Basin Panel Open To Adding Vote From Washington
The state of Washington does not have a voting member on the Coeur d’Alene Basin Commission, but that could change.
“That’s probably something that should be raised,” Richard Panabaker said Tuesday after the commission’s monthly meeting. “We have no problem with someone being a voting member, but apparently it’s not legal.”
Since an act of the Legislature created the commission, lawmakers would have to approve the addition of a member from another state. Panabaker said the issue could be raised in the commission’s February report to the Legislature and Gov. Dirk Kempthorne.
Former Gov. Phil Batt recognized the interest of the people downstream who could be affected by mining pollution via the Spokane River. Late last year, he invited Spokane County Commissioner Kate McCaslin to serve as an ex-officio, or nonvoting, member.
McCaslin hasn’t attended basin commission meetings, however, because they’ve been held on Tuesdays and conflicted with county commission meetings.
At Tuesday’s meeting, the basin commissioners decided to meet next on Wednesday, Feb. 24, in part to accommodate McCaslin’s schedule.
Last August, Batt invited Washington Gov. Gary Locke and Sen. Slade Gorton to submit the names of potential commission members. In his response, Locke raised concerns about the nonvoting status.
“In conversations with Tony Grover, the Washington Department of Ecology’s Eastern regional Director, Jim Yost of your office had indicated that consideration is being given to include Washington as a voting member of the Commission. In my view, further discussion of this proposal would be helpful on potential appointees.”
That was the governors’ final correspondence on the matter, according to a Locke spokeswoman.
Representatives of the Lands Council, a Spokane-based conservation group, have protested Washington’s lack of a voting member.
McCaslin said she thinks it will be valuable to participate even if she can’t vote.
“Regardless, I think it’s always great to have input from both sides of the state line.”
Staff writer Julie Titone can be reached at (208) 765-7126, or by e-mail at juliet@spokesman.com.