OLYMPIA - Washington State House Republicans Mike Steele, R-Chelan, and Keith Goehner, R-Dryden, recently received their committee assignments for the upcoming 2021 legislative session. Both 12th District legislators were selected to take the lead as ranking members on at least one committee.
Steele has been appointed to serve as the lead Republican on the House Capital Budget Committee, which considers funding for the construction and repair of public buildings and for other long-term investments, such as land acquisitions and transfers.
“It’s an honor to take on this leadership role for one of our state’s budgets,” said Steele. “The long-term infrastructure investments made by this committee, especially during these challenging times, will help our communities to recover, grow, and thrive. I look forward to working with the other committee members to create an effective plan for our state.”
In addition, Steele will serve as a member of the House Education and Appropriations Committees.
“Our state has experienced devastating losses due to the pandemic. We’re approaching more than 10 months of no in-person instruction for students, and the coronavirus continues to pose serious economic risks and uncertainty, both nationally and in our state. I welcome the opportunity to work with my fellow legislators to navigate our way through these critical issues,” continued Steele.
Goehner has been selected as the lead Republican on the , which considers issues relating to the operations and financing of counties, cities and some special purpose districts. It also considers proposals related to local government open meeting and public records obligations; and the administration of local land use, zoning, building, energy and health codes.
“Spending 16 years as a Chelan County Commissioner gives me a strong perspective on how our local entities view issues such as state agency rulemaking, performance audits and elections at the local level. I am pleased to be the Republican lead as these issues come before us,” said Goehner, R-Dryden. “I look forward to bringing more attention to the challenges of our local governments including unfunded mandates, such as indigent defense, and rules and regulations imposed by state agencies.”
In addition to Local Government, Goehner will serve on the House Environment and Energy Committee.
“I was appointed to this committee last year and am excited to be selected for this committee assignment again. With the importance of the abundant, low-cost power in our region, it is great opportunity to be involved in energy and environmental policy coming out of the Legislature,” said Goehner.
The committee considers issues relating to the Growth Management Act, Shoreline Management Act, air quality, climate change, renewable energy standards and energy availability.
Goehner will also serve on the Transportation Committee.
“Our region continues to grow and transportation and traffic relief are a high priority for North Central Washington and Washington state. Maintaining our roadways allows the safe and efficient delivery of goods and services we use daily. I look forward to being part of the committee as we discuss solutions and policy issues to improve our transportation system,” said Goehner.
The 2021 legislative session is scheduled to begin on Jan. 11 and convene for 105 days.
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