Undeterred by lawmakers’ rejection of her aerospace council, Gov. Chris Gregoire is taking matters into her own hands today.
This morning, Gregoire is signing an executive order to create an advisory council on aerospace here in Washington. The move comes after a state-funded competitiveness study found Washington lags behind others when it comes to keeping its aerospace base.
The governor floated her council idea during the legislative session, but lawmakers failed to take action not only on the council but also on an aerospace institute.
Some lawmakers worry that the Boeing Co. may look elsewhere to locate a second production line for its 787 Dreamliner. If that happens, they fear the aerospace company will be on its way out of Washington state for good.
Boeing’s Scott Carson gave politicians something to think about last fall when he told them “ location is a choice.”
The aerospace industry’s agenda for this session included making unemployment insurance rates more affordable for businesses.
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