WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Wylie elected Vice Chair of Government Accountability Committee

State Rep. Sharon Wylie returns to begin her second term in the House of Representatives but, no longer a rookie, she will now serve as Vice Chair of the new Government Accountability and Oversight Committee.

“Creating this new committee is directly responsive to taxpayer concerns, and the opportunity to serve as vice chair fits my background in management consulting and my interest in focusing on efficiencies and cost-savings. Although state government has undergone significant changes due to budget constraints, the effort must be ongoing,” said Wylie.

The new committee, which will benefit from Wylie’s administrative skills, will deal with issues relating to the organization and structure of state government, lean management, and fiscal and performance audits of state government programs and agencies.  The committee will also consider issues relating to the regulation and oversight of liquor, tobacco, gambling and marijuana.

The Vancouver Democrat will continue serving on the Higher Education Committee where she will focus on increasing access to the state’s community colleges and universities, as well as looking at governance, financial aid, tuition, distance learning, and licensing issues.

Likewise, she remains in the reconfigured Technology and Economic Development Committee, which considers issues relating to technology and electronic communications, business assistance and financing, and the development of industry clusters, international trade and technology-driven “green” jobs.

“My work with the Department of Enterprise Services last session resulted in more than a million dollars of savings in a short time. I will build on that experience in improving how the state serves our residents. Having a leadership role on the Government Accountability and Oversight Committee will enable me to save money internally, while my work on the Technology and Economic Development and Higher Education Committees will focus on long term, sustainable jobs,” Wylie said.  “Too many Washingtonians want to learn and work hard, and the state has a clear obligation and ability to help every one of them.”