page
Posted 8/ 3/ 17
Gov. Jay Inslee met yesterday with Mr. Tadashi Maeda, the chairman of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, to discuss how JBIC could help with funding and investments in future infrastructure projects. Washington’s population and economic growth has spurred planning and discussion for significant new investments in transit, high speed rail, ferries, freight and cargo mobility at ports, and even rural broadband.
JBIC is a government-backed financial institution that provides low-interest rate loans to governments around the world. Inslee and Maeda signed a non-binding “memorandum of cooperation” that promotes further discussion about possible opportunities for partnerships between the state and JBIC. The MOC does not contain any specific funding proposals for individual projects.
AGO FILES CAMPAIGN FINANCE COMPLAINT AGAINST WASHINGTON & NORTH IDAHO DISTRICT COUNCIL OF LABORERS PAC
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 2/ 17
OLYMPIA —The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) filed a complaint in Thurston County Superior Court yesterday alleging campaign finance violations by the Washington & North Idaho Laborers Political Action Committee (the PAC). Specifically, the AGO asserts the committee failed to timely report a total of $350,855 in contributions and $226,600 in expenditures.
In May, the AGO received a Citizen Action Notice alleging multiple violations of the state’s public disclosure laws by the PAC.
After receiving the notice, AGO staff determined the PAC failed to timely file numerous reports of contributions received and expenditures made between 2013 and 2017.
Washington law requires political committees to regularly report information to the state Public Disclosure Commission about sources of contributions, starting with those over $25. Political committees must also regularly report information about their activities, including expenditures, debts and in-kind contributions.
Among the reporting deficiencies, the Washington & North Idaho Laborers PAC:
Failed to timely disclose $350,855 in contributions on 20 separate reports, ranging from 31 to 714 days late.
Failed to timely disclose $226,600 in expenditures made on 16 separate reports, ranging from nine to 352 days late.
By not timely reporting its contributions and expenditures, the committee inhibited the public’s right to know the source of the committee’s income and how it spent its funding.
The state seeks penalties and injunctive relief. The defendant will have 20 days from the date they are served to respond to the state’s complaint.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Linda Dalton is handling the case.
When the Attorney General’s Office receives a Citizen Action Notice, it has 45 days to investigate and respond to the citizen. If the Attorney General’s Office or local prosecutor does not initiate litigation, the individual may sue in the name of the state. If litigation is successful, any penalties awarded go to the state, and the individual’s attorney can recover attorney fees and costs. If the citizen’s litigation is unsuccessful, the defendant may recover attorney fees from the state.
The Attorney General’s Office enforces the state’s campaign finance disclosure law to ensure free, open and fair elections in Washington state. A summary of campaign finance case resolutions is available here.
Inslee, Kreidler & Ferguson statement on steps the Trump Administration must take to bolster health insurance markets
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 2/ 17
Gov. Jay Inslee, Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler and Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued the following statement regarding the need for action by the Trump Administration to maintain affordability and stability in health insurance markets.
“All lawmakers should be committed to working in a bipartisan manner to achieve needed improvements for our health care system. This should start with a commitment from President Trump that his administration will continue to pay the Affordable Care Act’s Cost-Sharing Reductions, in accordance with the law. This provision of the ACA was designed to help Americans afford their health insurance and is a crucial tool to maintaining healthy and robust insurance markets, and in protecting the tremendous gains Washington has made expanding access to higher quality and more affordable health care.
“We are pleased with the decision issued yesterday by a federal court that will allow Washington and other states to intervene in the legal defense of this vital provision of the ACA. And we believe that this decision makes clear that the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services is required by law to continue making these Cost-Sharing Reductions payments, until the challenge brought against them has been resolved by the courts.
“In the meantime, we join with Republican and Democratic lawmakers across the country in calling on President Trump to continue these payments. Anything less would amount to a deliberate and unconscionable sabotage of Americans’ health care, for political purposes.
“Finally, we are pleased that efforts in Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act have failed, and that U.S. Senate Republicans have now expressed a willingness to work with Democrats on bipartisan policy solutions to improve our nation’s health care system. Our state stands ready to engage in productive conversations towards that goal.”
Background:
Last year, more than 71,000 Washingtonians who enrolled in health insurance through the Washington Health Benefit Exchange had lower co-pays and deductibles because of the $65 million in cost-sharing payments insurers received from the federal government.
