Washington State Senate Democrats Assign Members to Committees

The Washington State Senate Democratic Caucus has posted their leadership positions and committee assignments for the 2009 Legislative Session on the Washington State Senate Democratic Caucus website.

Because Legislators elected last November do not assume their office until they are sworn in on January 12, 2009, the official state website for the Washington State Legislature http://www.leg.wa.gov/ still currently lists Legislators from 2007 -2008.

This can be confusing since a number of those listed on http://www.leg.wa.gov/ will not be in the 2009 Legislature because they retired or lost election in Nov. 2008. Likewise some Legislators elected for the first time in November 2008 to serve in the 2009 Legislature do not appear on the website until Jan 12, 2008. The list below is for the 2009 Legislature and shows leadership and committee assignments for Democrats who will be in the 2009 Legislature.

Democrats are the majority party in Washington State in both the House and the Senate and hence control the leadership positions and the Committee Chairs.

The 2009 Legislative session will start on Jan.12, 2009 and last for 105 days, until April 26, 2009. The almost $6 billion projected budget deficit will make this a difficult session as vested interests will be competing for a greatly diminished pool of dollars.

Governor Gregoire is opposing any new taxes because of a campaign pledge she made when she was engaged in a tight re-election race with Republican Dino Rossi. Unfortunately this limits her ability to deal with raising revenue to maintain basic needed services.

One option the state needs to look at is revenue lost from past special interest tax exemptions. In a time of budget shortfalls the misery should be spread around and past tax exemptions need to be evaluated as to their current value and priority.

Tax exemptions represent an allocation of potential state revenues and are equivalent to expenditures of funds in the overall budget. If the rest of the budget is taking a 10% cut, for example, it makes sense to also target a 10% reduction in tax exemptions for special interests.

Does it make sense, for example, to give a tax break to soft drink syrup makers or pesticide sales while cutting teacher pay raises? It's a question of priorities. The Legislature needs to seriously weight the social and economic value of special interest tax breaks versus kid's health care or education in this time of a serious budget shortfall. Tax exemptions represent revenue lost that could fund basic services. Tough choices need to be made.

2009 Washington State Senate Democratic Leadership positions:

Senate Majority Leader: Lisa Brown, 3rd District, Spokane
Senate Majority Caucus Chair: Ed Murray, 43rd District, Seattle
Senate Majority Floor Leader: Tracey J. Eide, 30th District, Federal Way
Majority Whip: Chris Marr, 6th District, Spokane
President Pro Tempore: Rosa Franklin, 29th District, Tacoma
Vice President Pro Tempore: Paull Shin, 21st District, Edmonds
Majority Caucus Vice Chair: Debbie Regala, 27th District, Tacoma
Majority Assistant Floor Leader: Joe McDermott, 34th District, Seattle
Majority Assistant Whip: Claudia Kauffman, 47th District, Kent

2009 Washington State Senate Democrats Committee Assignments:

Agriculture & Rural Economic Development :
Chair: Brian Hatfield
Vice-Chair: Kevin Ranker
Mary Margaret Haugen , Ken Jacobsen , Paull Shin

Early Learning & K-12 Education
Chair: Rosemary McAuliffe
Vice-Chair for Early Learning: Claudia Kauffman
Vice Chair for K-12: Eric Oemig
Steve Hobbs, Fred Jarrett, Joe McDermott, Rodney Tom

Economic Development, Trade & Innovation:
Chair: Jim Kastama
Vice-Chair: Paull Shin
Tracey Eide , Derek Kilmer

EDTI International Relations Subcommittee
Chair: Paull Shin
Tracey Eide, Jim Kastama

Financial Institutions, Housing & Insurance :
Chair: Jean Berkey
Vice-Chair: Steve Hobbs
Rosa Franklin, Margarita Prentice

Government Operations & Elections:
Chair: Darlene Fairley
Vice-Chair: Eric Oemig
Joe McDermott, Craig Pridemore

Health & Long-Term Care:
Chair: Karen Keiser
Vice-Chair: Rosa Franklin
Darlene Fairley, Chris Marr, Ed Murray, Margarita Prentice

Higher Education and Workforce Development:
Chair: Derek Kilmer
Vice-Chair: Fred Jarrett
Ken Jacobsen, Jim Kastama, Rosemary McAuliffe, Paull Shin

