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Panel weighs bill to prioritize Washington-made lumber for state-funded projects
Summary
House Bill 1726 would require state-funded public works projects over $500,000 to prioritize lumber sourced from Washington, then Oregon, then elsewhere in the United States, subject to waiver provisions; supporters argued the measure would sustain local mills and jobs while opponents warned of higher costs and potential delays.
Ingrid Lewis, committee staff, briefed the Capital Budget Committee on House Bill 1726, explaining the bill would require public works projects that receive more than $500,000 from the state capital budget to use lumber procured from Washington state mills first, then from Oregon, and then from the United States more broadly, unless an exemption or waiver applies.
Representative Kevin Waters, the bill’s prime sponsor and a fourth-generation resident of Skamania County, told the committee he introduced…
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