Oregon Public Broadcasting

Minority Republicans in Washington state are reacting with dismay to news that Boeing will build its second 787 line in Charleston, South Carolina.

State Senator Mike Hewitt of Walla Walla sits on the state's aerospace taskforce. He calls the loss of the Boeing line a debacle and points at majority Democrats.

Mike Hewitt: “I think there's a fair amount of blame to go around for everybody. The legislature didn't move on some of the issues that came out of the Deloitte report, the Governor walked the picket-line during her re-election process, labor could have gone for binding arbitration and probably not gotten too hurt. And I think it would have sent a message to Boeing that we do want your business in the state of Washington.”

Hewitt says Washington must now re-double its efforts to keep future Boeing production lines from leaving the state – starting with the 737.

He says a top priority should be an overhaul of Washington's workers' compensation system.