Human Services & Correstions:
Chair: Jim Hargrove
Vice-Chair: Debbie Regala
Claudia Kauffman, Rosemary McAuliffe

Judiciary:
Chair: Adam Kline
Vice-Chair: McDermott
Jim Hargrove, Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Rodney Tom

Labor, Commerce, Research & Development:
Chair: Jeanne Kohl-Welles
Vice-Chair: Karen Keiser
Rosa Franklin, Adam Kline

Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation:
Chair: Ken Jacobsen
Vice-Chair: Kevin Ranker
Karen Fraser, Jim Hargrove , Brian Hatfield

Rules:
Chair: Lt. Gov. Brad Owen
Vice-Chair: Rosa Franklin
Lisa Brown, Tracey J. Eide, Karen Fraser , Mary Margaret Haugen, Claudia Kauffman , Karen Keiser, Chris Marr, Ed Murray, Craig Pridemore, Debbie Regala

Transportation:
Chair:Mary Margaret Haugen
Vice-Chair: Chris Marr
Jean Berkey, Tracey J. Eide, Ken Jacobsen, Fred Jarrett, Jim Kastama, Claudia Kauffman, Derek Kilmer, Kevin Ranker, Tim Sheldon

Environment, Water & Energy:
Chair: Phil Rockefeller
Vice-Chair: Craig Pridemore
Karen Fraser, Brian Hatfield, Chris Marr, Kevin Ranker, Tim Sheldon

Ways & Means:
Chair: Sen. Margarita Prentice
Vice-Chair - Capital Budget: Karen Fraser
Vice-Chair - Operating Budget: Rodney Tom
Darlene Fairley, Steve Hobbs, Karen Keiser, Adam Kline, Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Joe McDermott, . Ed Murray, Eric Oemig, Craig Pridemore, Debbie Regala, Phil Rockefeller

Washington State House Democratic Caucus Assigns Members to Committees

The House Democratic Caucus in the Washington State Legislature has announced its committee assignments for House Democrats for the 2009 -2010 Legislative session starting in January. The official Washington State Legislative website at www.leg.wa.gov has not yet been updated for the 2009 - 2010 session since Legislators for the last session serve through the end of 2008.

This information is taken from the House Democratic caucus website which is a good site to visit to keep up on what is happening prior to the session and during the session by the Democrats which control the House.

Committee Assignments for 2009 -2010 Democratic Legislators:

Agriculture and Natural Resources
Chair: Brian Blake
Vice Chair: Jim Jacks
Bill Grant, Christopher Hurst, John McCoy, Sharon Nelson, Timm Ormsby, Kevin Van De Wege

Audit Review and Oversight
Chair: Mark Miloscia
Vice Chair: Brendan Williams
Frank Chopp, Fred Finn, Tami Green, Bob Hasegawa, Troy Kelley, Kelli Linville, Jeff Morris, Deb Wallace

Capital Budget
Chair: Hans Dunshee
Vice Chair: Timm Ormsby
Brian Blake, Maralyn Chase, Jim Jacks, Marcie Maxwell, Tina Orwall, Scott White

Commerce and Labor
Chair: Steve Conway
Vice Chair: Alex Wood
Tami Green, Jim Moeller, Brendan Williams

Community and Economic Development and Trade
Chair: Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney
Vice Chair: Marcie Maxwell
Maralyn Chase, Marko Liias, Tim Probst, Pat Sullivan

Early Learning and Children’s Services
Chair: Ruth Kagi
Vice Chair: Mary Helen Roberts
Roger Goodman, Larry Seaquist

Ecology and Parks
Chair: Dave Upthegrove
Vice Chair: Christine Rolfes
Maralyn Chase, Mary Lou Dickerson, Hans Dunshee, Deb Eddy, Fred Finn, Zack Hudgins, Jeff Morris

Education
Chair: Dave Quall
Vice Chair: Tim Probst
Sam Hunt, Marko Liias, Marcie Maxwell, Tina Orwall, Sharon Tomiko Santos, Pat Sullivan

Education Appropriations
Chair: Kathy Haigh
Vice Chair: Pat Sullivan
Reuven Carlyle, Ross Hunter, Ruth Kagi, Tim Probst, Dave Quall, Christine Rolfes, Deb Wallace

