Keeping an eye on the bottom line

Whatcom View - Sen. Harriet Spanel

The 2008 Legislature faces many daunting issues, any of which could be considered the top priority. Health care, education, transportation and affordable housing all demand our immediate attention.

The challenge we face is how to address these problems in a cost-effective manner in today’s uncertain economy. I believe people want results and real progress to be made on critical issues, and they want the legislature to keep an eye on the bottom line.

We’ve already begun work on several health care proposals. Ensuring that all Washington children have health insurance by 2010 is still our goal and we will establish a stable funding source for paid family leave for the birth or adoption of a child.

Our responsibility to our children and grandchildren doesn’t end with health care. From early learning through college, students need the right tools to take their place in the world.

We expect to pass legislation to ensure the quality, accessibility, and rigor of career and technical education programs in our high schools and skills centers. We will continue to develop effective dropout prevention and intervention programs to keep students in school, and provide opportunities for students who don’t meet graduation requirements.

We depend on the smooth flow of our transportation network to reach our jobs, and our products to reach other markets. If you imagine the state of Washington as a living being, our transportation system is the circulatory system.

Our roads, ferries, and trains move people back and forth to work, and enable businesses to move goods to and from our communities.

And, since our transportation system connects us to one another, we are affected by improvement and safety projects in other regions. We might not drive over Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct or the 520 Bridge each day, but we depend on the constant flow of freight and people over those roadways.

If we allow those critical structures to deteriorate and become unsafe, we jeopardize our state’s economy. We must improve the safety of these structures and build replacement ferries.

Everyone should feel safe from physical harm in their homes, schools and communities. We will pass legislation to provide more local resources for tracking and monitoring sex offenders, strengthen campus safety, and to enhance protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

This session will include proposals to help new homebuyers and those facing foreclosure. We will provide additional funds for affordable housing and for projects needed in the areas devastated by recent storms.

We will continue the move to be a “greener” Washington with more clean energy development and limited greenhouse gas emissions. We will also improve investment to stimulate research and development in emerging fields.

It’s an ambitious agenda for a 60-day session, but we will make the investments to provide for the health, safety and welfare of all of Washington’s residents. And we will keep an eye on the bottom line, leaving over a billion dollars in the state budget reserves.

Editor’s note: Senator Harriet Spanel represents Washington’s 40th legislative district, including southwest Whatcom County, northwest Skagit County and San Juan County.

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