In The News
Zinke wants oil revenue to fund NPS backlog
by Brittany Patterson
A pair of ducks floated over a submerged sidewalk on a sunny day in East Potomac Park recently. The water isn't supposed to be there. But the 124-year-old cement sea wall encircling the park is crumbling. A nearby sea wall located just 4 miles from the Interior Department's headquarters in Washington is at the top of a long list of backlogged maintenance projects amounting to more than $11 billion. To make those fixes, the department's new secretary, Ryan Zinke, has called for additional offsh… Continue Reading
06.15.17
America's infrastructure project should start with parks
by Doug Pfeffer
As President Trump works on his pledge to repair America's crumbling infrastructure, here's a great place he can start: America's national parks. Preserving and maintaining these American treasures is something all of us, across party lines, can agree should be a top priority. As a veteran who served 20 years in the United States military and who now spends much of my free time in many gorgeous national parks near my Pacific Northwest home, I'm appealing to the President and Congress to step up… Continue Reading
06.15.17
EPA’s chief touts state partnerships and efficiency, despite bipartisan criticism of budget
by Meredith Somers
The Environmental Protection Agency sits front and center on the federal budget chopping block, but it might have found some unlikely fiscal allies. EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt appeared before members of the House committee to defend the White House's proposed $5.7 billion budget for EPA in fiscal 2018. That's a 31 percent cut from 2017 numbers. The coming fiscal year proposes 11,611 FTEs, a reduction of about 3,800 positions from last year. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), who sits on the House ap… Continue Reading
06.15.17
After 42 years, Port Angeles music teacher retires
by Eric Wilkinson
During the final rehearsal with his beloved orchestra Thursday, Ron Jones just couldn't resist. He put on a short, shocking blue bob wig and gave a "cha, cha, cha, cha" to a classroom full of howling students. "I think it was crazy hair day one day and he just stole it from a student and put it on, and it turned into something much bigger," said senior viola player Olivia Due. That signature blue wig is symbolic of a career that turned out to be something much bigger than expected, as well. … Continue Reading
06.15.17
Connelly: 'Which effort?' new EPA boss asks of Puget Sound cleanup
by Joel Connelly
Puget Sound generates thousands of jobs that depend on clean water, and it is folly for the Trump administration to propose a budget that "zeroes out" cleanup money, a Washington congressman told U.S. Environmental Protection Agencyboss Scott Pruitt on Thursday. Rep. Derek Kilmer, who represents the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas, took out after Pruitt at a House Appropriations Committee hearing. The proposed Trump budget "zeroes out" not only the $24 million currently spent on Puget Sound, but… Continue Reading
06.15.17
Herrera Beutler, Kilmer Reintroduce Bill to Fight Ocean Acidification
Washington state Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Derek Kilmer have reintroduced bipartisan legislation in Congress that aims to fight ocean acidification. House Resolution 2882, entitled the Ocean Acidification Innovation Act, would allow federal agencies to use existing funds to design prize competitions to increase the ability to manage, monitor and research ocean acidification and its impacts, according to a press release. The legislation is budget-neutral and was created in collaboration w… Continue Reading
06.14.17
American Space Commerce Free Enterprise Act of 2017 Clears Committee
The U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has unanimously approved H.R. 2809, the American Space Commerce Free Enterprise Act of 2017, and the bill now moves to the full U.S. House of Representatives for consideration. Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX), Space Subcommittee Chairman Babin (R-TX), Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK), and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) praised the bill's passage. "The United States space enterprise is positioned to take the lead in commercial space … Continue Reading
06.13.17
Congressman Kilmer hosts telephone town hall Wednesday
U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) will hold a telephone town hall this Wednesday, and residents of Washington's 6th District who want to ask questions or leave a message should sign up for the event by 3 p.m. Tuesday, June 13. The telephone town hall is 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 14. "It's important to me that I hear directly from the people I represent," said Kilmer, a Gig Harbor Democrat. "It's why in order to stay accountable and accessible every year I hold a series of town halls in per… Continue Reading
06.12.17
Insurers for individual health plans shut out Grays Harbor
by Dan Hammock
If you are one of the thousands in Grays Harbor County who rely on individual health insurance, you're likely worried by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler's announcement Thursday that as of the June 7 deadline not one insurance provider had signed up to offer that kind of insurance in the county for 2018. Monica Ewing, a health insurance expert at Durney Insurance in Hoquiam says that worry is legitimate. "They kind of do have a pretty legitimate reason to worry," she said. "Nothing will cha… Continue Reading
06.11.17
Parks: More funds will strengthen love affair
by Jerry Broadus
Re: "Spend more on national park upkeep," (TNT editorial, 6/1). Thanks to The News Tribune Editorial Board and Congressmen Derek Kilmer and Dave Reichert for speaking up for our national parks. We at the Tahoma Audubon Society greatly value our nearby access to some of our country's most spectacular national parks - places where families can enjoy the outdoors and discover many of our favorite birds. Many people have their first significant outdoor experience in a national park. These experien… Continue Reading
