WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Rep. Luis Moscoso’s Legislative Update – Feb 22, 2013

Dear Neighbors,

The last two weeks have been busy here in the legislature, but these weeks were not without moments of reflection and remembrance.  On February 13, members of the House and Senate held a Joint Session to honor former legislators who have passed away in the last two years. I took the opportunity to remember former Representative Jeanne Edwards, who I knew and worked with when she was in the House. You can read about her in this June 2011 Everett Herald story.

Moscoso 2013Memorial


Watch my latest video update

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Our paramount duty

As you know, the Supreme Court said we are not meeting our paramount duty to adequately fund education, so that’s the number one issue we have to solve this session.

Every child deserves a good education, which is in everybody’s best interest because education is the engine that drives our economy.  Secure families and a strong middle class depend on the next generation getting the education they need to compete against the rest of the world.

Have you heard Republicans say their plan is to “Fund Education First”? Catchy slogans don’t always translate into good ideas. What Republicans want is to pass a separate education budget first, and then let every other vital state service, including higher education, economic development, and foster care, fight for what’s left. A better name for this plan would be an “All Cuts Budget.” 

We’ve cut $12 billion in services and laid off 4,500 teachers and school employees over the last few years, while passing unfunded reforms.  Cutting even more services for the sick, hungry and homeless isn’t the answer. It’s not compassionate and it’s not smart.


Higher education bills advance in the House

computerstudentsHouse Democrats have five clear goals for the 2013 legislative session. One of our priorities is to ensure our students have the opportunities and skills they need for the real world. Our kids deserve the same chances to succeed that previous generations received.

Last week, the House Higher Education committee passed several bills that will make college more affordable and accessible:

HB 1043 would end differential tuition authority for universities, but more importantly, would save the Guaranteed Education Tuition program. GET is a valuable tool to help middle class families save for college.

HB 1453 would provide more opportunities for working students to apply for State Need Grant assistance.

HB 1011 would make college more accessible and affordable for our military service members and veterans.

Our country was founded on hard work and opportunity. These are just a few of the many bills we’re working on to build a strong middle class who are ready for the jobs of tomorrow.


Connecting Washington: Transportation proposal unveiled this week

Speaking of jobs: Prominent business, labor, and environmental leaders from around the state joined members of the House Transportation Committee Wednesday to discuss details of the “Connecting Washington” transportation proposal.

The proposal would fund nearly $10 billion in transportation projects and maintenance across the state, and it has strong support from groups who agree that improving our transportation infrastructure is the key to growing our state’s economy. There are critical transportation needs across Washington that must be addressed, and in the words of Washington Roundtable president Steve Mullin, “We can’t afford to wait any longer.”

Details of the proposal, including a project breakdown, can be found on the House Democrats website. The main features of the plan include:

  • Protecting existing infrastructure through maintenance and operation work, road repairs, and funding to city and county governments to address local needs
  • Investing in new transportation projects that reduce congestion and improve safety in every corner of the state
  • Improving freight mobility to help businesses move products to market more efficiently and affordably
  • Fully funding the Washington State Patrol to ensure our highways are safe and well taken care of
  • Providing transportation choices by empowering local and regional transit agencies, investing the bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements, and stabilizing the Washington State Ferry System

Update on my bills

So far these three bills have been passed out of their committees and are in Rules for further consideration:

HB 1238: Allowing motorcycles to stop and proceed through traffic control signals under certain conditions
This measure allows motorcyclists to proceed through an intersection that uses a vehicle detection device, which does not pick up the motorcycle because of its size, after coming to a full stop and waiting for the traffic signal to go through one cycle. I’ve been told there are quite a few lights in our district where this is a problem – I’m hopeful that this bill will help motorcyclists ride safely and keep traffic moving.

HB 1242: Concerning the authority of a vehicle subagent to recommend a successor
This bill allows a licensing subagent (like the ones you’ve seen in grocery stores, for example) to recommend a successor without resigning their appointment. This bill will help make sure these small businesses have some reassurance about fair consideration for contract continuation in the case of retirement or death of a subagent/business owner.

HB 1413: The Washington Voting Rights Act of 2013
This legislation creates the Washington Voting Rights Act of 2013, to promote equal voting opportunity in certain political subdivisions by authorizing district-based elections, requiring redistricting and new elections in certain circumstances, and establishing a cause of action to redress lack of voter opportunity. You can read the press release on this and other bills to increase voter access here.

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