Published: Sunday, January 11, 2009
The '09 legislative session's top issues
The main event
Budget: Lawmakers must deal first with a $500 million deficit in the current operating budget and then with a $5.7 billion -- and growing -- shortfall predicted in the next two-year spending plan. Every state agency will get cut somewhere, but not without an emotional fight. Pay raises negotiated for unionized state employees, teachers and health care workers are in jeopardy. Some Democratic lawmakers will propose asking voters to increase taxes of some sort to ease the pain.
Statewide concerns
Education: Revising the way the state funds public elementary and secondary schools will incite intense discussions without clear resolution. Likewise for reforming WASL as changes that cost money will stall, while ones that save dollars, like a simpler test, may advance. The fiercest wrangling will likely be for teacher wage hikes and lower class sizes envisioned in Initiatives 732 and 728 respectively.
Health care and human services: Gov. Chris Gregoire wants to avoid adding many more people to the rolls of a state-paid health insurance program and to eliminate cash grants to thousands on welfare who are among the most difficult to employ. There will be plenty of push-back from politicians and the public.
Transportation: Reality is setting in that the money is not there to do every road, bridge and safety project promised when lawmakers hiked the gas tax in 2003 and 2005. There will be tough talk on which to pursue and which to postpone. Meanwhile, Gregoire is to pick a plan for replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct, and the Legislature will debate whether to back her up.
Worker contracts: Lawmakers must decide whether to accept or reject contracts Gregoire negotiated with a number of unions. Pay raises get most attention but issues like health care and working conditions are in them, too. Rejecting them likely triggers a round of new talks and brings the potential of strikes or other worker actions.
Crime and punishment: Gregoire's budget proposal would let some nonviolent offenders out of jail and drop community supervision for others to save money. Attorney General Rob McKenna and some Republican lawmakers want to see those convicted of domestic violence and crimes against the elderly locked up longer. Also, some in the GOP want a closer watch on more of the convicted criminals released from prison.
The county's concerns
University: It's no longer about a branch campus. Some lawmakers will push a bill authorizing the establishment of a state-run university in Snohomish County. It would neither set a deadline nor require it be a branch campus of the University of Washington. Another proposal would let Snohomish County residents consider taxing themselves to pay for building and operating an independent four-year polytechnic university.
Ferries: With one 64-car ferry under construction for the Keystone-Port Townsend route, legislators will decide if they want to build more. Gregoire put no money in her budget to do so. Also, discussion is expected on revising or repealing a law requiring new ferries be built by Washington firms. That provision prevents the state from receiving federal dollars for building new ferries.
Highway 522: Gregoire wants to delay widening the north end of Highway 522 from two to four lanes from the Snohomish River Bridge to Monroe. Snohomish County's delegation seems united in opposing her and keeping it on track for construction in 2010.
Also getting attention
Foreclosures: The search is on for ways to slow down and extend the process so people have more time to find a way to keep their homes.
Environment: Revising regulations, enacting a cap-and-trade program for controlling air emissions from private firms and expanding tax incentives for alternative energy companies are on the agenda.
DUI checkpoints: Gregoire pushed this and got nowhere in 2008. She may try again.
The wild card
Federal stimulus package: Everyone wants to know when President-elect Obama and Congress will complete an economic recovery plan and how much money will be in it for Washington. Gregoire is counting on at least $1 billion for health care-related programs. Dollars for public works and road projects and education are expected, too. Any dollars could mean less in cuts this year.
Budget: Lawmakers must deal first with a $500 million deficit in the current operating budget and then with a $5.7 billion -- and growing -- shortfall predicted in the next two-year spending plan. Every state agency will get cut somewhere, but not without an emotional fight. Pay raises negotiated for unionized state employees, teachers and health care workers are in jeopardy. Some Democratic lawmakers will propose asking voters to increase taxes of some sort to ease the pain.
Statewide concerns
Education: Revising the way the state funds public elementary and secondary schools will incite intense discussions without clear resolution. Likewise for reforming WASL as changes that cost money will stall, while ones that save dollars, like a simpler test, may advance. The fiercest wrangling will likely be for teacher wage hikes and lower class sizes envisioned in Initiatives 732 and 728 respectively.
Health care and human services: Gov. Chris Gregoire wants to avoid adding many more people to the rolls of a state-paid health insurance program and to eliminate cash grants to thousands on welfare who are among the most difficult to employ. There will be plenty of push-back from politicians and the public.
Transportation: Reality is setting in that the money is not there to do every road, bridge and safety project promised when lawmakers hiked the gas tax in 2003 and 2005. There will be tough talk on which to pursue and which to postpone. Meanwhile, Gregoire is to pick a plan for replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct, and the Legislature will debate whether to back her up.
Worker contracts: Lawmakers must decide whether to accept or reject contracts Gregoire negotiated with a number of unions. Pay raises get most attention but issues like health care and working conditions are in them, too. Rejecting them likely triggers a round of new talks and brings the potential of strikes or other worker actions.
Crime and punishment: Gregoire's budget proposal would let some nonviolent offenders out of jail and drop community supervision for others to save money. Attorney General Rob McKenna and some Republican lawmakers want to see those convicted of domestic violence and crimes against the elderly locked up longer. Also, some in the GOP want a closer watch on more of the convicted criminals released from prison.
The county's concerns
University: It's no longer about a branch campus. Some lawmakers will push a bill authorizing the establishment of a state-run university in Snohomish County. It would neither set a deadline nor require it be a branch campus of the University of Washington. Another proposal would let Snohomish County residents consider taxing themselves to pay for building and operating an independent four-year polytechnic university.
Ferries: With one 64-car ferry under construction for the Keystone-Port Townsend route, legislators will decide if they want to build more. Gregoire put no money in her budget to do so. Also, discussion is expected on revising or repealing a law requiring new ferries be built by Washington firms. That provision prevents the state from receiving federal dollars for building new ferries.
Highway 522: Gregoire wants to delay widening the north end of Highway 522 from two to four lanes from the Snohomish River Bridge to Monroe. Snohomish County's delegation seems united in opposing her and keeping it on track for construction in 2010.
Also getting attention
Foreclosures: The search is on for ways to slow down and extend the process so people have more time to find a way to keep their homes.
Environment: Revising regulations, enacting a cap-and-trade program for controlling air emissions from private firms and expanding tax incentives for alternative energy companies are on the agenda.
DUI checkpoints: Gregoire pushed this and got nowhere in 2008. She may try again.
The wild card
Federal stimulus package: Everyone wants to know when President-elect Obama and Congress will complete an economic recovery plan and how much money will be in it for Washington. Gregoire is counting on at least $1 billion for health care-related programs. Dollars for public works and road projects and education are expected, too. Any dollars could mean less in cuts this year.
Story tags »
• Crime • Ferries • State • Legislature • WASL • DUI • TaxesRelated
- Legislature's $6 billion problem 1/11/09
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