The recently wrapped up session in Olympia was a good one, say the elected officials from the 21st Legislative District, who represent Edmonds and Lynnwood for the most part.
State Sen. Paull Shin, and Reps. Brian Sullivan and Mary Helen Roberts – all Democrats – are uniform in their assessment that while everyone may not be completely happy, this mid-biennium session grades out as an “A.”
Calling it “an epic short session,” Sullivan, of Mukilteo, said one of his high points was passage of his bill aimed at cleaning up electronic waste.
“E-waste presents an urgent problem and this bill is an innovative, practical solution,” said Sullivan, chairman of the House Natural Resources, Ecology and Parks Committee. Electronic waste includes TV, computers and other electronic devices. Sullivan said such waste is responsible for the majority of the lead and mercury in landfills.
The bill will create an e-waste recycling program created and paid for by manufacturers, with community drop-off points run by retailers, non-profits, government or others. “The beauty of this approach is that it makes recycling simple and free for consumers and links electronics recycling with electronics manufacturing,” he said.
Sullivan disagrees with comments by some Republicans that the session, dominated by Democrats in both houses and the governor’s office, spent too much money.
“We met financial obligations and are putting away $1 billion,” he said. “That shows fiscal restraint.”
Sullivan voted for a measure that could put Sound Transit and regional roads funding on the same ballot in 2007. He said transit and roads are linked as transportation issues: “You can’t unmarry them.”
Roberts agrees with that position, and voted to for the bill forcing the two efforts together.
“It was presented as the smartest thing for the Legislature to do, particularly if we want roads and transit planning to be more integrated than they are now,” she said. “Other states are doing better.”
Roberts said most her time was spent on issues affecting families, children and education. Roberts is vice chairwoman of the Children and Family Services Committee and serves on The Higher Education and Workforce Committee and the Juvenile Justice and Family Law Committee.
“There were tremendously positive things accomplished,” Roberts said. “Just seeing the Department of Early Learning established has to be at the top of the list.”
The new Cabinet-level department will unify disparate departments that now provide services to infants and young children.
In K-12 education, teachers received larger than expected pay raises and high school students got help passing the Washington Assessment of Student Learning in the form of more alternatives to passing the test.
“More people now are more comfortable (with the WASL) now with the adjustments,” she said. “There are still some that oppose the test, concerned with the imbalance of outcomes … that remains part of the ongoing process.”
Roberts also said she’s happy with a budget proviso for more funds for family planning resources through the Department of Social and Health Services.
“We’re spending so much time on the controversy over the abortion side. What happened to the ‘every child wanted’ slogan and services available to women who are seeking them,” she said. Roberts said the state money will be leveraged to get available federal funding.
In the Senate, Shin made headway on a number of issues as chairman of the International Trade and Economic Development Committee, including a bill to study business uses at Paine Field.
Shin’s bill to create an aerospace task force passed the Senate 49-0 and mirrored a bill in the House sponsored by Sullivan.
The bill would establish a task force of legislators, business leaders and aviation officials that would review obstacles aerospace manufacturers or other businesses face when building at or near regional airports. A report would be due June 30, 2007.
“This is a way to get more manufacturing businesses there, and that creates family-wage jobs,” Shin said.
A group concerned about the impacts on residents and businesses if regular passenger air travel is allowed at Paine Field has praised the effort. Group members said they feel more businesses could fill up space that would be taken up by commercial airlines.
“In a short session, we were able to accomplish so much,” Shin, of Edmonds, said. “I think both parties believe we did a good thing.”
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