Washington

Eastern Washington residents can follow the actions of their Legislature more easily than ever, and they don’t have to drive across the state and over a mountain pass to do it.

With a cable television hookup or a decent Internet connection, you can watch live discussions in some committee hearings and some floor debates on TVW, the state’s answer to C-Span. With just one channel, TVW can only broadcast one event at a time, but the system’s website at www.tvw.org videotapes most other hearings and floor debates and makes them available in the archives.

You can find information about any bill if you know its number, title or subject matter. The Legislature’s website offers several search engines. If you know the number, the bill information site easiest to use is at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/. For a broader search, use the legislative search at http://search.leg.wa.gov/pub/textsearch/default.asp – but be sure to specify whether you’re looking for a bill in this session, a statute or an administrative rule.

Both parties in both houses have websites where they offer their takes on policies and politics, complete with video or photos. Senate Democrats can be found at www.sdc.wa.gov; Senate Republicans at http://src.leg.wa.gov; House Democrats at www.housedemocrats.wa.gov and House Republicans at http://houserepublicans.wa.gov.

The number of newspaper reporters covering the Legislature has dropped in recent years, although The Spokesman-Review, Everett Herald, Seattle Times, Tacoma News Tribune and Daily Olympian still have full-time staffs, with coverage on their websites.

Meanwhile, the number of bloggers has increased. Among the blogs covering legislative events are

• Spin Control, this newspaper’s political blog, at www.spokesman.com/blogs.spincontrol.

• TVW’s blog by its reporting staff, at www.tvw.org/capitolrecord.

• The Washington State Wire has regular reports from Olympia at www.washingtonstatewire.com.

• Publicola bills itself as “Seattle’s News Elixir” but covers legislative action at http://publicola.com.

3rd Legislative District

(Central Spokane, including downtown, Browne’s Addition, West Central, East Central, Logan, lower South Hill and Hillyard)

Senate

Lisa Brown, D-Spokane

Office: 307 Legislative Building,

Mailing address: P.O. Box 40403, Olympia, WA 98504

Olympia phone: (360) 786-7604

e-mail: Brown.Lisa@leg.wa.gov

Website: www.senatedemocrats.wa.gov/ senators/brown/

House

Timm Ormsby, D-Spokane

Olympia office: 122G Legislative Building

Mailing address: P.O. Box 40600, Olympia WA 98504

Olympia phone: (360) 786-7946

E-mail: Ormsby.Timm@leg.wa.gov

Website: www.housedemocrats.wa.gov/ roster/rep-timm-ormsby/

Andy Billig, D-Spokane

Olympia office: 203 Building E

Mailing address: P.O. Box 40600, Olympia WA 98504

Olympia phone: (360) 786-7888

E-mail: Billig.Andy@leg.wa.gov

Website: www.housedemocrats.wa.gov/ roster/rep-andy-billig/

4th District

(Eastern Spokane County, covering most of the Spokane Valley north to the Pend Oreille County line)

Senate

Bob McCaslin

McCaslin has retired. His replacement will be named by Spokane County commissioners in coming weeks.

House

Larry Crouse, R-Spokane Valley

Olympia office: 425A Legislative Building

Mailing address: P.O. Box 40600, Olympia WA 98504

Olympia phone: (360) 786-7820

E-mail address: Crouse.Larry@leg.wa.gov

Website: www.leg.wa.gov/house/ representatives/Pages/crouse.aspx

Matt Shea, R-Spokane Valley

Olympia office: 101 Building G

Mailing address: P.O. Box 40600, Olympia WA 98504

Olympia phone: (360) 786-7984

E-mail address: Shea.Matthew@leg.wa.gov

Website: houserepublicans.wa.gov/ members/Matt-shea/

6th District

(Parts of south and northwest Spokane city and adjoining suburbs, including Whitworth, Indian Trails, the South Hill, Moran Prairie and parts of the West Plains.)

Senate

Michael Baumgartner, R-Spokane

Olympia office: 201 Irv Newhouse Building

Mailing address: P.O. Box 40406, Olympia, WA 98504

Olympia phone: (360) 786-7610

E-mail address: Baumgartner.Michael@leg.wa.gov

Website: www.senaterepublicans.wa.gov/ baumgartner/

House

Kevin Parker, R-Spokane

Olympia office: 110 Building G

Mailing address: P.O. Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504

Olympia phone: (360) 786-7922

E-mail address: Parker.Kevin@leg.wa.gov

Website: houserepublicans.wa.gov/ members/Kevin-parker/

John Ahern, R-Spokane

Olympia office: 102 Building G

Mailing address: P.O. Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504

Olympia phone: (360) 786-7962

E-mail address: Ahern.John@leg.wa.gov

Website: houserepublicans.wa.gov/ members/John-ahern/

7th District

(Ferry, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille and Stevens counties and northern parts of Spokane County)

Senate

Bob Morton, R-Kettle Falls

Olympia office: 115D Irv Newhouse Building

Mailing address: P.O. Box 40407, Olympia, WA 98504

Olympia phone: (360) 786-7612

E-mail address: Morton.Bob@leg.wa.gov

Website: www.senaterepublicans.wa.gov/ morton/

House

Joel Kretz, R-Wauconda

Olympia office: 335A Legislative Building

Mailing address: P.O. Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504

Olympia phone: (360) 786-7988

E-mail address: Kretz.Joel@leg.wa.gov

Website: houserepublicans.wa.gov/ members/Joel-kretz/

Shelly Short, R-Addy

Olympia office: 204 Building A

Mailing address:P.O. Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504

Olympia phone: (360) 786-7908

E-mail address: Short.Shelly@leg.wa.gov

Website: houserepublicans.wa.gov/ members/Shelly-short/

9th District

(Adams, Asotin, Garfield and Whitman counties, and southern and western parts of Spokane County, including Cheney)

Senate

Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville

Olympia office: 110 Irv Newhouse Building

Mailing address: P.O. Box 40409, Olympia, WA 98504

Olympia phone: (360) 786-7620

E-mail address: Schoesler.Mark@leg.wa.gov

Website: www.senaterepublicans. wa.gov/schoesler/

House

Joe Schmick, R-Colfax

Olympia office: 103 Building A

Mailing address: P.O. Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504

Olympia phone: (360) 786-7844

E-mail address: Schmick.Joe@leg.wa.gov

Website: houserepublicans.wa.gov/ members/Joe-schmick/

Susan Fagan, R-Pullman

Olympia office: 204 Building C

Mailing address: P.O. Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504

Olympia phone: (360) 786-7942

E-mail address: Fagan.Susan@leg.wa.gov

Website: houserepublicans.wa.gov/ members/Susan-Fagan/