Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 13, 1999
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Locke approves funding for Asotin County Fair

OLYMPIA — Gov. Gary Locke today released $25,239 in emergency funds for the Asotin County Fair, ensuring the important community event won't suffer from drawn-out negotiations in the Legislature over the 1999 supplemental state budget.

Sen. Valoria Loveland, D-Pasco, whose district includes the Asotin fairgrounds, urged Locke to make the allocation from the Governor's Emergency Fund.

"State support for county fairs and youth livestock shows is a tradition in Washington, and the governor and I are both strong supporters of that tradition," said Loveland.

The Asotin County Fair was threatened by lack of funding, particularly because it is the first county fair of the year in Washington. The fair starts this Friday and runs through April 25.

Locke and Loveland support a funding plan for county fairs and livestock shows that would cost $6 million over three years. That proposal has the support of the Senate and House Democrats.

"Sen. Loveland and I support a supplemental budget that takes the state's commitment to these fairs seriously, and respects their importance in the lives of Washington families, especially those in rural areas," the governor said.

Every year, the governor and legislature consider supplemental budgets that tie up loose ends and meet emergency needs unforeseen in the state biennial budget.

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