Friends and Neighbors,
As the House budget passes today, I want to thank my constituents for the many conversations we’ve had over the years. Because you take the time to express your views, I am better equipped to represent you and stand up for your priorities.
When the budget originally came out, it did not reflect several critically important priorities for our community, including issues involving small businesses, schools, sex offenders, taxes, graduation rates and public health. Here are some changes I pushed for as your representative:
- The original budget cut community supervision of sex offenders and violent offenders. I wrote a letter to our leadership and got 13 other legislators to sign onto it, and we succeeded in reversing that cut. This keeps our people safe from sex offenders and violent crime. It was the right thing to do.
- The original budget shifted school levy equalization payments and apportionment payments due at the end of the biennium into the next two-year budget cycle, which starts July 1, 2013. I did not like that technique, so I teamed up with two like-minded legislators to address it, and we were able to make improvements. Our amendment states that those payments will not be delayed if the economy and the budget outlook continue to improve over the next year and a half. It is only a partial solution: If the economy worsens or flat-lines, those payments will still be shifted. But this amendment – the only one to address that issue that actually passed – made a tangible improvement to the budget.
- The budget did little to directly help small businesses. On your behalf, I wrote an amendment to assist small businesses that aren’t being treated fairly by state regulators. The amendment was adopted, giving small businesses two new resources: a designated small business liaison to help them address any regulatory overreach, and a way to anonymously report problems. This provides basic customer service and transparency for small businesses, accomplished without any significant new cost to the state.
- My colleague, Rep. Steve Tharinger of Sequim, led an effort to head off the draconian cuts to local public health funding. I joined that effort, and we had a total of seven legislators working together. The budget was amended to protect local public health funding.
- The budget contains no broad-based tax increases. There are several corporate tax loophole closures being considered in the budget discussions, which I am studying closely and may likely support.
- One of my amendment efforts failed. I continue to believe we can increase the graduation rates and degree production at our universities, and sought an amendment implementing reforms to do so without increasing spending. But our budget also cuts higher education funding, and I could not gain enough support for making reforms even as we reduce spending in that area. However, the Senate budget plan maintains higher education without cuts, and I am hopeful the final budget agreement sent to the governor will be stronger for higher education.
- Finally, the budget still contains references to cutting levy equalization payments to our local schools in the future, which requires a separate follow-up bill to enact. I oppose cutting levy equalization, and will oppose that separate bill.
Tough times call for responsible decisions, and I will be continuing to watch these issues and many others so that your priorities are heard clearly as the final budget is written. Please continue to call, email and meet with me, because I need to know your priorities and needs, so I can represent you well.
Tim