12/21/2010: "Gregoire On Census Numbers"

OLYMPIA - Gov. Chris Gregoire issued the following statement on the latest U.S. census numbers, which give Washington state an additional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives

“This is great news for Washington state! At a critical time in our nation’s history, not only do I welcome the additional representation in our nation’s Capitol, I am pleased Washington state’s share of federal funding to support critical programs like Medicaid and education will also increase.

“I’m proud of the work of our citizens -many worked tirelessly to ensure Washingtonians were counted, and because of their effort, our state’s mail back participation exceeded the national average. Their effort is an important part in ensuring democracy and representation.

“Congratulations to federal Department of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke for the successful completion of this important project. I look forward to the work of the state’s Redistricting Commission, which is now tasked with redrawing congressional and legislative district boundaries. I’m pleased in Washington we have a bipartisan commission to handle this challenging undertaking.”