December 21, 2006

OLYMPIA… Senate Republicans today elected Sen. Dale Brandland, R-Whatcom County, to continue serving on the Senate Ways and Means committee and as ranking member on its capital budget subcommittee. Brandland was also named to the Senate Human Services and Corrections, and Early Learning and K-12 committees.

“Last year, I joined the capital budget subcommittee in the middle of the biennium,” Brandland said. “This year, I’m looking forward to working on setting the budget from start to finish.”

The capital budget is used to build, repair and improve state-owned buildings, public schools, public lands and parks. This budget is separate from the operating budget (general fund).

“The capital budget is the bricks and mortar budget and what that means is that people go to work,” Brandland added. “We’re putting people to work with this budget, and it’s a big economic development tool.”

Brandland said he is also looking forward to jumping into the issue of education, which he believes will be an important topic for the upcoming session. Brandland commits himself to visiting all of the school districts in the 42nd District each year and says he will take what he hears at the schools into committee meetings.

Last month, Brandland was elected by his Senate Republican colleagues to also serve as Republican whip.