Session ends - for a while

Standing in the rain beside the earthquake-damaged Capitol building, lawmakers on Sunday rapped the gavel to end the legislative session.

"The 2001 session of the 57th Legislature is adjourned sine die," said Lt. Gov.

Brad Owen.

Lawmakers, huddled under a colorful canopy of umbrellas, gave a thin cheer.

They knew they'd be back in 48 hours.

The 105-day session is only Round One. Much remains undone, including the state's budget for the next two years. Lawmakers will return on Wednesday to begin a 30-day special session to resolve the most contentious issues: transportation and the budget.

"I think it's a question now of pulling people into a room and hammering it out," said Sen. Lisa Brown, D-Spokane.

The slow session left some lawmakers disappointed.

"You can't feel like you had a victory, because we didn't finish our business," said Rep. Clyde Ballard, R-E. Wenatchee, co-speaker of the House of Representatives.

Sen. Jim West, R-Spokane, said some of the groundwork has been laid for the special session with behind-the-scenes negotiations.

"It's kind of like a duck swimming across a pond," he said.

"The top looks kind of boring, but underneath he's paddling like heck."

A few big things did get done this session, including:

An energy bill that makes it easier to build power plants, encourages alternative energy and increases funding to help the poor cope with power bills;

A water bill that will speed up the transfer of uncontroversial water rights between farmers and other users;

A school accountability bill that allows the state to intervene in failing local schools has passed both houses, but the Senate's form is much milder. That's one of the things lawmakers are likely to work on in May.

A lesser issue, but one of interest locally, was the passage of tax-increment financing by both houses. The process would allow cities and counties to divert some property tax money to help pay for water, sewer, roads and other infrastructure for large businesses moving into an area. The bill is waiting for Gov. Gary Locke to sign it into law.

"For Spokane, that's a significant victory, especially for local economic development efforts," said Rep. Jeff Gombosky, D-Spokane.

Much of the slow pace of the session can be attributed to the Republican/Democrat tie in the House.

In previous years, "There was passion, there was excitement, there were long hours, you really felt like you were doing stuff," said Rep. Alex Wood, D-Spokane. "The tie is just so frustrating."

Others say the ties enforced a slower, more deliberative pace on the process. And that's good, they say.

Better no bill than a bad bill.

"I think it's been a good session that way," said Rep. Don Cox, R- Colfax. "A lot of good discussion, a lot of good analysis."

Money was also a factor in the slow pace.

"Because we're in a financial crunch, we do need to be more deliberative on financial matters," said Sen. Bob Morton, R-Orient.

Here are some of the unresolved issues:

The budget: The Senate proposed a $22.8 billion budget for the next two years. Weeks later, the tied House has yet to unveil its version. The Senate budget relies on taking $250 million from an investment wind-fall in a state pension fund. Many House members don't want to do that, arguing that paying for ongoing costs with a one-time windfall just sets the state up for slashing programs and raising taxes later.

"I want that budget to be sustainable, said Rep. Mark Schoesler, R- Ritzville. "If not, the taxpayers lose down the road."

Brown, the Senate's chief budget writer, says that her budget is responsible, but that it's hard to argue specifics when there's still no House budget to compare it to.

"We've just got to get the whole budget out into the light of day," she said.

Transportation: Lawmakers are juggling several proposals to fund billions of dollars in transportation projects, from new ferries to public transit to rural highway construction. Little is resolved publicly, although some legislative leaders say they're working behind the scenes to undo the weeks-old gridlock on the issue.

Primary elections: Washington's everyone-votes-for-both-parties system is in danger of a court challenge. Legislators are trying to come up with an alternative that avoids the politically unpopular step of making a voter declare a party. One option: a Louisiana- style primary, with the top two vote getters, regardless of party, facing off in the general election. But some legislative leaders say they no longer like that idea.

"Were importing Louisiana politics? I'm not very comfortable with that," said Ballard.

Ergonomics: Minority Republicans and "business Democrats" in the Senate passed a two-year delay in implementing a new state law regarding repetitive motion injuries in the workplace. But the bill has stalled in the tied House, where Democratic leaders oppose the Senate's move. The regulations, adopted last year by the state Department of Labor and Industries, require employers to modify the workplace to prevent back strain, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome and similar injuries. Washington businesses say the rules could cost them $750 million.

Copyright 2001 Cowles Publishing Company
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