Yesterday Attorney General Bob Ferguson was one of 16 state attorneys general who were granted a motion to intervene by the Federal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in their bid to defend the authority and requirement that the federal government continue making payments of the CSRs. The Republican leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives had previously challenged the Obama Administration’s authority on CSR payments, in federal court, and the Trump Administration had sought to drop the legal defense of the provision and to discontinue the payments. Yesterday’s ruling allows the case to proceed in the courts.
Earlier today the bipartisan National Governors’ Association (NGA) issued a statement calling on President Trump to fully fund the ACA’s Cost-Sharing Reductions (CSRs) for the remainder of 2017 and 2018, calling it “a necessary step to stabilize the individual marketplaces in the short-term as Congress and the Administration address long-term reform efforts.”
Last month Inslee and Insurance Commissioner Kreidler called on Congress to the reject the latest proposal to repeal and replace the ACA, which eventually failed in the U.S. Senate. Inslee and Kreidler have urged Congress to instead develop bipartisan solutions to improve the nation’s health care system, and participated in the development of “Shared Priorities from the Governors’ Bipartisan Health Reform Learning Network,” convened by the NGA, which proposed a number of policy recommendations for the Congress to consider. These included fully funding Cost-Sharing Reductions, creation of a federal reinsurance program, and maintaining Medicaid Expansion.
LABOR & INDUSTRIES: Extreme temps this week dangerous for outdoor workers — beat the heat with these tips
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 2/ 17
Tumwater – With record-setting hot weather expected in much of the state this week, the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) urges employers and workers to take precautions to prevent heat-related illness.
Workers exposed to extreme heat may experience heat cramps, heat rash, heat exhaustion, fainting, nausea and other symptoms. Heat-related illness can rapidly escalate to heat stroke, which can be fatal.
Roofing, highway construction and agricultural work are just a few of the jobs across Washington in which workers are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses when temperatures rise.
People who work outdoors in hot weather should follow these five tips to beat the heat:
Drink a lot of water! Start work well hydrated and try to drink a cup every 15 minutes.
Keep an eye on your co-workers. Watch those working around you for signs of heat-related illness, including headaches, dizziness or nausea.
Don’t overdo it. Pace your work and take scheduled breaks in the shade.
Wear lightweight clothing and remove protective gear when it’s safe to do so.
Limit caffeine and avoid heavy meals.
Employers with workers who work outdoors must train employees and supervisors to recognize the symptoms of heat-related illness and the steps to take if someone shows symptoms. Employers are also required to provide plenty of water for workers, respond appropriately to any employee with symptoms of illness, and include heat-related-illness hazards in the company’s accident prevention program.
Along with the direct health effects of working in extreme heat, heat-related illness can contribute to injuries by causing workers to become fatigued, dizzy, confused or disoriented on the job. That can lead to falls, equipment operation accidents and other on-the-job incidents.
For more information, including tips to assist both workers and employers, visit Lni.wa.gov/Safety/Topics/AtoZ/heatstress.
PAGE 3: OUR PARKS, and Forest Report.
News stories focusing on our parks and forest.Cantwell Calls For Improved Firefighting Technology To Keep Firefighters Safe
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/3/17
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Maria Cantwell (D-WA) today called for new technology to help firefighters and community members battling blazes in Washington state and around the country.
“As of today 50% more acres have already burned this year than normal and yesterday a forecast report was released that predicted the west is likely to experience above normal wildfires over the next month. That shouldn’t surprise people because we know exactly what has been trending the last few years,” Senator Cantwell said.
Senator Cantwell announced she is working with Senator Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) on bipartisan legislation to give firefighters access to state-of-the-art technology to assist in firefighting around the country. “The prospective legislation would give firefighters access to tools like wildfire-mapping aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles, that generate real-time maps depicting where the fires are burning and GPS locators for fire crews. Taken together, mapping aircraft and GPS locators are referred to as the ‘Holy Grail’ of wildland firefighter safety.”
Senator Cantwell asked, “Why not combine these two technologies [real-time fire mapping and GPS locating] today to give our firefighters more safety and security as they deal with just these unbelievable conditions that can change so quickly?”
This is on the heels of other legislation that Senator Cantwell introduced in April to assist firefighters that were injured in the line-of-duty.
In previous hearings Senator Cantwell has fought to protect the safety of our firefighters. “Firefighters on the front lines and those who give their lives to protect us deserve fair treatment from their government,” Senator Cantwell said during a March hearing this year.
Also, in a March 2017 letter to President Trump Sen. Cantwell wrote, “Wildfires are serious business in the West … heed the current science to guide your policy decisions around addressing wildfires. Successfully addressing the wildfire problem will make our communities safer, our local economies stronger, our forests healthier, and our country greater.”
