Moeller adds Transportation
to his list of committee assignments

Vancouver lawmaker also keeps positions on
Rules, Health Care & Wellness, and Commerce & Labor

OLYMPIA – With the 2009 Legislature less than a month away from its opening gavel, state Rep. Jim Moeller can already count on an even more intense workload than years past.

Moeller, D-Vancouver, has been named to a seat on the House Transportation Committee. He said the pivotal road, bridge and highway-safety panel “will be particularly important in the coming years because of our renewed state and national emphasis on upgrading our outmoded transportation infrastructure.”

“The Transportation Committee, for example, will certainly play a key role in our state and regional work to build a new, higher-capacity Interstate 5 bridge across the Columbia River,” said the 49th Legislative District lawmaker, who was just recently re-elected to a fourth legislative term.

Moeller also won reappointment to his position on the powerful House Rules Committee, which reviews – and schedules for House floor action – bills that have been approved by the policy and fiscal committees.
“The huge revenue shortfall will naturally take up a big share of the media attention from Olympia this session,” Moeller said. “But many additional issues are also clamoring for our attention in other legislative committees.”

He will also keep his seats on the House Health Care & Wellness Committee, and the House Commerce & Labor Committee.

A health-care professional for more than 25 years, Moeller said the health committee examines issues involving physical and mental health-care services, including strategies for promoting a healthier Washington population. Licensing issues and regulation of health-care facilities also take up a big part of the health committee’s agenda.

The Commerce & Labor Committee studies matters ranging from workers’ compensation, to unemployment insurance, to collective bargaining, to laws involving wages and working conditions.

Moeller will continue his House-leadership work as the Deputy House Speaker Pro Tempore in the upcoming legislative session, which convenes Monday morning, January 12.

Further, he also serves as co-chair of the Joint Committee on Veterans & Military Affairs.