Environmental Health
Chair: Tom Campbell
Vice Chair: Maralyn Chase
Mary Lou Dickerson, Hans Dunshee, Fred Finn, Zack Hudgins, Christine Rolfes

Finance
Chair: Ross Hunter
Vice Chair: Bob Hasegawa
Steve Conway, Mark Ericks, Sharon Tomiko Santos, Larry Springer

Financial Institutions and Insurance
Chair: Steve Kirby
Vice Chair: Troy Kelley
Christopher Hurst, John McCoy, Sharon Nelson, Sharon Tomiko Santos, Geoff Simpson

General Government Appropriations
Chair: Jeannie Darneille
Vice Chair: Dean Takko
Brian Blake, Hans Dunshee, Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney, Jamie Pedersen, Mike Sells, Kevin Van De Wege, Brendan Williams

Health and Human Services Appropriations
Chair: Eric Pettigrew
Vice Chair: Larry Seaquist
Sherry Appleton, Eileen Cody, Mary Lou Dickerson, Mark Miloscia, Dawn Morrell, Al O'Brien, Mary Helen Roberts, Alex Wood

Health Care and Wellness
Chair: Eileen Cody
Vice Chair: John Driscoll
Tami Green, Troy Kelley, Jim Moeller, Dawn Morrell, Jamie Pedersen

Higher Education
Chair: Deb Wallace
Vice Chair: Mike Sells
Reuven Carlyle, John Driscoll, Bob Hasegawa, Scott White

Human Services
Chair: Mary Lou Dickerson
Vice Chair: Tina Orwall, Tami Green, Dawn Morrell, Al O'Brien

Judiciary
Chair: Jamie Pedersen
Vice Chair: Roger Goodman
Dennis Flannigan, Troy Kelley, Steve Kirby, Timm Ormsby, Mary Helen Roberts

Local Government and Housing
Chair: Geoff Simpson
Vice Chair: Sharon Nelson
Mark Miloscia, Larry Springer, Dave Upthegrove, Scott White, Brendan Williams

Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Chair: Christopher Hurst
Vice Chair: Al O’Brien
Sherry Appleton, Roger Goodman, Steve Kirby, Mary Helen Roberts

Rules
Chair: Frank Chopp
Deb Eddy,Mark Ericks, Bill Grant, Tami Green, Bob Hasegawa, Zack Hudgins, Troy Kelley, Lynn Kessler, Jim Moeller, Dawn Morrell, Jeff Morris, Sharon Tomiko Santos, Larry Springer, Kevin Van De Wege

State Government and Tribal Affairs
Chair: Sam Hunt
Vice-Chair: Sherry Appleton
Dennis Flannigan, Zack Hudgins, Mark Miloscia

Technology, Energy and Communications
Chair: John McCoy
Vice Chair: Deb Eddy
Reuven Carlyle, Fred Finn, Bob Hasegawa, Zack Hudgins, Jim Jacks, Jeff Morris, Dean Takko, Kevin Van De Wege

Transportation
Chair: Judy Clibborn
Vice Chair: Marko Liias
Mary Lou Dickerson, John Driscoll, Deb Eddy, Fred Finn, Dennis Flannigan, Jim Moeller, Jeff Morris, Christine Rolfes, Mike Sells, Geoff Simpson, Larry Springer, Dean Takko, Dave Upthegrove, Deb Wallace, Brendan Williams, Alex Wood

Ways and Means
Chair: Kelli Linville
Vice Chair: Mark Ericks
Eileen Cody,Steve Conway, Jeannie Darneille, Bill Grant, Kathy Haigh, Sam Hunt, Ross Hunter, Ruth Kagi, Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney, Lynn Kessler, Eric Pettigrew, Larry Seaquist, Pat Sullivan

The House Republicans on Dec 18, 2008 announced their lead minority committee members but I don't see any anouncement yet of what committees House members not in leadership will serve on.

Washington State Minimum Wage to Increase Jan. 1, 2009

On January 1st, 2009 the Washington State Minimum Wage will increase by 48 cents. The new minimum wage will be $8.55. The current minimum wage is $8.07.