Sen. Cantwell has worked for years to pass bipartisan wildfire legislation. In 2015 she visited Washington state, holding a series of roundtables and listening sessions on best practices to fight wildfires, as well as a field hearing on the topic. In 2016 Sen. Cantwell proposed a science-based pilot program to improve communities’ ability to fight and protect themselves from the impacts of wildfires.
US INTERIOR DEPT: Secretary Zinke Recommends No Modifications to Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 2/ 17
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced Montana’s Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument is no longer under review and that he will recommend to the President that no modifications be made to the monument. The monument was under review in accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s April 26, 2017 executive order.
“Today I’m announcing the review of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument has concluded and I am recommending to the President that no changes be made to the monument,” said Secretary Ryan Zinke. “The monument is one of the only free-flowing areas of the Missouri that remains as Lewis and Clark saw it more than 200 years ago."
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument is located in central Montana, and was designated in 2001. The monument encompasses 378,000 acres, and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
DNR: State seeks new advisory committee member for Teanaway Community Forest
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 2/ 17
The Washington state departments of Natural Resources (DNR) and Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) are seeking applicants for a vacant position on their citizen-based Teanaway Community Forest Advisory Committee.
The 20-member advisory committee provides input to the agencies as they develop a recreation plan to guide long-term recreation opportunities and access for the community forest. The committee represents the interests of governments, communities and stakeholder groups and reflects the priorities of the broad cross-section of Washingtonians who cherish the forest. Scott Gray, Roslyn City Council member and mountain bike enthusiast, recently resigned after serving a two-year term, representing the Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and local community interests.
The departments will accept applications from interested citizens and nominations from organizations. To balance recreation interests on the committee, the agencies will prioritize individuals who belong to an organized mountain bike group (or who mountain bike) and live in Kittitas County. The new committee member will be expected to attend monthly meetings, typically held in Cle Elum, over the next two years.
The deadline to apply is Friday, Aug. 18. Applications and submission details are available on DNR’s website at dnr.wa.gov/Teanaway. Send completed applications with a resume to teanaway@dnr.wa.gov or by mail to 713 Bowers Road, Ellensburg, WA 98926, Attn: Larry Leach. For more information, contact Larry Leach, DNR Assistant Region Manager for State Lands, at 509-925-0924 or Mike Livingston, WDFW Regional Director, at 509-457-9325.
Teanaway Community Forest: An enduring partnership
The forest is managed through a partnership between DNR and WDFW, with input from the advisory committee, the local community and interested stakeholders. The plan will lay a foundation for the preservation and development of recreation opportunities consistent with watershed protection, the Teanaway Community Forest Management Plan and other priorities identified by state lawmakers.
The 2013 acquisition of the community forest lands was the single largest Washington state land transaction in 45 years and reflected more than a decade of collaboration.
The property is Washington’s first state-managed community forest under the terms of legislation enacted in 2011. That law empowers communities to partner with DNR to purchase forests to preserve land in danger of conversion, and to support local economies and public recreation.
Acquisition of the Teanaway was a key step in implementing the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan—an initiative developed by a coalition of public and private organizations to safeguard the basin’s water supply, restore fisheries, conserve habitat, preserve working lands and enhance recreational opportunities.
WDFW: Marine Area 9 salmon anglers limited to shoreline fishing July 31; Chinook retention closes
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/2/17
Action: Closes Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet) to chinook retention, and restricts salmon anglers to shoreline fishing only.
Effective Date: Effective 12:01 a.m., Monday, July 31, 2017
Species affected: Chinook salmon.
Location: Puget Sound, Marine Area 9 (Admiralty Inlet Area).
Reason for action: Preliminary estimates through Thursday indicate that anglers had caught 4,642 fish (83 percent) of the chinook quota of 5,599 fish for Marine Area 9. WDFW anticipates reaching the quota for this fishery by the end of the day Sunday. The changes to the chinook fishery are in compliance with conservation objectives and agreed-to management plans.
In addition, Marine Area 9 will remain open to salmon fishing only from the shoreline. Anglers will not be permitted to fish for salmon from a boat or other floating device starting Monday (July 31). The reason for this action is to protect expected low runs of wild coho and pink salmon returning to the Skagit and Stillaguamish rivers.
Other information: Beginning July 31, the daily limit will be 2 salmon; chum, chinook and wild coho must be released. The catch estimates and quotas for Marine Area 9 can be found at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/reports_plants.html.
For specific regulations, anglers should consult the 2017-18 Washington Sport Fishing Rules pamphlet available online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/
Information contact: Ryan Lothrop, (360) 902-2808 or Mark Baltzell, (306) 902-2807.
