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Senator
Debbie Regala
Legislative Blog
May 4, 2007
One of the amazing journeys this session relates to the bill
regarding the recommendations from the Task Force on Offender-Re-Entry.
Sen. Mike Carrell and I were co-chairs of the Task Force.
Despite the fact that we are from different sides of the aisle and often
have different viewpoints on issues, we were able to find common ground
on the this issue, especially as we worked with over 100 individuals
from many different perspectives and backgrounds as we discussed the
issue of offenders returning to the community and ways to reduce repeat
offenses. Together we introduced
SB 5070. It was very well received in the Senate, passing with
only 1 opposing vote.
The bill received accolades in local newspapers and even gained
recognition by the New York Times editorial page as a comprehensive
piece of legislation that deserved to be a model for the nation!
Unfortunately, the bill was not as well received in the House. House
Republicans labeled it ‘soft on crime’ because it included services for felons –
education, drug treatment, transitional housing, etc – which have been
proven to reduce recidivism. They developed a slogan ‘Families before
Felons’ and put forth numerous amendments that would promote that slogan
and attempt to embarrass Democrats. House Democrats were leery of moving
the bill forward. Mike and I received many messages that the bill would
not be considered.
Luckily many others including Sen. Hargrove and
Sen.
Brown were supportive and worked hard to persuade
Speaker Chopp and
Rep.
Dickerson (the committee chair) to move the bill out of the Human
Services committee. One day the bill died and was revived 3 different
times before there was finally an agreement to move it forward. The
Republican members of the committee did offer over 20 amendments but
were persuaded to reduce the number to about 6. Mike and I were joined
by several advocates at the committee meeting which took over two hours
just to pass this one bill.
The bill moved onto the Appropriations committee and was amended
slightly to reduce the fiscal costs – but passed without too much
debate. When the bill was scheduled for House floor debate, over 40
amendments were offered. Again, Speaker Chopp was reluctant to consider
the bill due the number and tenor of the amendments. And at cut-off for
consideration, SB 5070 did not survive.
But many advocates weren’t willing to let that be the end. It seemed
we picked up more supporters in the lobbying community as the session
went on. So folks in the Senate put their heads together and developed a
new strategy.
A new bill,
SB 6172, was drafted. It had a 588 word title
designed to limit the opportunities to amend the bill. But we were
within 10 days of adjournment and the State Constitution prohibits
introduction of a new bill unless 2/3 of each chamber vote to authorize
consideration. That was not going to happen in the House. Another
strategy was devised. Luckily the Ways and Means committee chairwoman,
Sen. Prentice, had introduced a title-only bill
SB 6157 earlier in the
session. Its title was "relating to Human Services" and it was
intended to be used for any Human Services policies that were necessary
to implement the budget. Luckily there were none – except that SB 5070
had been referenced in the budget.
So many negotiations took place with
House members to identify reasonable amendments that would assist in
passage. A new 620 word title was developed! The 40 plus amendments
would be ‘out of scope’ of the bill. An agreement was made to allow 2
amendments to be offered and debated. The debate was spirited but both
amendments failed, and the bill was moved to final passage, as Mike and
I stood in the wings.
At the last moment, staff from the Speaker’s
office requested that one last amendment be considered. The House
Republicans were in support of it and we also agreed So the bill was
rolled back to 2nd reading, the amendment passed, and then the bill
moved back to final reading! It finally passed 64-33! It was Saturday
night and one day was left in the session. On Sunday, the final day the
Senate concurred with the amended bill!
What a long and winding road – but success was sweet!
April 20, 2007
Yesterday, Sen. Eric Oemig, D-Kirkland,
rose on the Senate floor for a “point of personal privilege.” This
motion is used by legislators when expressing a personal statement not
relevant to pending business. He used his point of personal privilege to
call an end to the Iraq war, urging all Americans to examine the current
administration’s mishandling of the conflict, which has cost the lives
of thousands of servicemen and servicewomen.
As Americans, we have the privilege of protest, free speech and
openly disagreeing with our government’s policies. Our founding fathers
put these democratic provisions in place so that our voices could be
heard and counted.
Later in the day, I made the following remarks:
Today our desks are adorned with American flags. You may note mine is
at half staff. Some have asked me why?
When I was born our nation, and indeed much of the world, was at war
and everyone was aware of the war and the sacrifices that were required.
Most had a family member serving on one of the two fronts and every
family was faced with rationing and having to make adjustments in their
lives due to the war.
During the Vietnam War far fewer experienced the sacrifices required
by war. Although all had an opinion about that war, most were personally
detached from the pain. As a young wife with a husband on the front
lines – I and my baby daughter and other members of our family
experienced first hand the agony and uncertainty of having a loved one
at war.
Now we are engaged in another war which is highly debated yet fewer
still are experiencing the personal toll of this war.
So my flag is at half-staff to honor those who will never come home,
those who will come back maimed or injured physically and mentally and
those whose lives will never be the same.
