Welcome to Policy Watch 2007

PART II – WEEK ONE IN OLYMPIA

THE SCENE

Extreme weather may have slowed activity on the highways, but not on the Capitol campus. Members of the 60th Washington state Legislature were just sworn in on January 8, but the mood is upbeat and the pace is quicker-than-usual as they start their 105-day, 15-week Session.

Since 2006 was an election year affecting all the 98 House seats and half the 49 Senate seats, 84% of the elected officials in Olympia just won their elections. That alone would be enough to affect the mood in the Capitol, but every new Session brings a spirit of opportunity and renewed energy. That makes this a great time to visit our Capitol – most everybody is in a good mood!

The first thing visitors will notice are the physical changes. The Capitol campus itself is about the size of a small college campus, with most of the activity occurring in about half-a-dozen buildings. Ever since the earthquake in 2001, one or more of those buildings have been under repair, and everyone -- legislators, committee staff, lobbyists and others -- have been moved around… some of them more than once, others into temporary “modular units.” Well, this year the repairs are finished, and the “mod” buildings have been replaced by parking lots. Senate Democrats are back in the Cherberg Building, some Representatives have new offices on the ground floor of the Capitol building, and various committee staff are getting used to new space.

Even visitors to the Capitol have a new area: right inside the Pritchard building, with its big glass windows and convenient cafeteria, there’s now a pleasant seating area, complete with internet access and mere steps from a latte or a little food. For those brand new Olympia, it helps to know that information about the legislature and its process is also mere steps away – at the satellite station of the always helpful, remarkably knowledgeable (and patient) staff of the Legislative Information Center. It’s possible to pick up a schedule of the day’s (or week’s) Committee Hearings, a list of all the bills that have been introduced, handy lists of all the legislators/their staff/their offices/their phone and email contact, and – for the younger set – coloring books and a complete set of State Symbols. Olympia is a very user-friendly place.

Visitors can drop in on a Public Hearing in any of the Committees, stop by to leave a brief message for the Governor (her office is on the 2nd Floor of the Capitol Building), go to the offices of their Senator and both their Representatives to introduce themselves. If the legislators are in their offices and not already in a meeting, they’ll often stop for a brief conversation – which is when citizens can mention an issue they care about and want the legislator to as well. In short, they – YOU – can be citizen lobbyist… telling your representatives how you wish to be represented. It’s free, it’s as easy as talking, and it’s part of a wonderful system called Representative Democracy.

THE CONTEXT
It’s only the first week, but this year the legislative action is already in gear.

Several factors may be playing a part in the faster pace as the legislature settles in for its 105-day “long” Session. One may be the simple fact that the 2006 elections brought 10 new Senators (about half of whom have served in the legislature before) and 12 new Representatives to Olympia. Having so many new members always raises the energy level. At the same time, all these new members open up a host of opportunities to educate and shape the thinking of a sizable group of legislators – so savvy citizen advocates were also quick to make their way to Olympia to get their issues on the new members’ radar screens.

Having one party with a substantial majority is no doubt another factor. In a legislature where it takes 25 votes (of 49) to win anything in the Senate, and 50 votes (of 98) to win anything in the House of Representatives, Democrats now hold a commanding lead. Coming out of the 2006 elections, Democrats now have a larger majority in both the Senate (32 Democrats, 17 Republicans) and the House (62 Democrats, 36 Republicans). Not only can they more easily drive an agenda, like anyone in a position of abundance, they can afford to be generous. Already House Democrats have given two coveted appointments to Republicans. Tom Campbell, a chiropractor from Spanaway/Yelm/South Pierce County – will Chair the new Select Committee on Environmental Health, and Maureen Walsh, a businessperson and parent from Walla Walla, will be the Vice Chair of the Committee on Early Learning & Children’s Services. Since Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs largely control the flow of legislation referred to their Committees – deciding which bills will get Public Hearings, which will not -- those appointments bode well for future bi-partisan efforts.

Even with a substantial majority, Democrats know they won’t automatically win every vote. Washington has a long tradition of “independent” voting – Republicans who vote with the Democrats on some issues, and Democrats who vote with the Republicans on some issues. No one assumes that party lines determine all the votes and good advocates always look for champions in both parties, both bodies.

A third explanation for this year’s fast start may simply be the budget. Last year the legislature met for just nine weeks. But 2007 is a “long session” year, when our part-time, citizen-legislators meet for 15 weeks in order to write a two-year budget for the state. The fact that there is $1.9 billion more in the state’s coffers than was earlier anticipated is very good news. However, those “extra revenues” are widely understood to be temporary; legislators know they cannot count on those added dollars every year. So while they are happy not to be starting out in the shadow of deficits, anything that requires more than one-time money will be closely scrutinized. That simple fact will affect all their budgetary decisions, as legislators from both parties get the budget discussion underway.

Our Governor is required to offer her proposal for the way the budget should be decided in early December, so legislators can have a head start in thinking about it. But they know that while the Executive (in this case the Governor) proposes, it is the Legislature that disposes. She suggests; they decide. And while many agree with her heavy emphasis on education, early learning, and health care expansions, they will not hesitate to differ on the details.

THE CULTURE
This is not new, but it bears repeating. Our Washington legislators are remarkably accessible.