PAGE 4: WORLD & NATIONAL NEWS
UN NEWS CENTER: In South Sudan, UN peacekeeping chief pledges support to displaced civilians in Malakal
3 August 2017 – Having witnessed first-hand various security challenges and humanitarian efforts in South Sudan, the United Nations peacekeeping chief has wrapped up his three-day mission to the country, which included a visit to the UN Protection of Civilians site in Malakal, where he expressed the Organization's resolve to support the return to stability. (read more)
US STATE DEPT: Venezuela's Illegitimate National Constituent Assembly
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 3/ 17
The United States considers the Venezuelan National Constituent Assembly the illegitimate product of a flawed process designed by the Maduro dictatorship to further its assault on democracy.
The process was rigged from the start, from the irregular manner in which the election was decreed to the government’s refusal to permit voters to object to plans to rewrite the constitution. The balloting itself was further designed to fill the National Constituent Assembly with Maduro loyalists. In a country suffering from malnutrition, the regime threatened that those who did not vote would lose access to food, pension, or employment benefits. Finally, the election lacked credible international observation.
The United States will not recognize the National Constituent Assembly. As Secretary Tillerson said this week, “We are evaluating all our policy options (as) to what we can do to create a change of conditions, where either Maduro decides he does not have a future and wants to leave on his own accord, or we can return the government processes back to the constitution.”
NATIONAL
U.S. SECRETARY OF LABOR ACOSTA ENCOURAGES STATES TO REDUCE EXCESSIVE LICENSING
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED: 8/ 3/ 17
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. –Today, U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta encouraged state officials to partner together to reduce excessive licensing.
Excerpts from his remarks, as delivered, at the Western Governors' Association Workforce Development Workshop, are below:
I would like to ask for your leadership to reduce excessive licensing.
Today, more than 1,100 careers are licensed in at least one state.
More than 1 in 4 American workers now need a license to work in their chosen field.
First, the cost and complexity of licensing creates an economic barrier for Americans seeking a job, especially for those with fewer financial resources.
Second, excessive licensing creates a barrier for Americans that move from state to state. Geographic mobility is especially important for our economy.
And third, excessive licensing creates a barrier for Americans looking to leverage technology to expand their job opportunities.
Federal Reserve Board invites public comment on two proposals; corporate governance and rating system for large financial institutions
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 8/ 3/ 17
The Federal Reserve Board on Thursday requested public comment on a corporate governance proposal to enhance the effectiveness of boards of directors. The proposal would refocus the Federal Reserve's supervisory expectations for the largest firms' boards of directors on their core responsibilities, which will promote the safety and soundness of the firms.
Boards' core responsibilities include oversight of the types and levels of risk a firm may take and aligning the firm's business strategy with those risk decisions. Additionally, the proposal would reduce unnecessary burden for the boards of smaller institutions.
The corporate governance proposal is made up of three parts. First, it identifies the attributes of effective boards of directors, such as setting a clear and consistent strategic direction for the firm as a whole, supporting independent risk management, and holding the management of the firm accountable. For the largest institutions, Federal Reserve supervisors would use these attributes to inform their evaluation of a firm's governance and controls. Second, it clarifies that for all supervised firms, most supervisory findings should be communicated to the firm's senior management for corrective action, rather than to its board of directors. And third, the proposal identifies existing supervisory expectations for boards of directors that could be eliminated or revised.
The Board also requested public comment on a proposal to better align the Board's rating system for large financial institutions with the post-crisis supervisory program for these firms.
The current supervisory program for the largest firms was introduced in 2012 and sets higher standards to lower the probability of a firm's failure or material distress, and also reduce risks to U.S. financial stability. The proposed changes to the rating system will incorporate the regulatory and supervisory changes made by the Federal Reserve since 2012, which focus on capital, liquidity, and the effectiveness of governance and controls, including firms' compliance with laws and regulations. Supervisors would assess and assign confidential ratings in each of these categories.
The proposed rating system would only apply to large financial institutions, such as domestic bank holding companies and savings and loan holding companies with $50 billion or more in total consolidated assets, as well as the intermediate holding companies of foreign banking organizations operating in the United States.
Consistent with existing practice, the new rating system would not apply to insurance companies supervised by the Board. Firms with less than $50 billion in total consolidated assets, including community banks, would continue to use the current rating system, which reflects long-standing supervisory practices for those firms.
Daily Bible Verse: “Thus says the Lord who made it, the Lord who formed it to establish it (the Lord is His name): ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’
Jeremiah 33:2-3 NKJV
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