Legislature Story Proposals

1. The House Bill 1096, which is aimed at "enhancing small business participation in state purchasing" will require the Department of General Administration to develop procedures that give a "7 percent bidding preference to small business bidders in the state's purchasing of goods and services." This also applies to higher education institutions, like WSU. It would be interesting to see if WSU would be contracting businesses from the Pullman area or from the west side. I would like to see how this bill will impact the relationship between government entities and small businesses.

2. Senate Bill 5639 addresses the Energy Efficiency Assistance Program that is being created within the Energy Office at WSU. This program must coordinate with the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED). CTED is traditionally responsible for contracing weatherization projects. This program will provide grants and technical assistance for commercial buildings buildings with less than $1 million annual revenue in the past five years. It also helps to maximize the CTED program assistance for low-and-middle-inome households. I would like to look at how this program will operate at WSU and what it will mean for Pullman households.

3. Senate Bill 5252 addresses the distribution of pharmaceuticals in correctional facilities(like jails). Jails are authorized to provide medicatiosn for inmates by trained personnel. I would like to look at what this bill looks like in the Whitman County Jail and how they deal with adminstering pharmaceuticals and medical care to inmates.