Economy

Brown calls Inslee reopening decision ‘heartbreaking’ for Tri-Cities
February 11, 2021
Sen. Sharon Brown, R-Kennewick, released the following statement after Gov. Jay Inslee announced today that Benton County will remain stuck in the most restrictive phase of his reopening plan for at least two more weeks. The region designated as South Central, which comprises Kittitas, Yakima, Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla and... Read More...
House approves Brown’s blockchain work group bill
March 05, 2020
Praising the bill as a critical step for everything from job-creation to agriculture to a tool for addressing privacy concerns, members of the House of Representatives unanimously passed Sen. Sharon Brown’s bill to establish the Washington Blockchain Work Group. “Taking a look at the possibilities of what blockchain brings, and... Read More...
Video: Industrial Symbiosis
February 07, 2020
In this week’s video, Sen. Sharon Brown is joined by Rhys Roth, Executive Director of the Center for Sustainable Infrastructure. The two discuss Senate Bill 6430 — Brown’s measure to establish an industrial symbiosis program for Washington. So what on earth is ‘industrial symbiosis?’ Despite the complicated name, the idea... Read More...
Brown scores major wins for Tri-Cities in Senate capital budget
March 29, 2017
Sen. Sharon Brown, R-Kennewick, said today she is pleased that her work to get significant funding for local colleges, historical projects and other key community improvements paid off with more than $40 million in funding for 8th District projects included in the Senate’s proposed capital budget. Brown pushed aggressively to... Read More...
Senate passes Brown’s bill to encourage job growth
March 06, 2017
Community Prosperity and Revitalization (CPR) Act will help resuscitate local economies, says Brown Today the Senate voted 28-21 to pass the Community Prosperity and Revitalization (CPR) Act, aimed at helping local communities create jobs by speeding up the permitting process for large-scale projects of statewide significance. Sen. Sharon Brown, deputy... Read More...
Senate Sessions Update for the 8th Week of the 2017 Session
March 01, 2017
In this week’s update, Sen. Brown discusses fiscal committee cut-off and two of her bills that were approved by the Senate this week. Senate Bill 5051, which passed unanimously, requires the Department of Natural Resources to give 180-days written notice before terminating an agricultural land lease early. Josh McDonald, executive... Read More...
Panel hears support for trio of Brown bills to encourage job growth
January 21, 2015
Measures would expedite permitting and help create new manufacturing and construction jobs  Sen. Sharon Brown, chair of the Senate Trade and Economic Development Committee, has made attracting and retaining employers in Washington and helping them create new jobs her top priority since coming to the Senate. Today, three of her... Read More...
Senate work session examines economic impact of slowdown at ports
January 14, 2015
A joint work session held this morning by the Senate Trade and Economic Development and Commerce and Labor committees took a detailed look at the reduction of trade volume at 28 West Coast ports that is crippling Washington’s agricultural community and other trade-dependent businesses. “Washington ports have been losing market... Read More...