Last Chance to stop Jay Kehnes Confirmation to the Wildlife Commission

[bearpaw]

This is from Senator Morton’s Newsletter that I just received today. It sounds like we all helped to discourage the confirmation, they did not vote to confirm him, but it also sounds like we need to keep following this issue. I have been told the committee chair was in favor of Kehne and could assign another hearing for his confirmation. I have asked Senator Morton to let us know if any further action is planned, I will keep you posted on this. By working together on these important issues we can all make a difference.

(exerpt)  Senator Morton's Newsletter 

Fish and Wildlife Commission
My thanks to all of you who contacted me regarding the confirmation hearing of Jay Kehne as a member of the Fish and Wildlife Commission. Your insight and suggested questions were very helpful to me. For the information of other readers, Mr. Kehne was appointed to fill an Eastern Washington commission position, but his philosophy is more in tune with environmentalists than ranchers and farmers. As an employee of Conservation Northwest, an organization dedicated to “keeping the Northwest wild,” Mr. Kehne is not going to be our voice on the commission. There was no vote to move his nomination forward at the end of the February16 hearing. I will keep you posted. You can watch the hearing at this TVW link: http://www.tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwplayer&eventID=2012020105 
(starts at 09:01) 

[Elkaholic daWg]

 Thanks for the Info Bearpaw,and I will keep on pestering ,and encouraging others to do the same. Val Stevens got one from me yesterday

[CementFinisher]

 

[rfhd69]

 

[CAMPMEAT]

...............maybe there is a God. 

[Elkaholic daWg]

Thanks for the Info Bearpaw,and I will keep on pestering ,and encouraging others to do the same. Val Stevens got one from me yesterday

Reply.... Too bad all I have is dial up


 
We had a hearing on the Jay Kehne confirmation last Thursday, but it has not been set for executive session yet, and I'm not sure if it will be set for executive session or not. 
 
You may want to the hearing on TVW's website under archives - recent media. The website is:  tvw.org.
 
Thank you for bringing your views on this confirmation to my attention.
 
SENATOR VAL STEVENS
39th Legislative District
105 Irv Newhouse Building
P O Box 40439
Olympia WA 98504-0439
Phone:  360-786-7676
Email:  stevens.val@leg.wa.gov

[Hunter4Life]

J fear that Senator Ranker will not give Kehne another hearing.  I count for votes on the committee for confirmation and four against with one undecided.  They will do what happened with Kehne what they did with all the other Commissioners and let him serve unconfirmed.

[bearpaw]

J fear that Senator Ranker will not give Kehne another hearing.  I count for votes on the committee for confirmation and four against with one undecided.  They will do what happened with Kehne what they did with all the other Commissioners and let him serve unconfirmed.

I expect you are right. A new governor could appoint different commissioners, the next legislative session could revisit the confirmation. 

[Hunter4Life]

Great article on the Kehne hearing:

http://www.capitalpress.com/newsletter/SB-Legis-appointment-folo-022412

[bearpaw]

Thanks for the story, a good read, now I clearly see where we are at in this process.

[Hunter4Life]

Another good story about Kehne from the Wenatchee World:

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/jan/04/republicans-push-to-oust-newly-appointed-wildlife/

[Hunter4Life]

The Wenatchee world has had great coverage on the Kehne issue.  Another good story:

http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2012/feb/23/senate-committee-questions-kehne/

We know where Ranker stands.  A quote from the story:

Sen. Val Stevens, a Republican, said she was concerned about the opposition, including a letter opposing him included 98 signatures — “a great percentage of folks from your own county.” But Sen. Kevin Ranker, a Democrat and chairman of the committee, concluded the hearing saying he believes the governor made “an excellent choice.”

[KillBilly]

The sad part of this is the fact that even without Confirmation, he will still be filling that position until a new governor decides to unseat him. By letting this issue die in Committee it leaves him seated just as it did most of the other 5 seated Commissioners. I am not positive but I believe that only one of the five current Commissioners was confirmed.

Bottom line, we are stuck with him anyway.

I think we should strive to get a law passed in the next Session (2012-2013) that would require any and all Gubernatorial Appointments to be confirmed in order for the appointee to perform any duties required of the position. We are stuck with Jay Kehne for a year at the very least and when we do get a new Governor unseating Kehne will not be a priority right off the bat.

[bearpaw]

The sad part of this is the fact that even without Confirmation, he will still be filling that position until a new governor decides to unseat him. By letting this issue die in Committee it leaves him seated just as it did most of the other 5 seated Commissioners. I am not positive but I believe that only one of the five current Commissioners was confirmed.

Bottom line, we are stuck with him anyway.

I think we should strive to get a law passed in the next Session (2012-2013) that would require any and all Gubernatorial Appointments to be confirmed in order for the appointee to perform any duties required of the position. We are stuck with Jay Kehne for a year at the very least and when we do get a new Governor unseating Kehne will not be a priority right off the bat.

That's a very good strategy....

[buckfvr]

I know we tried very hard to keep this from happening, but I suspected from the get go that our efforts would fail.  Why?, because they do not really care what we think.  My observations over the years lead me to believe that corruption in our system runs to the deepest depths....they will have their way, and there will be no denying it. 

Sure there should be a law disallowing their involvement in an appointed post until there can be confirmation, but the lack of them being responsible and voting in such a law has about the same chance of happening as us keeping someone from being appointed.  Each and every one of them puts their personal career and interests before anything else.  Right wrong, honest dishonest......doesnt matter.