As the legislators of the 32nd District prepared to meet in Olympia for the beginning of this year’s Legislative session on Jan. 12, they knew it probably would not be like any other they’ve ever experienced.
“In ten years I’ve been in the Legislature we’ve gotten out on time and early but we haven’t finished anything like this in many decades,” Rep. Ruth Kagi, D-Lake Forest Park, said. “I’m making no predictions on how long (this session) will last.”
The current session begins the process of deciding what programs to cut in order to make up for the state’s near $6 billion deficit. Not an easy task, lawmakers say.
Kagi isn’t looking to make major cuts. Instead, she hopes to find creative ways to continue to fund basic health services such as those provided by the RotaCare Clinic in Lake City, she said.
Many of the people who use the free clinic, according to Kagi, have recently become unemployed, lost their health insurance and simply need to have prescriptions renewed.
“That’s all before we eliminate 42 percent of basic health plan,” Kagi said. “I think we’re just going to have to look to how we get through this recession and we have to be look at being creative to do it. If we don’t results would be devastating for years to come.”
As chair of the Early Learning and Children’s Services committee, Kagi said that although most of her efforts will be focused on the state’s budget, she would like to work on a bill to increase early intervention for autism and offer her support for the continuation of drug courts.
She also will work to push forward recommendations made by a joint task force on basic education finance that has worked to create a new definition and funding formulas for basic education.
“In the basic education task force report is a provision around funding for students in institutions,” she said. “Fircrest is an issue I’ll continue to pursue and make sure our school district has funding to support students from Fircrest.”
The session will raise awareness on several issues, according to Rep. Maralyn Chase, D-Edmonds. She will continue to raise environmental issues surrounding the use of plastic bags, plastic bottles, Styrofoam packaging and gas-driven engines in her role as vice-chair of the Environmental Health committee.
“A lot of this (legislation) is to raise the consciousness of the people,” Chase said. “A lot of climate change will be winning the hearts and minds of people.”
In her new role on the Ecology and Parks committee she expects to review a number of climate change bills.
Talking about the budget is hard, Chase said.
“It’s heart breaking,” she said. “We have terrible, terrible budget issues facing us … I want to focus on how we grow out of it and it happens in our locally owned and operated businesses.”
Work force training and programs provided by community colleges will help rebuild the economy, Chase believes. She is also supportive of a graduated income tax.
“We have a growing case load of people who need help with basic food, shelter, medical care, and heat … it is criminal that we don’t have tax reform,” she said.
Further education cuts may be on the horizon for community colleges, Sen. Darlene Fairley, D-Lake Forest Park, said on Jan. 10.
“I think community colleges are fully aware we’re probably going to cut them more, probably have to cut them more like 10 percent not the 6 percent (Governor Chris Gregoire) went for.”
She sees four main priorities this session, including one she voiced during a recent legislative retreat.
“I said I was there to make sure the vulnerable don’t get screwed and everyone laughed but every single group had as number one to protect the vulnerable,” Fairley said. “Maybe I say it a little more bluntly … in a time when you’re making huge cuts, people are going to be hurt and your number one priority has to be to protect the vulnerable in society. Otherwise why are you there?”
Other priorities for the chair of the government operations and elections committee include funding core services for the elderly and the developmentally disabled and establishing skill centers and community colleges.
The senator expects to have to make an announcement she has only made one time before in her committee.
“… I said I will not give a hearing to a bill that costs money. Period. End of story, unless it’s in the governor’s budget,” Fairley said. “This cuts out a whole lot of people who were hoping for a little bit here and there. This is a year to cut back … we’re cutting things that help people and we can’t afford to add more later.”
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