In the past session, home heating assistance for those with low-income and the elderly, an elimination of state park day-use fees, greater tax incentives for the Southwest Washington semi-conductor industry, distribution rights for our local beer and wine distributors, wage parity for home health care agency workers, and the authority for home day care providers to collectively bargain were all proposals among others which were enacted and I am proud to have supported.
Returning to Olympia this January, ensuring safe neighborhoods and protecting children and families from sex offenders, thieves, and drug pushers and users are top priorities.
In this past session we were able to impose 25 year sentences for some child rapists, but we need to be sure that all child rapists face life in prison and are not eligible for special sex offender sentencing alternatives.
As part of combating Meth we must provide tougher penalties and enforcement for the crimes of auto theft and identification theft, two crimes often committed by Meth users to support their drug use. While we were able to pass tougher penalties for multiple Meth related offenses and fund treatment for addicts- we must adopt tougher penalties for the growing ID and auto theft crimes too.
We also made small improvements in health care by allowing public employees to use health savings accounts and allowing health carriers to offer health plans to groups of 500 or more in industry pools. But this was not enough, consumers are shut out of health care decisions and we must pass meaningful small group reform so that small businesses can offer health care to their employees. This reform must be mandate free and offer options to even the lowest income earners.
Landowners, large and small need protection from government’s abuse of power. In the next session we must limit government’s powers of eminent domain and we must reign in the runaway growth management hearing boards. Landowners, farmers, and small business owners alike must also be protected from the onerous estate tax as well.
In the past session we were able to direct the State Board of Education to develop the purpose and expectation of a High School Diploma, we provided methods of monitoring student progress toward achieving these goals, and we authorized a review of career and technical path options for students. But this isn’t enough to make Washington students competitive. We must ensure that every child is able to meet the expectations of the WASL through remedial classes, tutors, and expanded summer school programs, not by lowering the standards.
In the next session we have a lot of work to complete. But with your support, I will return to Olympia and we will make Washington a better state to raise our families.
