Build on bipartisanship
Published 12:01 am Sunday, May 29, 2011
Whether by desire or necessity, the 2011 legislative session showed that bipartisanship can work. And, as it should, it produced a series of compromises that not only closed a multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall without raising taxes, but launched important policy reforms.
The bipartisan and refreshingly civil approach that played out in the state Senate, where Democrats held a slim 27-22 majority, was forced from the beginning by a coalition of moderate Democrats known as the Roadkill Caucus. Formed last year by Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, and others, the caucus held together despite criticism from other Democrats, and joined with forward-thinking Republicans to form a centrist majority.
The result was meaningful involvement from both Senate caucuses in crafting a budget full of no-win choices — deep cuts to higher education offset in part by another round of steep tuition hikes, painful funding reductions for social programs, and pay cuts for teachers and other state workers. It forced House Democrats — who had a larger majority and wrote a budget without Republican input — to engage in serious negotiation and compromise.
The process yielded balanced decisions that couldn’t have come from one party alone, decisions that helped put the state budget on the most sustainable trajectory in years.
A shortfall of more than $5 billion was closed without major injections of one-time dollars (like the federal government provided last year) or gimmicks like creating a 25th month in the biennium, thereby kicking tough choices further down the road.
Programs that faced elimination were spared. For example, the Basic Health Plan for the working poor will continue, though with fewer enrollees. Money was saved in the Disability Lifeline program, which helps folks whose disabilities make them unable to work, by eliminating cash grants and replacing them with housing assistance.
Important reforms to the state’s unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation programs should spur job creation by reducing employer costs. A strong push by the Senate to reduce the state’s debt limit also ended in compromise legislation to gradually lower the limit starting in 2016, and have a commission recommend a constitutional change.
Whether this spirit of bipartisanship can be maintained remains to be seen. No politician embraces the concept for its own sake, but because they believe it will help advance their own policy goals.
The next big test will be on transportation funding. Representatives from all four legislative caucuses, the governor’s office, business, labor and other groups will soon start work on a package to present to the Legislature next year, and likely to voters in November 2012. A groundbreaking plan is needed, one that incorporates new funding sources for building and maintaining roads and expanding transit, given the downward projection for gas tax revenue.
A thoughtful plan that can win voter approval will require bipartisan input and support. The leading legislators on transportation — Democrats Mary Margaret Haugen of Camano Island and Judy Clibborn of Mercer Island, and Republicans Curtis King of Yakima and Mike Armstrong of Wenatchee — all have reputations for working constructively across the aisle. They’re capable of putting policy above politics, and that’s just what they’ll need to do.
Bipartisanship, and the personal relationships between partisans that make it possible, is rarely the easiest path for politicians. Their base supporters tend to discourage it.
But we’ve seen now that it can accomplish reasonable outcomes in tough times, even fairly dramatic reforms. That’s worth encouraging, and rewarding at election time.
