There’s no question it will be a daunting task to write a state operating budget that falls more than $5 billion short of many people’s expectations. There’s also no good excuse, now that we have the March 17 revenue forecast numbers, for delaying the writing of and/or passage of a balanced budget. State lawmakers fully understand the scope of the problem. While the decisions ahead will be difficult, they are absolutely necessary and must be made by the scheduled end of the session on April 24, without forcing the Legislature into overtime. No excuses!

It’s not enough for the Legislature to pass a balanced budget. We need to go further this year and adopt a RESPONSIBLE balanced state budget. read more »

Only a few days remain of the 2010 legislative session. During these final days, the Legislature must adopt a balanced supplemental budget. A few days ago, the governor signed the bill that suspends the Taxpayer Protection Act, Initiative 960 www.sos.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/text/i960.pdf. This is the measure voters approved in November 2007 that required the Legislature to reach a two-thirds majority to raise taxes. Now that the measure is suspended, only a simple majority is needed to raise taxes. read more »

I feel it is important for citizens to know why I voted against Senate Bill 6130, the measure that suspended the Taxpayer Protection Act, Initiative 960. The initiative that was approved by voters in November 2007 requires the Legislature to have a two-thirds approval to raise taxes.

I joined with my House Republican colleagues in more than 10 hours of debate on the House floor, arguing that SB 6130 should be set aside indefinitely. I opposed this measure for several reasons: read more »

During an icy morning as I was driving my car, I noticed a woman on the street corner holding a sign. “I need to feed my children,” it read. Dressed in jeans, a windbreaker jacket was all that separated the shivering woman from the bitter cold. She looked as if she could have been a grocery checkout clerk, an office secretary, or may have held any type of middle-class job. Instead, she was a mom who had fallen on hard times and was doing what she must so her children could eat. read more »

Each of us has a unique perspective. Each of us has experiences that, through constructive sharing, could positively contribute to our collective society. However, it’s human nature to get so caught up in wining or losing that we forget that all opinions have a critical stake in the future of our community. read more »