Hangin' With the Conservative Caucus

I'm at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kennewick, hangin' with the WFSE Conservative Caucus. More than a dozen members and a handful of guests are here, which is really good for a meeting in the Tri-Cities. Local 1253 has several people here, but there are members from as far away as Everett, Olympia and Vancouver who made the trek across the state to be here.

One of the major motivations for coming here was the opportunity to meet with Rep. Larry Haler (R-Richland). Larry just got done speaking, and he was really well-received by the group. Larry recalled how WFSE was an early supporter of his in a crowded primary when he first ran for Legislature four years ago. He told us that he really believes our support "made the difference" in his first election.

Rep. Haler has been a great supporter of ours over the past four years. He's been a steadfast supporter of collective bargaining rights and union organizing. He's the Ranking Minority member of the House Early Learning & Children's Services Committee as well as a member of the powerful Appropriations Committee. Now, Larry has a Republican opponent and, with the new Top Two Primary, both candidates will advance to the November election. A number of us are going to spend a few hours doorbelling for Larry tomorrow, so that should be fun. Larry brought us some maps and literature and he told us he really appreciates our help.

For more information, check out Larry Haler's website.

We also had a chance to meet with Skip Novakovich, a Republican candidate for state Representative running for an open seat in the 8th District. Bill Copland, Local 1253 President, presented Skip with a letter informing him of our endorsement. Needless to say, Skip was quite pleased.

For more information, check out Skip Novakovich's website.

All in all, a good meeting for the Conservative Caucus. The caucus will meet next on October 3rd, the night before Policy Committees meet. Members interested in getting involved in the WFSE Conservative Caucus can go here. -- Dennis