Chase to represent Washington in the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region Delegate Council

July, 20, 2009

OLYMPIA—Speaker of the House Frank Chopp has selected State Rep. Maralyn Chase (D-Shoreline) to represent Washington as a delegate to the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER), a U.S.-Canadian forum that promotes economic development and sustainable environmental stewardship in the great Northwest.

Chase joins Gov. Chris Gregoire, Sens. Paull Shin (D-Edmonds) and Cheryl Pflug (R-Maple Valley) and Rep. Glenn Anderson (R-Fall City) as the Washington members on the PNWER Delegate Council.

"I'm excited to be a voice for Washington in PNWER," said Chase, who represents the 32nd District in the House of Representatives. "The future of our economy and way of life will depend whether we're able to think beyond borders and party politics to our shared interests, and PNWER is an ideal vehicle for that kind of thinking at the regional level.

PNWER is made up of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and Western Canada, including Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and the Yukon Territory. It was created in 1991 by legislative action in each of the member jurisdictions.

"Maralyn's appointment will be good for PNWER and for Washington," said state Rep. Jeff Morris (D-Mount Vernon), a past President of PNWER who is now the Speaker Pro Tem of the Washington State House of Representatives. "Her expertise in energy, trade, labor and small business issues will be extremely helpful given the nature of the challenges facing our region now and in the years ahead."

The U.S. Pacific Northwest and Western Canada region is among the fastest growing regions of North America, with more than 20 million people and more than $700 billion in gross regional product. The regional organization's web site states that if PNWER were a nation, it would rank 11th among the world's leading industrial economies.

"PNWER will be crucial to our state's ability to generate high-paying jobs in an increasingly competitive global economy," Chase said.

Washington exported more than $9 billion of goods and services to Canada last year and there is still enormous untapped potential in the trading relationship, according to Chase, who chairs the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Trade Policy in the state Legislature.

PNWER is unique in featuring public and private sector collaboration on emerging issues. In 2009, public- and private-sector leaders are co-chairing more than a dozen PNWER working groups on issues ranging from interactions between energy development and climate change to homeland security, economic recovery and cross-border forestry and agriculture issues.

The Delegate Council where Chase will serve includes the governors or premiers and four legislators from each jurisdiction and is responsible for coordinating regional agendas. Prior to her recent appointment as a full delegate, Chase served as an alternate to the Delegate Council.

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On the web:
Pacific Northwest Economic Regions: http://pnwer.org/