We are each represented by 1 Senator and 2 Representatives (whose names and bio’s can be found at www.leg.wa.gov – just type your address into District Finder and they will pop up). All are part-time legislators who left Olympia in mid-March to lead their other lives as grandparents and insurance salespeople, school board members and part-time college teachers, small business owners and engineers. Many are retirees who used to work at some other job, like farming or nursing or being a police officer; a part-time legislature fits their lives. About the only groups not likely to be there are: people in low-wage jobs -- who can’t get, or afford, the time off; and young parents – because of the time demands.

All summer and fall most of them worked on election campaigns for themselves and their friends, and now all those who won in November are together for the next round. They know that keeping their jobs depends on acting on issues their constituents care about, and that makes they eager to hear from us. They try to pause in whatever they were doing to talk to constituents, welcome total strangers into their tiny offices, conduct brief visits as they walk from meeting to meeting, and often they will step out of Committee Hearings for brief conversations in the halls. Like anyone else, they can be testy if they are having a bad day, or get impatient when they are tired. But they want to hear from constituents, and they make it very easy to be involved.

Right now, when the Session is just getting underway and legislators’ days are not yet over-full, is a great time for constituents to introduce themselves. For those who can’t get to Olympia one easy way is through the toll-free hotline. With a single call to 1-800-562-6000, you can leave a brief message with an operator for your Senator, both Representatives, and the Governor – just to let them know the issue you care most about, and that you will be watching throughout the Session. It has language translation, and it has TTY for people with hearing difficulties.
Above all – it’s easy, it’s quick, and it’s free!

SOME ISSUES
About 2,000 bills are introduced in a typical year, but only about 10-15% will become law. At the same time, many activities will be directly affected by decisions made during deliberations on the budget. Those mentioned here are only a few of the many, many issues being taken up. (To see a list of all the bills introduced to date, go to www.leg.wa.gov and at Bill Information, check the DAILY STATUS REPORT.)

Advocates and legislators alike are talking about a range of issues affecting people at every stage of life. Education – all levels - is clearly going to be a big topic, with a special emphasis on early learning. Health Care is another big topic, starting with bills to provide health coverage for all children by 2010, as well as efforts to win coverage for people of all ages. Mental Health expansions are also on the minds of some legislators, again with a special focus on children’s mental health; and efforts will be made to secure funding for county Public Health activities. There is already a growing list of items to help children and youth in foster care – everything from learning more about “best practices” in the child welfare system to helping youth aging out of foster care with housing or medical coverage to age 21. Housing advocates will be working to expand affordable housing as part of a package of about 8 items to decrease homelessness. Chemical dependency providers are seeking an increase in reimbursement rates, without which they fear that many critical services may be lost. Advocates for senior citizens have their eye on improvements in long-term care, ways to provide respite for caregivers, and a number of senior consumer issues. Disability groups are among those off to a fast start, with attention to everything from the way “disability” is defined to the kinds of services that help people live more independent lives. Efforts will also be made to help incarcerated people, both with respect to maintaining their family ties and to restoring their rights when they leave prison. A push is being made to regulate predatory lending and broaden family leave benefits. And advocates for low-income people will attempt – once again – to raise TANF and GAU grants.

Two other broad sets of concerns will be heard this year. A) Within many specific issues, attention will be drawn to the matter of “disproportionality” – the fact that people from communities of color continue to be treated differently or fare less well in many of our systems. B) The legislature is being asked to grapple with a number of election-related reforms, including public financing of campaigns (judges and others’), and tamper-proof voting.

Brief Note. POLICY WATCH readers will want to read this bulletin with three things in mind. First, there is a vast array of topics considered by the legislature. We ask a lot of the men and women we elect to serve. We don’t have to like everything they do, but they deserve our respect. Second, every activity, every program, every issue at stake in the budget has its champions; legislators will be pressured from many sides on every item in the state budget. Speak up on the items that concern you. Third, it is our privilege to help our citizen-legislators sort among competing needs and make the difficult choices. If they are to represent us, they need to know how we wish to be represented. In a representative democracy, speaking up offers no guarantee of success; but there is an absolute guarantee that if you don’t speak up... you/your issue/the people you care about ... don’t stand a chance.
SOME BUDGET-RELATED HEARINGS NEXT WEEK
On Monday, 1/15 at 3:30 pm, the HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE will hold a
Public Hearing on the Governor's 2007-09 Proposed Budget for Health and Human Services (including corrections), and Natural Resources. J.L. O’Brien Building Also on TVW.

On Tuesday, 1/16, at 3:30 pm, the HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE will conduct a
Work Session with Staff briefings on the state Operating Budget, and the overlap between the Operating and Capital Budgets. J.L. O’Brien Building.

On Thursday, 1/18 at 3:30 pm, the HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE will conduct a
Work Session with Staff briefings on the Children's Administration budget, and on programs for developmentally disabled persons. J.L. O’Brien Building.

On Tuesday, 1/16 at 3:30 pm, the SENATE WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEEE will conduct a Work Session on Health Care budget issues. Senate Hearing Room 4 – Cherberg Building.

On Wednesday, 1/17 at 1:30 pm, the SENATE WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE will conduct a Work Session on the K-12 and Early Learning Budget issues. Hearing Room 4 – Cherberg Bldg.

On Thursday, 1/18, at 1:30 pm, the SENATE WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE will conduct a Work Session on Higher Education budget issues. Senate Hearing Room 4 – Cherberg Building.

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