WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Rep. Gutiérrez Kenney’s April 24 e-memo

Dear Neighbors,

 

We have reached the end of the 2012 Special Legislative Session and I must say it was not easy.  However, there were many things we did accomplish to keep funds for those in need and to create jobs for our economy.


Improving our economy in a historic way

One of the greatest achievements of the just-finished legislative session was the Jobs Now Act of 2012.  Today I’d like to talk a little bit about it.

 

Our state’s economy is showing some real signs of coming out of the recession, but one of the hardest-hit industries – construction – is still suffering.  It’s estimated that 30% of those in the construction trades are unemployed right now in Western Washington, and those numbers are nearly double on the eastern side of the state.

 

But those numbers don’t tell the whole story.  Suppliers, retailers, concrete companies and other industries connected to the construction business have also been hard-hit. Clearly, if our economy is to fully rebound, something needed to be done to stimulate the construction industry.

 

So we took inspiration from actions Democratic president Franklin D. Roosevelt took to help get America out of the Great Depression, and Republican governor Dan Evans took in the 1970s to grow Washington state’s economy during that decade’s tough recession. Both of them decided that the best way to get people back to work was the direct path: hire people to build things that will benefit taxpayers for generations to come.

 

That’s the idea behind the Jobs Now Act – we are taking advantage of some of the lowest interest rates in decades to put our own people to work building, repairing and modernizing infrastructure projects in all corners of the state.

 

Up to 18,000 jobs will be created right away – many as early as this summer – and 9,000 long-term jobs will

be generated but the economic development projects.

 

How often does a plan in Olympia have the support of both business groups and labor unions?  Jobs Now did.

And though the bill got a little bit tangled up in the operating budget negotiations, it ultimately passed with

strong bi-partisan support in both the House and the Senate. To read the complete Jobs Now Act, you can go to

this link.  https://leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/Budget/lbns/2012Cap5127.PL.pdf

 

New state law halts re-victimization in child-pornography cases

A Washington State Supreme Court ruling five years ago (Washington v. Boyd) required that the defense in a

child-pornography case must be allowed access to the pertinent photographs depicting children in

sexually explicit conduct in order to prepare their case.

 

Unfortunately, one Washington man charged with producing and distributing child-pornography and who

is acting as his own defense attorney has been using this court decision to view, over and over, explicit

pictures he’s accused of making. He is even legally able to keep the materials in his cell with him.

No longer. Governor Gregoire signed a measure last month that stops this further victimization of youngsters

whose lives have already been so terribly brutalized.
Specifically, the bipartisan legislation spells out that in child-pornography cases:

  • The material can be examined by the defense, but it must remain in the actual custody of law- enforcement people or court people.
  • A mirrored hard drive can be made available for expert-examination by the defense if the court
  • determines that such examination is justified.
  • When it is no longer needed for the trial, the child pornography in question will be destroyed.

“Child pornography is contraband, just like illegal drugs, and we should treat it like contraband,” said

Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Lindquist. “We don’t duplicate and distribute illegal

drugs for trial, and prosecutors shouldn’t be required to duplicate and distribute child pornography

for trial. This bill will stop this offensive practice.”

 

Washington gets 100% for accessibility to government

Washington state has earned a perfect score for website transparency for the second year in a row.

This means Access Washington is one of the most open and accessible state government sites in the

entire nation.

The A+ grade was awarded by the Sunshine Review, a national nonprofit organization focused on government accountability. Washington is one of just of 10 states to receive such a high mark. To learn more about

the reasons our state website got a perfect score, go here.

Since its initial launch in 1998, Access Washington has won multiple awards for service, innovation, communication, quality and excellence.

 

Users can find answers to endless questions about their government, such as how to report suspected fraud, to how to renew your drivers or business license, and where to get employment assistance. You also find

names and contact information of elected officials and lobbyists, easy access to contracts and tax information, and information on ethics policies as well as the Washington Public Records Act.

 

I hope you are enjoying your Spring as we look forward to Summer. I appreciate your input and look forward to hearing from you.

 

Best Wishes,

 

Phyllis Gutiérrez Kenney
State Representative
46th Legislative District