Over 70 representatives of business, labor, agriculture, environmental, tribal and local government entities converged on Olympia, calling on state lawmakers to pass a transportation revenue package to fund the completion of State Route 167. Eleven legislators attended a lunch to promote the project, including senators Steve Conway, Steve Hobbs, and Brian Hatfield and representatives Jake Fey, Norm Johnson, Mark Hargrove, Judi Clibborn, Jan Angel, Linda Kochmar, Laurie Jinkins and Hans Zeiger.

House Transportation Committee Chair Judi Clibborn declared to the group, "You [SR-167] got to the top of the heap because you are the best project....I want to sound the message that this is the project we want to complete."

She cautioned the group, however, about the importance of a transportation revenue package to actually provide the means to complete the project. "There is absolutely nothing we can do without revenue....You have to have a bi-partisan package and you have to do it this year."

Senator Conway agreed: "We have got to have a funding package to get SR-167 done."

Rep. Fey heightened the importance of the project. "I have been in this same room twice-- once with the horticulturists and once with the potato farmers. The first thing out of both of their mouths was that we needed to complete SR-167."

"SR-167 is a statewide project," elaborated Rep. Zeiger. "It is the number one economic development project in the state. We need to turn up the pressure on this. We need to know that we have backing at home."

Senator Hobbs, however, emphasized the importance of constituents reaching out to their representatives. "You need to pressure the House to get a transportation revenue package out [of their chamber] of you want to get SR-167 done. Let your lawmakers know you want to put Washington back to work."