Muni News
January 2002 Volume 92, Issue 1
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Legislative Preview
by Tom Page
On Friday January 11, the Municipal League co-presented City Club’s annual
Legislative Preview. Essex Porter of KIRO TV moderated the session with House
Minority Leader Clyde Ballard, R-Wenatchee; House Speaker Frank Chopp,
D-Seattle; Senate Majority Leader Sid Snyder, D-Long Beach; and Senate Minority
Leader Jim West, R-Spokane.
Speaking to a packed room at the Washington Athletic Club, all four officials
said the budget and transportation are the key issues for the coming session.
“In 2001 we started off with sky-rocketing electric rates,” said West,
“followed by the earthquake, a drought, summer fires, recession, 9/11, and now
floods. The budget time bomb has gone off.” The panel identified the economy and
rising health care costs as other major issues demanding attention.
A shift in power awaits legislators this session since the Democrats now
control both the House and Senate, albeit with a single vote majority in each
chamber. Asked if that one vote makes a difference, Snyder explained that even
that slight edge gives the Democrats the power to set the agenda and to
determine the committee structure in the Senate. Even with this edge, however,
he said he wants to see more amicable relations with the Republicans and hopes
for a more bipartisan approach.
Chopp also expressed his hope that both parties will work together,
especially on transportation, which is vital to the state’s economic vitality.
“Transportation used to be a bipartisan issue,” he said.
Ballard agreed. “I want to return to that. We’ll work any way we can
together, but that doesn’t mean just giving the Democrats a vote without input.
We will not abandon principles.”
Panel members said that agreeing on a budget will be a tremendous challenge.
The projected shortfall is about $1.25 billion. This deficit result-ed from an
$800 million drop in projected revenues due to the recession. Other spending
requirements, including recently passed initiatives, increased K-12 enrollment,
and other state obligations, have shrunk the budget by an additional $400
million.
Compounding this challenge is the need to make up the entire shortfall in the
second year of a two-year budget, when half the remaining budget is off-limits
because of the state constitutionally mandated commitment to education. Snyder
put the deficit in perspective saying that filling the budget hole is equivalent
to closing three Universities of Washington. “This will be the worst session
ever,” he said, and then added with a smile, “but only because all the other
sessions are finished.”
Panelists’ views varied as to what they are willing to cut to balance the
budget. West called for an immediate freeze on state hiring, a reduction in
travel, and a lifting of the ban on contracting out some state activities. Chopp
acknowledged that it is essential to pre-serve a safety net; however, there are
some human services that are useful, but not essential, like the W-plex program,
which follows up with people after they leave welfare. There was a bipartisan
moment when Ballard and Snyder agreed there are no easy cuts or major programs
to eliminate. As Ballard put it, “There’s no one big thing. We need to go
through the budget and cut where we can. We can solve these things, but it must
be in a sustainable manner.”
Solving the transportation problem was a thornier issue. While all said they
wanted to pass a transportation package, no one could say just what might be in
it. Panelists had mixed responses to Governor Gary Locke’s proposed raise in the
gas tax by 9 cents per gallon phased in over three years. They said they are
still considering the idea to allow for regional differences so that areas could
vote to tax themselves to fund improvements.
The Republicans were strongly in favor of a public vote to approve any
transportation proposal. West urged a fast-track approach, which would require
the Legislature to deliver a transportation package by January 25, which would
be put to a statewide vote in a March 12 special election. Chopp said that a
vote of the people will be part of any transportation deal. He emphasized the
need for a campaign to educate voters so there would be a chance for it to pass.
However, he thought that such an information campaign might be difficult or
impossible to mount by early March.
The final question from the moderator asked the legislative leaders to give
advice to the media for the upcoming session. All strongly expressed their
desire for more and better reporting of legislative news.
“Cover it!” said Chopp. “TV news is reduced to murder, sports, and weather.
Without better coverage people won’t know what’s going on.”
Ballard concurred, saying many articles about Olympia leave him wondering,
“Who’d they talk to for that?”
You don’t need to be left wondering this legislative session. Find links
to state government, including proposed budgets and legislation, hearing
schedules, contact information for elected officials and more on the Municipal
League website at www.munileague.org
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