01/08/07 The 2007 Legislature

Washington Ag January 8, 2007 The Regular Session of the 2007 Legislature convenes today in Olympia. Heather Hansen, an agricultural lobbyist, says last November's election extended the Democrats control in both chambers giving them roughly a two-thirds majority. Hansen: "So it does make a big difference just in committee make up particularly in the House. They have restructured a lot of the committees so we will see different committees than we have seen in the past. Lots of changes in committee chairmen. Agriculture the last two years has been combined in with Economic Development and Trade. It has now been split off from Economic Development and Trade and combined in with Natural Resources. So we will see very different committee make ups than we've had before in the House. The Senate committees are more similar." The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee has a new Chairman this session, Brian Sullivan from Snohomish County. In the Senate Marilyn Rasmussen continues as Chairman of the Agriculture and Rural Economic Development Committee. The ranking Republican is Mark Shoesler of Ritzville. I'm Bob Hoff.