Washington State's new minimum wage will still be the highest in the country. Oregon's minimum wage will go to $8.40 on Jan 1, 2009. California, Connecticut and Massachusetts's minimum wage will all be $8.00 in 2009. Montana's 2009 minimum wage will be $6.90 and Idaho will be at $6.55.

Washington's minimum wage is adjusted each year to make a cost of living adjustment based on the Federal Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. (CPI-W). This is done every September by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.

As we noted in a previous post on this year's minimum wage,

The wage adjustment takes place each year because in 1998 Washington voters passed Initiative 688. with a 66% yes vote. The initiative is fairly brief but it was the first in the nation to require that the minimum wage be increased each year to reflect any increase in inflation.

The current Federal minimum wage is $6.55 and will go to $7.25 on July 24, 2009. For 10 years the national minimum wage was stuck at $5.15. Increasing the minimum wage was the first thing Democrats did when they took control of both houses of Congress in 2007.

Unfortunately while more and more states are indexing their state minimum wages to inflation like Washington State did, the national minimum wage bill passed by Congress in 2007 did not index it to inflation. This is a task next year's Congress and President Obama must remedy by passing new legislation to index the Federal Minimum Wage to inflation.

As the Economic Policy Institute in 2005 noted:

Without an automatic inflation adjustment, states are forced to go through a
political process each year to guarantee workers' living standards from year to
year. Indexing for inflation provides a sustainable solution to the problem of
declining real wages for the lowest-paid workers and should be enacted at both
the state and federal level.

Congress is forced to go through a political process each time it wants to raise the Federal minimum wage. Now that the Democrats control Congress and the White House it is time to update the Federal Minimum Wage Law by indexing it to inflation and adjusting it annually.

This is done for Social Security and eliminates increases being tied to politics. In 2007 to get support from Bush and conservatives in Congress the minimum wage increase was accompanied by some $4.8 billion in tax breaks for business. Yet studies have consistently shown that minimum wage laws do not negatively impact businesses in any serious way.

Frank Chopp Speaks to King County Democrats LAC

Speaker of the House, Frank Chopp, was the guest speaker this afternoon at the King County Democrats Legislative Action Committee, meeting in South Seattle. Chopp emphasized that much of the 2009 Legislative session will be spent dealing with the upcoming budget that is constrained by a projected $5 billion dollar shortfall.

As noted by the Progressive States Network, "The Washington State Legislature passed strong laws protecting the environment, consumers and people affected by the mortgage crisis, making the state one of the leaders in progressive victories." Speaker Chopp noted that under his leadership the legislature will be focusing on 10 key areas, continuing to move the state forward on addressing problems.

Apple Health is one of these areas - combining kids' health care with getting a good education. "In order to succeed in school , kids need to be healthy," said Chopp. By 2010 every kid in Washington State should be covered by a health care program - putting Washington State in the lead NATIONALLY in this area.

Another area is the Opportunity Grant Program - providing financial aid for training programs and colleges and universities. This program is expected to cover 1 million people over 7 years.

In discussing some of the areas the LAC was concerned with, Speaker Chopp reiterated his support for adequate funding for the Housing Trust Fund for affordable housing.

Under the banner of a Homeowner's Bill of Rights, Chopp saw 3 areas being worked on:
1. raising licensing requirements and worker certification
2. an ombudsman's office for consumer protection
3. providing remedies when things go wrong

On the issue of income source nondiscrimination, Chopp noted the House previously passed such legislation but the Senate didn't.

On the budget, Chopp said we needed to put education first but support human services like Apple Health care and foster kids. He said that kids needed to come first in health care issues.

He praised the environmental community for their continued efforts to prioritize bills. He expressed some reservations about a cap and trade program to control carbon emissions noting the new terminology of cap and invest better explained what was happening to the money. He noted that the biggest carbon emitter in the state was the Centralia Coal plant and emphasized the need for alternatives as a way to change things.

On the issue of transit oriented communities he discussed the option of hotel and motel taxes going to help fund transit nodes, not just public art. On clean water he said the biggest problem was the need for a funding source and suggested that because of I-960 requiring a vote of 2/3 of the Legislature for a tax increase that submitting selected revenue proposals to the voters to raise new revenue made the most sense.