And also for those Iraqis who have died, whose families have been
torn apart, whose country is in turmoil.
For our countries and for the region which face an uncertain future
due to the fiscal costs of war, the devastation of war, and the
instability that has been created in so many lives.
And so I also rise Mr. President to ask for a moment of silent
reflection about the toll that war takes on both our present and our
future and the need to always honestly assess the reasons for going to
war against the resulting consequences.
Mar. 5, 2007
This has been a busy time as the Legislature completed the first
phase of a legislative session – hearing bills in committee. Any bill to
be considered still ‘alive’ for this session needed to be given a ‘do
pass’ recommendation out of committee by Wednesday, Feb. 28. Those which
must go through a fiscal committee have until Monday, March 5 to be
given a ‘do pass’ from that committee. Next week starts the period of
voting on bills on the floor. Bills which gain successful support on the
Senate floor will then go to the House for consideration. (and vice
versa for House bills).
Last Thursday evening, there was a public hearing on
Senate Joint Memorial 8003 which calls for no escalation in Iraq
and
SJM 8016 asking for an investigation into actions by the Bush
Administration which could be deemed impeachable offenses.
These two Memorials to Congress have generated quite a bit of
controversy. Many believe that the Legislature should not be wasting its
time on these issues. Others believe strongly that these are some of the
most important issues facing our country today and the Legislature has a
legitimate role in petitioning Congress regarding these matters.
I believe the Legislature handled this situation in a responsible
manner. Hearings on the two bills were heard on Thursday afternoon,
after the regular committee work had taken place. So it did not
interfere with our efforts and focus on the important issues specific to
the State of Washington – education, healthcare, jobs, the economy and
the budget – among others.
Legislators are the elected voice of their constituents as well as
the elected listeners. Many have lamented that there has been no way for
their voices to be heard. I believe the hearing provided this
opportunity. During the hearing on SJM 8003 there was poignant testimony
from families who have lost loved ones in Iraq. The hearing on SJM 8016
contained passionate testimony regarding holding elected leaders
accountable to the people.
The issues are now the responsibility of Congress. The citizens of
Washington who rarely have an opportunity to travel to Washington D.C.
to express their opinions have had that opportunity in Olympia. The
Legislature will continue its work on the critical issues before them
and the next few weeks promise to be even more hectic and exciting.
Feb. 26, 2007
One of the interesting aspects of being a legislator is talking with
members of the press corp. For the most part, they work hard to provide
information on issues before the Legislature. But I’ll be honest –
sometimes I think they focus too much on issues that may be ‘fun’ to
write or talk about and not enough on the issues that are really
important in the lives of the people of our state. But I do believe the
press sees their mission as keeping the public informed.
Recently, I had the unfortunate experience of dealing with a reporter
for KIRO-TV, whose goal was not to inform the public but to inflame the
public. It is now clear to me that this reporter came to Olympia with an
already written story and was determined to simply find ‘quotes’ to help
him present his incendiary story regarding sex offenders living near
schools. He misrepresented the facts about the laws passed by the
legislature. He inaccurately portrayed the process used in developing
those laws and took something I had said entirely out of context.
I have no problem with people disagreeing with me on an issue,
especially when they know the facts. But when a reporter is given the
facts and chooses to ignore them in order to mislead the public and
present a story that will inflame the public, I believe that is
inexcusable!
Jan. 15, 2007
This legislative session is off to a very fast start. I’ve identified
three priorities that I want to accomplish and each is well on its way.
1. On the 3rd day of the session (Jan. 10) the Water, Energy, &
Telecommunications committee held a hearing on my bill (SB
5034) to ban toxic
flame retardants -PBDEs. The House also held a hearing on the companion
bill and moved the bill out of committee later in the week. I am
confident the bill will pass this session.
2. I’ve been following the national effort regarding Streamlined
Sales Tax (SSTUA) since I came to the Senate in 2001, and have prime
sponsored several bills over the years. In simple terms,
SB 5089
provides simplicity and uniformity in the collection of sales and use
taxes, aiding multi-state businesses while leveling the playing filed
for our retailers who compete with remote sellers. Last year, the Senate
unanimously passed my bill which would have made Washington State one of
the 20 states that are part of the agreement. However, the House was not
willing to pass the bill. This year, the House has indicated that they
will consider the legislation which is also a request from the
Governor's office. The bill had a hearing in Ways and Means on Thursday
(4th day of the session!) and it appears the bill will move out of
committee some time next week.
3. Also on Thursday, the Human Services & Corrections Committee held
a hearing on the legislation I am sponsoring (SB
5070) with Sen. Carrell which
deals with the re-entry of offenders back into the community. We
co-chaired a Task Force this summer which looked at a wide range of
issues dealing with this topic. The hearing went quite well. As with any
omnibus bill, there are a number of minor suggestions for changes. But
overall there was strong support for this bill.
Cheers,
Debbie Regala
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