Locke aims his wrath at Legislature’s paralysis

By David Ammons

Associated Press

OLYMPIA — Gov. Gary Locke, irritated with lawmakers for their endless session, on Thursday told them to go home and mow their lawns — and get ready for double overtime, starting June 4.

The Legislature’s first 30-day special session ground to an unceremonious halt Thursday, with the main tasks still undone — passing a state budget, fixing highway congestion and overhauling the state primary, for starters.

The session adjourned at 7:01 p.m. "See you in a week," Lt. Gov. Brad Owen told the Senate.

The House session whimpered to a close in front of a sea of empty leather chairs. Only seven of the 98 members stayed to witness Republican Co-Speaker Clyde Ballard pound the gavel for adjournment.

"I’m not sure what we did, but good job," Ballard said as few spectators applauded.

Recriminations came quickly.

Locke portrayed lawmakers as do-nothings. The Senate blamed the House. The House blamed the 49-49 tie in that chamber and said the Senate wasn’t any great shakes, either.

Ballard, R-East Wenatchee, upbraided the Democratic governor for starting "the blame game" and said if Locke wants someone to blame, he should look in the mirror.

At $27,000 a day, the special session cost $810,000 in extra expenses, but lawmakers had little to show for it.

They did send Locke a bill Thursday to streamline the environmental permit process for road projects. The Senate also approved a stripped-down version of a school accountability bill, but it was quickly torpedoed in the House.

Nearly every major piece of legislation will be carried forward into yet another session.

Lawmakers are on pace to eclipse the record for days in session. They’ve been in Olympia for 135 days so far. The record is 162 days, set in 1977, so a full 30-day overtime session would top that mark.

Locke, irritated for weeks but biting his tongue, finally blasted lawmakers at a news conference to announce the second special session. He said this special session produced only one bill of any consequence — a 20 percent fare increase for state ferries. The permit-streamlining bill passed after he spoke. The education accountability bill also passed the Senate, but Locke said it was virtually worthless.

Locke, a former House member, said the Legislature has failed to step up to "the critical issues facing our state," including some of the country’s worst traffic congestion. He held up his proclamation announcing the current session and said not one important task had been accomplished.

Although both House co-speakers had asked Locke to convene the new session right after Memorial Day, the governor said he wants to give negotiators time to put some deals together.

"It doesn’t really make much sense to have everybody coming back to Olympia and just sitting around collecting per diem" expense money before the bills are ready for a vote, he said.

"So we might as well let ‘em go home and mow their laws and just straighten out their personal affairs while negotiators continue to deliberate," the governor said.

As the special session slumped toward adjournment, striking state workers ringed the Capitol, trying to press their demand for better pay and benefits. Thousands of union members were staging a one-day walkout across the state to draw attention to their demands.

Inside, lawmakers had another slow day, except for the permit-streamlining and education bills that emerged from secret negotiations.

The permit bill, Senate Bill 6188, which cleared the Senate 39-3 on Tuesday, sailed through the House unanimously on Thursday.

The education measure, Senate Bill 5625, cleared the upper house 40-5.

After Locke’s tongue-lashing, legislative leaders tried to put a positive spin on the session and shift blame.

"We’re fine with him putting pressure on the Legislature," said House Co-Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle. He expressed frustration with the tie, saying it has probably doubled the time it takes to get anything done. He ripped the House Republicans for refusing to negotiate a revenue package for transportation.

Senate Majority Leader Sid Snyder, D-Long Beach, and Senate Budget Committee chairwoman Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, said Locke’s comments must not have been aimed at the Senate. The House has been the problem on a variety of bills, most notably transportation and the budget, Snyder said.

"Our philosophy in the Senate is to solve problems," he said.

Ballard fumed at Locke’s broadside.

"It is very counterproductive," he said.

As for the Senate’s complaints, "That’s bull. They’re as dysfunctional as we are."