I agree with The Herald: Olympia must resolve partisan differences and produce a transportation package (Jan. 20 editorial, “Olympia must produce transportation package”).
House and Senate lawmakers made good progress recently by passing efficiency reforms to ensure better value from tax dollars as we build the projects that our state and economy need. Drivers, businesses and taxpayers will all benefit from the new requirements to focus funding on critical needs: new performance standards, more contracting out to get future projects built quickly, and fair-market wage reforms that will protect workers and taxpayers.
Despite the “fuming” of House Republicans, these reforms were a bipartisan achievement. They were recommended by the bipartisan Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation. The House bill earned strong bipartisan support in public hearings, including from the Association of Washington Business. The official bill report speaks volumes: “Testimony against: none.” Senate Democrats and Republicans passed similar legislation unanimously. In a bipartisan spirit, Democrats embraced several Republican amendments to the bill.
I regret House Republicans said “no” to greater efficiency. But this wasn’t a case of Republicans vs. Democrats. It was House Republicans against the Blue Ribbon Commission, Gov. Gary Locke, business and labor, and practically everyone else.
Vice chair
House Transportation Committee
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