On the issue of public campaign financing, Chopp noted that the Legislature in its last session supported the local option for public campaign financing. Proponents for public financing are urging that the Legislature this year put in place a public finance scheme for State Supreme Court races. The problem remains one of finding a funding source this year. Chopp noted that several other proposals passed by the Legislature in the past face a similar funding dilemma - namely no money for the working family tax credit and the family leave program.

Chopp noted that several Legislators will be looking at voter registration issues. The LAC noted that nationally efforts are moving to promote automatic permanent voter registration or universal registration. Minnesota passed such legislation last year. Rather than opting in, voters would have to opt out of voter registration. Address changes to the Post Office and DMV and other government agencies would automatically transfer one's voter registration to the new address, rather than forcing voters to re-register. The backup safety for voters is same day registration in case errors occur. Iowa is among the dozen states that already do this.

The LAC discussed the need for reform or repeal of the Three Strikes Law noting that inequities exist where a low priority 3rd strike can commit the state to paying for someone being in jail for the rest of their life. This was discussed as a possible source of funds that could be freed up if selective reforms took place.

Chopp avoided a detailed discussion of repealing non-performing tax breaks and other tax breaks that are not needed saying the Legislative Audit Committee was looking at this. He noted that repeal of a tax break required a 2/3 vote because of I-960, basically making reform difficult. The LAC noted that this more or less epitomized the problem, that once tax breaks were granted they became permanent, even when not fulfilling their original purpose and that tax breaks needed to be enacted for a set period of time, like 10 years and require a new vote to continue. Automatic sunsetting would help prevent the tax breaks for life problem.

The LAC voted to approve its draft Legislative Agenda and add 2 more areas in its coverage, "Education" and "Jobs and Labor".

Under Education would be an education reform bill covering a number of areas, including closing the achievement gap and legislation to implement the recommendations of the basic education finance task force.

Under Labor and Jobs would be legislation for contractor compliance to help the state secure revenue lost by nondisclosure. This is sometimes referred to as the problem of the underground economy - where tax revenue is lost because financial transactions are not reported

Under Environment two additional bills will be watched. One is for a secure medicine return bill and the other is a bill to help foster recycling of compact fluorescent lights which contain mercury.

Six Candidates File for King County Director of Elections

According to the King County Elections website 6 candidates have filed for the Special Election for King County Elections Director to be held on Feb. 3, 2009. The filing period ended today.

Sherril Huff, the current appointed Elections Director, held a press conference on Tues. to announce her candidacy for the seat. King County Ececutive Ron Sims, who appointed Huff to her position, also attended the press conference and gave his support to her candidacy. Huff has run King County Elections for the past two years without any major problems and obviously has the experience and qualifications to continue to do a good job.

It was reported that Ron Sims met with some of the other candidates having a Democratic background and urged them not to file so that the Democratic vote would not be split, giving the election to a conservative Republican. Some of the better known Democrats who considered the race but did not file as a result included, Jason Osgood, who ran unsuccessfully for Secretary of State this year, Lloyd Hara, a current Seattle Port Commissioner and Ellen Hansen who ran the Election Dept many years ago when Randy Revelle was the county executive.

Unfortunately the Republicans who wrote the initiative to make the county elections director an elected office set up the first election without a Primary, giving whoever gets the most votes on Feb 3rd the office. With votes split 6 ways, someone could win with 25% of the vote or less. The election will be an all mail in election.

Two conservative conservative Republicans are running. Both have no real experience in running elections. They are David Irons, a former Republican County Council member who lost a race for King County Executive and Republican State Senator Pam Roach from Auburn. Their strong Republican partisanship in the past make them unlikely to inspire any confidence that they could successfully run what is supposed to be a nonpartisan office and also avoid any hint of partisan bias.

What should be an election to appoint a qualified person to run the elections in King County unfortunately will probably turn into a conservative Republican battle for votes. It would be a mistake to elect anyone with a strong partisan bias to this office and expect that voters will have any confidence in how the office is run. Based on their past partisan activities both Irons and Roach should be avoided by the voters if they want this office to have any credibility.

