Sponsors: Representatives Morris, Anderson, Linville, Veloria, Skinner, Quall, Hunt, Cox, Miloscia, Ericksen, McDonald, Pearson and Sullivan.

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

• Memorializes Washington’s support of Vancouver, British Columbia’s bid for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 11 members: Representatives Veloria, Chair; Eickmeyer, Vice Chair; Skinner, Ranking Minority Member; McDonald, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Blake, Chase, Condotta, Kristiansen, McCoy, Pettigrew and Priest.

The modern Olympic Movement was born in 1892, when Pierre de Courbertin announced the re-establishment of the Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was created on June 23, 1894, and the first Olympic Games of the modern era opened in Athens on April 6, 1896. The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind, in a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.

There is a two phase host city election procedure. Cities must pass an initial selection phase during which basic technical requirements are examined by a team of experts and then put forward to the IOC Executive Board. Once approved by the Executive Board, the cities become official Candidate Cities and are authorized to go forward into the full bid process. An assessment was made of each Applicant City's ability to stage high-level, international, multi-sport events and their ability to organize the Olympic Winter games in 2010, against a set of 11 technical assessment criteria: government support and public opinion; general infrastructure; sports venues; Olympic village; environmental conditions and impact; accommodations, transport; security; experience from past sporting events; finance and general concept. Currently, there are three Candidate Cities to host the XXI Olympic Winter Games in 2010. The cities are: Vancouver, Canada; Salzburg, Austria; and Pyeongchang, Korea.

During the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Utah, there were an estimated 220,000 total visitors. The total economic output from the Olympics was $4.8 billion dollars, including 35,000 job years, $1.5 billion in investment, $435 million in infrastructure investment, $123 million in visitor spending and a net revenue to local and state government of $76 million. The Salt Lake City Olympic Committee budget was $1.9 billion and it finished with a $100 million profit. The estimated value of print media exposure during the games with a tourism theme was $22.9 million.

The joint memorial communicates to the International Olympic Organizing Committee, the United State Olympic Committee, the Vancouver 2010 Bid Corporation, the Prime Minister of Canada, and the Premier of British Columbia, Washington's support of Vancouver, British Columbia’s bid to host the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The substitute bill clarifies that Vancouver, British Columbia is seeking the 2010 Paralympic Games as well as the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Testimony For: As part of the final bid process, Vancouver’s bid to the International Olympic Committee can include letters of support from other jurisdictions. As a state in such close proximity to Vancouver, British Columbia, Washington stands to benefit greatly from the media attention, tourism and the increased demand for goods and services that occur as the result of hosting such an international event. This occurred in 1986 when Vancouver hosted the World's Fair. During the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, the neighboring states took advantage of their proximity to the Olympic Games. For example, Idaho had Olympic training sites, held events and exhibitions, attracted the displaced Utah residents and conducted a "Buy Idaho" campaign. Several states invested $25,000 each to create a tourism storefront in the Olympic venue. Colorado resorts experienced a 5 to 10 percent increase in tourism both pre and post Olympic Games. Suppliers and vendors also were awarded contracts to provide everything from bath mats and portable toilets to hot dogs and tents. The 2010 Vancouver Bid Committee is committed to working with the Pacific Northwest region in partnership in order to create a successful Olympics. There is ample opportunity for Washington to benefit in many ways - from media coverage as to border counties to host tourists by providing lodging and related services. The Victoria Clipper could ferry Olympic tourists from lodgings in Seattle to British Columbia Olympic venues on a daily basis. All in all, this is a winning opportunity for Washington and British Columbia.

Testified: Representatives Morris and Anderson, sponsors; Barry Penner, Member, Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, President, Pacific NorthWest Economic Region; and Gordon Goodman, Director, Sustainable Development, Olympic Bid Secretariat,