Tharinger picked to chair House committee

Published 3:18 pm Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Reps. Steve Tharinger and Kristine Lytton were selected last week to fill chairman vacancies for two budget-related state House of Representatives committees.

Tharinger (D-Dungeness) will chair the Capital Budget Committee, filling a vacancy left by Rep. Hans Dunshee, who was appointed House Appropriations Committee chairman. Among other things, the Capital Budget Committee reviews requests for public building construction and repair and land acquisitions. It also considers funding to nonprofits and local governments that provide housing and other infrastructure needs.

“I’m honored my caucus chose me for the position,” Tharinger said. “Coming from local government, I understand how important the state’s capital budget is in building infrastructure like schools and creating jobs in communities throughout the state.”

Lytton (D-Anacortes) will transition into the Finance Committee role based on a series of elections and appointments that could leave the spot open at the start of the next legislative session. The Finance Committee handles state and local revenues, including tax rates, tax exemptions and administration of the state’s tax code.

Lytton, who serves on the governor’s McCleary plan work group to develop a K-12 funding plan as mandated by the Supreme Court, said her education funding experience meshes well with the job of Finance chairman.

“I’m pleased Kris and Steve are chairing these committees,” House Speaker Frank Chopp said. “Their backgrounds and experiences make them well-suited to these jobs. Running fiscal committees is hard, complex work. I know they will serve the House and Washington state well.”