OLYMPIA – The 2007 legislative session kicks off today with ceremonies and speeches, but may turn nasty when a hearing is held to let farmers vent their concerns with state government.
New and re-elected members of the House of Representatives and Senate will be sworn in at noon.
House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, and Speaker Pro Tempore John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, will address their chamber, while Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, will be among those speaking to that body.
When senators finish their pomp, members including newly elected Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, will spend the afternoon celebrating with their families and putting the finishing touches on arrangements in their offices.
After the festivities, it’s off to work for many in the House of Representatives. Many are scheduled for committee hearings starting at 3:30 p.m.
Washington farmers will be one of the first groups sitting down with legislators in a meeting of the House Agriculture &Natural Resources Committee. The panel is chaired by Rep. Brian Sullivan, D-Mukilteo.
Farmers will likely resume last year’s tussle on property rights and eminent domain, and revisit issues raised in the heated campaign on Initiative 933. The measure sought reforms to the state Growth Management Act, and voters rejected it
Also on the schedule Monday is the House Health Care &Wellness Committee, which will begin to tackle two of this session’s key issues – health coverage for all children and Medicare prescription drug benefits.
Tuesday, state senators will be in hearings on education, another of the major topics for the session.
At 5 p.m., the 98 representatives and 49 senators will convene in the House Chambers to hear Gov. Chris Gregoire deliver her State of the State address.
This week’s events will be a small taste of what is expected throughout the rest of the 105-day session.
With Democrats holding a strong majority and major issues like education, health care and a projected budget surplus on the table, today’s airing of farmer grievances should prove to be but the tip of the iceberg of action in 2007.
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