Gregoire not planning to be in Olympia when special session convenes

While the House and Senate cancel long-planned hearings on a number of different issues to accommodate the special session requested by Christine Gregoire, her office has disclosed that the governor will be traveling to, attending and speaking at the "Governor's Aerospace Summit" next Thursday morning - at the same time the Legislature is convening. Gotta love those economic policy seminars.

The Senate will likely convene at 8 AM, NPI has learned. The governor is supposed to be addressing the aerospace summit at Bellevue Hyatt at 9 AM. (Travel between Bellevue and Olympia takes about an hour and a half by car).

The summit lasts until 3 PM in the afternoon, according to the Aerospace Futures Alliance of Washington. How long Gregoire plans to stay is unclear.

It's understandable that the Governor would want to honor her other commitments. But if this special session is important enough to cause the cancellation of the Legislature's previously scheduled work, shouldn't it be Gregoire's number one priority? Shouldn't she be in the statehouse all day?