House speaker addresses Tri-City issues

By Chris Mulick, Herald Olympia bureau

Tri-City Herald, February 23, 2008

OLYMPIA -- House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, defended dams, pledged to move on water policy reform and fielded questions on various legislative priorities Friday during lobby day activities for a delegation of Tri-City business and community leaders.

The House just released its budget proposal this week and plans call for voting it off the floor Monday, the same day the Senate introduces its version. While the House plan did assume approval of a tax break for a proposed polysilicon plant proposed for Wallula, it did not assume passage of plans to expand a tax break for some Hanford contractors or provide additional money to the Hanford Reach Interpretive Center.

"We just cannot get there on some of these things this year," Chopp said, referring to a recent downturn in revenue projections that has lawmakers staring at a possible deficit a year from now.

The budget also included a cut that could jeopardize Washington State University Tri-Cities' plans to hire a big-name researcher to lead the university's developing bioproducts program, which will be centered at the Richland campus.

"I think that could be potentially fixed," Chopp said.

"We are going to work on getting that back in," said Rep. Bill Grant, a Walla Walla Democrat who appeared with Chopp.

In his opening remarks Chopp said he plans to convene a work group to reach agreement on loosening the state's use-it-or-lose-it water laws. Irrigators argue it encourages waste, though environmentalists like having a tool designed to return unused water to rivers.

Though there's been willingness to take up the issue talks always have been linked with other controversial water issues, such as setting and achieving stream flow targets for fish.

"How many years have you been arguing about water relinquishment?" Chopp asked the group. "To a city boy like me, it's insanity, the way it works."

Chopp also was asked for his thoughts on dam breaching.

"I love dams," Chopp said. "My dad was an electrician. We used to go camping next to them so I could tour them. The last thing I want is to have them torn out.

"Is that pretty clear?" he asked to applause.