As chair of Ecology and Parks committee for the Washington State House of Representatives, 33rd District Representative Dave Upthegrove said he, and other committee chairs, are usually asked for their opinion on budgetary matters.
This year, things have changed. This year, committee chairs are being asked to find “additional savings in their budget.”
“It’s not a fun time to be a legislator. We have to play the cards we’re dealt,” Upthegrove said this past week. “It’s not a fun responsibility to have.”
For legislators across the state and for those from here in Kent, the session that began Jan. 12 may not be the one they expected when they were elected, but they are moving ahead to tackle the problems brought on by a sour economy and a growing budget gap.
“That’s going to be the driving force of this session,” agreed State Sen. Karen Keiser.
“It’s about the budget, but the budget is everything,” echoed Upthegrove.
Late last year, it was reported that the gap between expected revenues and expenditures in Washington State would approach $6 billion.
Since the announcement, Upthegrove said last week, that number has crept closer to $7 billion, forcing legislators to change their focus from new programs and spending to dealing with the shortfall.
Upthegrove said even the governor’s proposed budget, which makes up the $6 billion difference through cuts around the state as well as hiring and wage freezes, may not be enough.
“We’re going to have to cut deeper than the governor’s budget,” he said, adding that he doesn’t believe the full “depth of the challenge” has sunk in yet.
“This is unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my eight years of office and seven years on staff,” he said, calling it a “global and national economic tsunami.”
It is not an uncommon sentiment among legislators.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Keiser said. “I don’t think it compares to anything we’ve had around her in the past 20 years.”
Taken as a whole, it makes for a difficult start for State Rep. Tina Orwall, who was sworn in this past week for her first turn representing the people of Kent in Olympia.
“It’s a challenging session to come into,” Orwall said Jan. 14.
Orwall said she too was focused on helping families and businesses through the tough times, including the expansion of training dollars and the crafting of a stimulus package.
Orwall also spoke of working on a bill to protect renters if the homes in which they lived fall victim to foreclosure, as well as a bill to help stave off foreclosures for those in danger of losing their homes.
“What gives me hope is we’re looking at the right priorities,” she said.
All three legislators talked about making sure budget priorities were right as they moved forward through the session.
Keiser said she was working to craft a stimulus package that was “smart” and worked in conjunction with proposals coming from the Obama Administration, but added that she wanted to make sure any package contained long-term results, such as promoting “green jobs,” which not only provide a job now, but also promotes an environmentally sustainable approach.
All of the 33rd District officials said despite the loss of money, health care and education would continue to be priorities, though Upthegrove said he did not expect much movement on basic education funding, which was expected to be a top priority this time around.
In fact, Upthegrove said further cuts in education might be coming.
“It’s heartbreaking,” he said. “There’s a lot of things we’ve started … that are going to have to wait.”
Upthegrove said his top budget priority for this session was to secure funding for the Pediatric Interim care Center in Kent, which provides health coverage to drug-affected newborns. According to Upthegrove, the center is funded through a line item in the budget, which could mean an attempt to remove it, something he promises to try and prevent.
“They’re a treasure not just for Kent, but the whole state,” he said.
Keiser said as chairman of the Senate Healthcare Committee she was also working on healthcare proposals as another way to build for the future, including trying to secure funding for training-in-place programs at Valley Medical Center and Highline Community Hospital.
“It’s pretty cost effective to have that kind of partnership,” she said, calling it a “good investment.”
Outside of budgetary issues, both veteran lawmakers said they hoped to push through a few additional initiatives. Upthegrove said he has proposed a bill that would make possession of a small amount of marijuana by an adult an infraction, meaning a ticket instead of a trial.
Though he reiterated it would not be legalization, he estimated a saving of more than $10 million per year in court cost.
He also said he was continuing to work on legislation that would require the state to participate in a carbon-emission cap and trade system. Upthegrove said he expected it to a governor’s request bill, though he was unsure if it would come this session.
“If not this year, it’s building for the future,” he said.
Keiser said along with the healthcare training, she was working on a bill that would fine concert promoters who promise a legendary band, but do not produce.
“That kind of unfair advertising would not be allowed,” she said.
Calling it the “truth in music act,” Keiser said she was contacted by Bowser of the doo-wop group Sha Na Na, who asked for her support.
“How could I say no to Bowser?” she said.
Keiser is also working on a bill to protect consumers from being stuck with a long-term service contract of a cell phone or other device is died before the end of the contract.
The 2009 legislative session is expected to run through April 12.
To contact State Sen. Karen Keiser, call 360-786-7664 or e-mail keiser.karen@leg.wa.gov.
To contact Rep.Dave Upthegrove call 360-786-7868 or e-mail upthegrove.dave@leg.wa.gov.
To contact Rep. Tina Orwall call 360-786-7834 or e-mail orwall.tina@leg.wa.gov.
For scheduling information or to check the status of a bill, visit http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature
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