Rep. Appleton to chair House Community Development, Housing & Tribal Affairs Committee

WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 3, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — State Rep. Sherry Appleton (D-23rd, Poulsbo) has been tapped by her colleagues to chair the House committee on Community Development, Housing & Tribal Affairs. The panel is charged with considering issues relating to, among other things, community development, veteran-related legislation, tourism and the government-to-government relationship of the state and Indian tribes. The committee also considers bills relating to housing, including the accessibility and affordability of housing, state assistance to low-income housing, housing authorities, and the Housing Finance Commission.

Appleton, previously vice chair of the committee, replaces former Rep. and now-Sen. John McCoy, who was appointed to the Senate after Sen. Nick Harper resigned from the body. Appleton’s elevation to the chair was not automatic; members of the majority party choose committee leaders based on merit, and her peers felt Appleton was best-suited for the job.

“It’s a cliché to say I’m honored to have been chosen,” Appleton said, “but it’s the truth. The issues we deal with in this committee don’t often make the headlines, but they are bedrock issues for our state, and the 23rd district. We’re gearing up for a busy and productive 2014 session, and I’m looking forward to getting down to business.”

In addition to chairing the Community Development, Housing & Tribal Affairs Committee, Appleton will continue to serve on the Capital Budget and Public Safety committees. Besides her legislative duties, Appleton serves on Washington State Council on Aging and sits on the board of the Office of Public Defense. She also was recently appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee to the Commission on Judicial Conduct (CJC). This is actually Appleton’s third term on the CJC; she served two four-year terms beginning in 1995, and her new appointment comes after a 10-year hiatus.