Information on the candidates on the King County Elections website right now is very sparse:

Sherril Huff 10206 66TH AVE S SEATTLE, WA 98178

Julie Kempf PO BOX 30111 SEATTLE, WA 98113

Bill Anderson 4604 47TH ST SE AUBURN, WA 98092 wlanderson@qwest.net
(253) 887-7741

Christopher Clifford 2721 TALBOT RD S RENTON, WA 98055 chrisclifford@comcast.net
(425) 255-0447

David Irons 300 QUEEN ANNE AVE N #620 SEATTLE, WA 98109 david@ironsforelections.com (425) 443-6603

Pam Roach PO BOX 682 AUBURN, WA 98071 pamroach@aol.com
(253) 735-4210

Added on Sunday : You can fill in some additional blanks in what is happening by going to Will's post at horsesass.org http://www.horsesass.org/?p=10966. There is a discussion there about the issue of Huff's residency as well as discussion about another candidate Julie Kempf, a former Superintendent at the Elections Dept who was fired.

Help Pass Seattle's Interim Tree Protection Ordinance - email City Council & Attend Dec. 15th Hearing!

On Monday, December 15, 2008 at 5:30 p.m., the Seattle City Council Environment, Emergency Management, and Utilities Committee will hold a public hearing at Seattle City Hall, 600 4th Ave, on an emergency tree protection ordinance for the City of Seattle. The proposal would provide for interim protection for most trees for a period of six months to a year while Seattle develops a long-range solution to increase the tree canopy and stop the loss of healthy, mature trees.

For more information, see the following links:

Public Notice of Hearing
Briefing Memo
Council Bill 116404

Your input is vital to helping to pass this interim piece of legislation to protect trees in the City of Seattle. This bill was drafted as the result of our efforts to protect the trees at Ingraham High School from being needlessly cut down when alternatives existed to the proposed construction site. When the Seattle School District withdrew their construction permits in August of 2008, we went to King County Superior Court and got an injunction to stop the trees from being cut down. The Seattle School District’s attempted clear cutting of the trees without further environmental review by the city of Seattle exposed a loophole in Seattle’s tree protection ordinances. Other tree battles like trying to save trees at Waldo Woods in North Seattle also are driving this legislation.

If you cannot attend the Hearing on Monday at 5:30 PM it is critical that you send emails to all the City Council members urging their support for Council bill 116404 to provide interim tree protection until strong permanent protections can be put in place.

You can write one e-mail and send copies to all the council members by cutting and pasting the e-mails below.
Emails are: richard.conlin@seattle.gov; tim.burgess@seattle.gov; sally.clark@seattle.gov; jan.drago@seattle.gov; jean.godden@seattle.gov; bruce.harrell@seattle.gov; nick.licata@seattle.gov; richard.mciver@seattle.gov; tom.rasmussem@seattle.gov

This legislation is a first step towards strengthening tree protection laws in the City of Seattle. It is being attacked by so called “property rights advocates” who oppose efforts to protect trees. They are contacting members of the Seattle City Council with their opposition and we need to counter their efforts.

We need you to add your voice in support of the city stepping up and providing stronger protection for both individual trees and tree groves and our green urban habitat. Seattle’s urban tree canopy according to the city had decreased from 40% in 1973 to 18%. Unless we speak out our remaining urban trees are in danger of being lost because Seattle existing tree ordinance only provides protection to 1% total of all the trees through a very limited “exceptional tree” provision. Other cities in the region and in the US have much stronger protection measures.

Urge that the proposed legislation be amended to strengthen SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) provisions, that permits be required to cut down any tree over 6” in diameter, that tree grove protections are vital to protecting unique urban habitats and that the exemption for “additions to existing buildings” be dropped or clarified as limited to a certain size.

Passing Council bill 116404 is only a first step but we need to take it to protect trees while permanent legislation is being drafted up. We need to generate strong citizen support via e-mails and people attending the hearing on Monday as a show of support for protecting trees in Seattle. Please help. Thanks.

The Seattle City Council noted the following:

1. “The public hearing on the tree protections is taking place in the Seattle Council Chambers (one floor above the 5th Ave entrance to City Hall) on the second floor. A different hearing will be taking place at the same time in the Bertha Knight Landes room on the first floor of City Hall (one floor below Council Chambers). This hearing is on the Mayor's proposed gun ban and also begins at 5:30. “

2.” The sign up sheet to make public comments will be available at 5:00 pm on the December 15, 2008 right outside of Council Chambers. People will be called in the order in which they sign up.”

