Yesterday a group of business leaders traveled to Olympia to present a letter to Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and Rep. Judy Clibborn, Chair of the House transportation committee requesting budget support for the Columbia River Crossing (CRC) project. The letter, signed by the Presidents and Board Chairs of Identity Clark County, the Columbia River Economic Development Council and the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, requests inclusion of the CRC in the State’s $3.6 billion transportation package.
Representing the three organizations were Tim Schauer, Chair the GVCC board; Paul Montague, President of Identity Clark County; Ginger Metcalf immediate past President of Identity Clark County and Eric Fuller, immediate past-Chair of the CREDC.
In an effort to leave a lasting impression, the group brought “CRC” 1.75” lapel buttons to reinforce the reason for testifying.
Appearing before both the Senate and House transportations committee the local group had only 6 minutes allotted to them to make their case at the house committee hearing and 8 minutes in front of the Senate committee.
According to Paul Montague of ICC, the Clark County group was the only group from around the state who testified before both groups requesting inclusion of a project in this year’s transportation budget package. While most of the committee members were non-committal the group felt welcomed by both of the committee chairs. At one point Rep Clibborn, Chair of the House committee reminded her committee that the Clark County group’s testimony was exactly what they had asked for.