06.11.17
She led the revitalization of Tacoma. The city's 'grande dame' died Saturday
by Craig Hill
She was the "grand dame of Tacoma." Dawn Lucien, a civic activist key in the rebirth of downtown Tacoma in the 1990s, died Saturday. She was 91 years old. "She takes pride in the city and the city certainly can take pride in her," her son Eric Olson said Sunday evening. Lucien lead efforts to save the Murray Morgan Bridge when it was a candidate for demolition and to establish the University of Washington Tacoma. Lucien was president of a group that led the effort to establish UWT in a serie… Continue Reading
06.09.17
Insurers for individual health plans shut out Grays Harbor
by Dan Hammock
If you are one of the thousands in Grays Harbor County who rely on individual health insurance, you're likely worried by Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler's announcement Thursday that as of the June 7 deadline not one insurance provider had signed up to offer that kind of insurance in the county for 2018. Monica Ewing, a health insurance expert at Durney Insurance in Hoquiam says that worry is legitimate. "They kind of do have a pretty legitimate reason to worry," she said. "Nothing will cha… Continue Reading
06.09.17
Health insurers may abandon 2 Washington counties
by Natalie Brand
Health insurers have threatened to pull out of two Washington state counties, potentially leaving thousands of people enrolled in the individual market in limbo. Washington state's insurance commissioner says, so far, no health insurers have filed plans in Grays Harbor and Klickitat counties ahead of the deadline to submit plans for 2018. Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler blames continued uncertainty over the future of the Affordable Care Act, as well as destabilization of the insurance m… Continue Reading
06.09.17
Spectrum: Parks face a mounting challenge
New Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, the person now in charge of the bulk of the nation's public lands, visited Alaska and Denali over Memorial Day weekend. It was a chance for him to start to understand Alaska and Alaska's national parks, which are some of the best places and biggest spaces in the world. They are also an enormous economic engine for this state. In 2016, there were 2.8 million visits to Alaska's national parks, and parks were a destination for a vast majority … Continue Reading
06.09.17
Strong NSF Funding Favored by House Spending Committee
by Randy Showstack
Members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, made it clear at a congressional hearing on Wednesday that they are not happy about the Trump administration's proposal to decrease funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF), and they plan to do something about it. The subcommittee "is going to work arm in arm to ensure that NSF is appropriately funded and we preserve American leadership in scientific research," said Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas), chair of the House Appropriations Su… Continue Reading
06.08.17
Officials: Federal program for air service unlikely for Port Angeles
by Jesse Major
PORT ANGELES - It would take either an act of God or an act of Congress for commercial air service to return to Port Angeles, Port of Port Angeles Commissioner Steve Burke said when he announced his candidacy for the port in April. Now an act of Congress seems unlikely as U.S. Rep Derek Kilmer's office has made it clear the federal Essential Air Service program wasn't an option, port officials said. It's a federal program that subsidizes airlines providing airline service to rural communities,… Continue Reading
06.08.17
Trade groups, lawmakers oppose Trump proposal to sell transmission assets
by Jeannine Anderson
On June 6, the American Public Power Association and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association sent a letter to Energy Secretary Rick Perry expressing "our strong opposition" to the proposal in President Trump's fiscal year 2018 budget request to sell the transmission assets of three power marketing administrations, or PMAs. The budget request, released on May 23, proposes to divest the transmission assets of the Southwestern Power Administration, Western Area Power Administration, and… Continue Reading
06.08.17
Smith Introduces American Space Commerce Free Enterprise Act of 2017
by Doug Messier
WASHINGTON (House Science Committee PR) - U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) today introduced H.R. 2809, the American Space Commerce Free Enterprise Act of 2017. The American Space Commerce Free Enterprise Act of 2017 simplifies and strengthens the outdated space-based remote sensing regulatory system. At the same time, this bill enhances U.S. compliance with international obligations, improves national security and removes regulatory barriers fac… Continue Reading
06.07.17
Kilmer talks federal budget, Paris accord in Olympic Peninsula News Group interview
Democrats and Republicans in Congress should hash out their own budget rather than using President Donald Trump's "unserious" budget as a starting point, said U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer. Kilmer, a Democrat living in Gig Harbor who represents the 6th Congressional District - which includes the North Olympic Peninsula - also said that Trump's withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Climate Accord is a "failure of leadership." Kilmer made his comments during an interview Friday with journalist… Continue Reading
06.07.17
Citizens, first responders prepare for a great shake
by Michael Dashiell
If and when the "big one" hits, Clallam County Fire District 3 Chief Ben Andrews says, Sequim and its surrounding communities will be much more prepared than they were a year ago. A crowd of community residents who are part of CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) joined first responders - in all, about 200 - on Saturday in Sequim, in what local emergency preparedness leaders call the first-of-its-kind earthquake response training. See a video of the training courtesy of KSQM's Ed Evans he… Continue Reading