Clark College Legislative Breakfast: Spending priorities among big issues

Clark College officials met with legislators and legislators-elect at the second annual Clark College Legislative Breakfast on Monday morning at the campus, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way.

The breakfast was not a public event, but was by invitation only. Clark College participants included members of the board of trustees, student government representatives, deans and the head of the faculty union, said Chato Hazelbaker, Clark College spokesman.

Speaking on behalf of Clark College were President Bob Knight, Rekah Strong, chair of the board of trustees, and student Bryce Rupp on behalf of the Associated Students of Clark College. Participants spent about 30 minutes with legislators talking about their legislative priorities, Hazelbaker said.

Budgets and spending priorities are expected to be the big issues in Olympia this session as the Legislature attempts to meet a mandate of the state Supreme Court to vastly increase funding for K-12 education. Clark College is a state-funded community college.

Elected officials who attended were Reps. Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver; Paul Harris, R-Vancouver; Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver; Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama; Liz Pike, R-Camas; Brandon Vick, R-Vancouver; and Sens. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, and Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver.

Two newly elected state representatives also attended: Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver; and Gina McCabe, R-Goldendale.

Schuyler Hoss, Gov. Jay Inslee’s regional representative for Southwest Washington, also attended.

Before Clark College’s first legislative breakfast in November 2013, members of the college’s board of trustees and student government representatives went to Olympia each January to meet with legislators. State legislators met with other entities Monday, including the school board of Battle Ground Public Schools, as they prepare for the 2015 session, which starts in less than seven weeks.