WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Rep. Wylie’s 1/30/2012 e-memo

Dear neighbors,

We are entering the fourth week of this year’s session and the pace here in Olympia is really picking up now since we are approaching the first major cut-off.  Tuesday, January 31, is the last day that non-fiscal House bills can be moved out of committee and be eligible for further action.  Many committees are meeting well into the night in order to allow the public an opportunity to testify.

The budget remains the highest priority of the session, and, contrary to what you may be hearing, the budget writers are right on track for getting their work done on time. In addition, there is much work being done to look for more savings from streamlining activities and programs, changing our tax structure to help businesses recover and create jobs and strategies that will prevent major program cuts in the future.  As is the norm, our supplemental budget will be released shortly after the next state revenue forecast on February 16th.  That forecast will give us the most up-to-date numbers we need to accurately balance the budget.

While the budget committees are busy with their work, other committees have had a full plate as well.  Issues I’ve been working this week include:  Streamlining operations for more efficiencies and long term savings, proposals to create both short term and long term jobs, ways to offer more focused and affordable education for both young people and displaced workers and long term tax reform that is fair and sustainable. My committee work in Higher Education, Environment and Technology has been part of this work.

Video Updates

So far this session I have done one legislative video update.  You can watch it clicking here, and you can also find it, as well as future videos, on my website.

Jobs now, jobs tomorrow

I am also very glad to be serving on the Capital Budget Committee.  I want to let you know about a plan House and Senate lawmakers are working together on that will quickly create real jobs in every corner of the state – tens of thousands of family wage jobs.

It’s modeled after a successful effort led by former Gov. Dan Evans in the 1970’s. Put simply, it front-loads construction projects already scheduled to be done in future years.  It will put thousands and thousands of people to work as early as this spring building the infrastructure that will help build a better economy – and a better Washington.

Our region has the state’s highest unemployment rate and we need these jobs now.  The need for both things – jobs and infrastructure – is great. Construction workers on the west side of the state face a 30 percent unemployment rate. No other major industry comes close. East of the mountains, some trades are up to 60 percent unemployed. This proposal is the fastest way to get those people back on the job.  This proposal works well with other actions that will reduce debt when times are good and allow investments that create jobs when times are bad and those investments are essential.

You can read more about the plan and see a list of proposed projects here. Remember, the review of this first list is not complete. We are looking for projects that are needed, will create the most jobs soon and are fairly distributed throughout the communities that need them most. As always there are more projects than money and we will have to be smart and strategic with what we have.

What have we done to do more with less?

Most organizations are trying to answer this question in this new economy. Government is no different.

In the last three years, revenue shortfalls have forced the legislature to cut over $10 billion in state spending. Although all state agencies have taken dramatic cuts but still have essential functions to perform.

I am sponsoring a bill (House Bill 2452) that will streamline and consolidate much of the state’s purchasing and procurement functions. It will also make it easier for small businesses to sell their goods and services to the state and other governments when those items are needed. Efforts like these are ongoing, but have become more critical in this economy.  There must be no slowdown in this effort, even when things improve.

Higher education has been severely impacted by the economy, just when training and education is most critical to prepare for the future.  I sit on the Higher Education Committee and we have been reviewing reforms, efficiencies and impacts on those institutions, looking for ways to improve quality, affordability and access, despite the challenges. To site a few examples:

–         The University of Washington has reduced its administration staff by sixteen percent. Both UW and WWU have eliminated over 40 academic programs at their campuses.

–         Washington State University has eliminated over 1,000 courses from the course catalog and reduced or eliminated 25 degrees.

–         Our community and technical colleges are also becoming more efficient through expanding open course libraries, reducing the need for remedial courses, and streamlining college assessments and placements.

I will share other examples of the way state services are being delivered more efficiently in the weeks to come.  With another $1.5 billion budget shortfall looming, additional cuts will have to be made and we are continuing to find ways to streamline government.

Discover Pass tweaks in the works

Washington’s state parks are the jewels of our Evergreen Legacy.  But, like all areas of government, they are struggling as a result of budget cuts.

Last session, legislators saved all 120 of our state parks from closure by implementing a new user fee system. Since last July, vehicles entering state parks must display an annual “Discover Pass” (or a day pass) in order to park. There is flexibility for those stopping briefly, but vehicles without a pass can be ticketed.

The intent behind the legislation was to prevent closure of state parks, most of which are not fully self-supporting.  41 other states already charge user fees at their state parks, so Washington was in the minority of states that did not. The adjustment has been hard for parks users and changes need to be made to the system.

Thousands of Washingtonians have purchased Discover Passes since they became available last summer. Sadly, these sales haven’t generated the revenue expected and needed to prevent more cuts to our parks. Lawmakers are examining possible tweaks to the program that may make it more user-friendly, encourage more people to buy the pass, and keep the gates at our parks open.

Among the proposals being considered are:

–         House Bill 2153 to make the Discover Pass more family-friendly by allowing it to be transferable between two vehicles.

–         House Bill 2217 to cap the cost of the annual pass at $30.00.

–         House Bill 2295 offering a discount to people who purchase the Discover Pass at the same time as they buy their hunting or fishing license and prohibits other agencies from adding additional fees to the cost of the Discover Pass.

–         House Bill 2373 does everything the above bills do, plus additional modifications to the law.

I’m interested in hearing your opinion on the issues included in this update, or on anything that’s on your mind.  Please feel free to e-mail or call my office anytime, (360) 786-7924. You can also visit my website https://www.housedemocrats.wa.gov/roster/rep-sharon-wylie/.

Sincerely,

Sharon Wylie