Washington Policy Center, the state's premier independent non-profit public policy research and education organization, will release its first book-length publication, Agenda 2005: The Guide to Public Policy Issues in Washington State, to Tri-Cities media on Wednesday, February 16th at 10 a.m. at the Tri-City Area Chamber of Commerce.
Agenda 2005 is the state's first comprehensive reference guide to public policy issues facing legislators--as well as county and local officials. Eleven chapters provide 139 recommendations in policy areas such as health care, environment, education, energy policy and state budget and tax issues.
Washington Policy Center President Daniel Mead Smith and Vice President for Research Paul Guppy will also address several areas the legislature is currently dealing with in this Session that correspond to recommendations in Agenda 2005. Some of WPC's Eastern Washington Advisory Board Members from the Tri-City Area will also be in attendance.
Agenda 2005 was released last month in Olympia at a press conference at the state capitol with WPC staff and several legislators including House Minority Leader Bruce Chandler (R-Sunnyside), Senate Minority Leader Bill Finkbeiner (R-Kirkland), and Representative Maralyn Chase (D-Edmonds).
Senator Finkbeiner said Agenda 2005 is "An absolutely invaluable document that is well written and easy to read." He also said "To have someone looking at these issues from the outside, without an axe to grind, lends credibility to their recommendations."
