March 14, 2014

As we "spring" forward...

 
March 14, 2014 space
Friend, 

It looks like spring is just around the corner here in Washington State as well as in Washington D.C. You may have heard of the well-known Cherry Blossom Festival, drawing thousands to D.C. from late March through early April – we’re expecting over 250 constituents in our office alone. It’s a terrific time (though murder on the allergies). Please let me know if you and your family will be out visiting Washington D.C. and my office will do all we can to make sure you enjoy your visit.

As well as looking forward to much-needed warmer weather, I also want to look back at a great couple of weeks we just had. I want to thank each and every one of those who attended my “When Women Succeed, America Succeeds” event last Friday, March 7th. In addition to Tacoma Mayor Marilyn Strickland, over 80 community members attended to discuss enhancing economic opportunities for women. We had great resources available regarding financial security, food and nutrition, childcare, job training, higher education, and housing. Thanks to all who participated.

Ever hear the phrase, “There’s an app for that?” There are now applications for phones and computers that enable you to do nearly everything – from counting calories to learning languages to playing games to planning a trip. My daughters even have apps to let them dress “virtual barbies” and work on their reading, spelling, and math. As we look down the road, app development provides great career opportunities for young people. This past Monday and Wednesday, we held two workshops at UWT for students to learn more about app design, as the House App Design Contest is now open for entries. I hope you spread the word to any star students you know of interested in computer science or app design and encourage them to participate. I can’t wait to see the ideas our students come up with - entries are due April 30th. More info: 
http://kilmer.creativengine.com/house-app-contest 

An Interesting Science and Technology Committee Hearing 
I attended a hearing in Science and Technology last week regarding the use of technology to protect Americans from cyber-attacks. I heard some interesting ideas about ways to encourage industry to have stronger cyber security tactics. I found this information very timely as we head toward the cyber summit next month in Tacoma. I’ve included a link to the video of me asking questions in the hearing for you to check out: Science and Technology Committee Hearing Video Clip 
 

 
The Supreme Court, Corporations, and You - Citizens United Event

Four years ago, the Supreme Court issued a decision called Citizens United. That decision had serious ramifications on campaign finance (allowing unlimited spending by Super PACs and mega-donors), and on our democracy. On Tuesday, March 18th, I’ll be discussing that decision and how it affects you. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to attend a presentation at Olympic College next week where I’ll be joined by David Nelson, editor of the Kitsap Sun, and several other members of the community to speak on various aspects of the issue. Please join us at 7pm on Tuesday, March 18th at the Bremer Student Center at Olympic College, 1600 Chester Ave, Bremerton.

Service Academy Information Night

I also hope you can make it out to the Service Academy Information Night I’m hosting next Wednesday, March 19th.  I’m excited to get the word out about this exciting opportunity to students in our region who are considering a top-tier education with service to our nation in our armed forces. Service Academy representatives will be in attendance at the event. It will be held from 6pm – 8pm at the Foss High School Auditorium at 2112 S Tyler St in Tacoma 

Thanks as always for reading and don’t hesitate to reach out if I or my office can be helpful to you. I’m honored to work for you. 

Sincerely, 
Derek Kilmer