3. The City Council also suggests that you provide “your comments in written form either to all Council members via email, in hard copy when you come to the hearing, or via the USPS. This is important because comments are normally limited to two minutes and many people have more than can be said in that time. Submitting your comments in writing will ensure that the Council hears what you have to say.”

Jason Osgood Drops Out of Race for King County Elections Chief

Jason Osgood sent out a press release this evening announcing that he is withdrawing from the race for King County Director of Elections. Osgood just finished a grueling unsuccessful race this year for Washington State Secretary of State.

Osgood is endorsing Sherril Huff - the current head of King County Elections as the most qualified for the office.

A big concern is that with multiple candidates and no primary, the possible vote split will see a winner with only 20 to 30% of the votes cast.

The Republicans who put together the Initiative for this election did not do the voters in King County any favors by the quick election process and not having a Primary. Right now the race favors the candidate with the best name familiarity and/or the best access to special interest money. This is the problem with making the office elected.

Below is the press release put out by Osgood earlier this evening:

December 9, 2008
*** For Immediate Release ***
Jason Osgood Supports Sherril Huff for King County Director of Elections

The following statement was issued today by Jason Osgood:

Sherril Huff today announced her intention to run as a candidate in the February 3rd special election scheduled to fill the position of King County Director of Elections. Huff is currently the appointed head of the department and is now the most experienced and best qualified candidate seeking this position. Her exemplary performance in the November general election clearly demonstrated that Huff is the most logical choice in this race. I have therefore withdrawn my candidacy for King County Director of Elections, effective immediately, and am fully supporting the candidacy of Sherril Huff.

I had an opportunity to speak with Sherril Huff earlier today. After congratulating her, I reiterated my commitment to advocating for open source alternatives to current King County election systems of which I and others have been critical. Huff expressed a willingness to work together on achieving shared goals and advancing the cause of election integrity in King County. I am confident that in the months and years ahead we will all move forward together.

These last nine months have been an extraordinary experience, first as a candidate for Secretary of State, and recently as a candidate for King County Director of Elections. I am incredibly grateful for the amazing support I have received from so many citizens, activists and fellow Democrats. I have learned so much, met so many wonderful people, and had the time of my life. I have no regrets. Thank you all.

Cheers,

Jason
Osgood

Washington State House Democrats Select New Committee Chairs

The Democrats in the House have finalized their committees for the 2009-2010 Washington State Legislative session and have selected the committee chairs. The Legislature will convene its session on the 2nd Monday of January which is January 12, 2009. It is a 105 day session lasting until April 26, 2009.

The session will be constrained by the current financial crisis which projects a $5 billion dollar budget shortfall. Governor Gregoire will release her preliminary budget later this month.


2009-2010 House Committees and Chairs are:

Agriculture and Natural Resources: Brian Blake (Aberdeen)
Audit Review and Oversight: Mark Miloscia (Federal Way)
Capital Budget: Hans Dunshee (Snohomish)
Commerce and Labor: Steve Conway (Tacoma)
Community and Economic Development and Trade: Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney (Seattle)
Early Learning and Children’s Services: Ruth Kagi (Lake Forest Park)
Ecology and Parks: Dave Upthegrove (Des Moines)
Education: Dave Quall (Mount Vernon)
Education Appropriations: Kathy Haigh (Shelton)
Environmental Health: Tom Campbell (Roy)
Finance: Ross Hunter (Medina)
Financial Institutions and Insurance: Steve Kirby (Tacoma)
General Government Appropriations: Jeannie Darneille (Tacoma)
Health and Human Services Appropriations: Eric Pettigrew (Seattle)
Health Care and Wellness: Eileen Cody (Seattle)
Higher Education: Deb Wallace (Vancouver)
Human Services: Mary Lou Dickerson (Seattle)
Judiciary: Jamie Pedersen (Seattle)
Local Government and Housing: Geoff Simpson (Covington)
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness: Christopher Hurst (Enumclaw)
Rules: Frank Chopp (Seattle)
State Government and Tribal Affairs: Sam Hunt (Olympia)
Technology, Energy and Communications: John McCoy (Tulalip)
Transportation: Judy Clibborn (Mercer Island)
Ways and Means: Kelli Linville (Bellingham)

Additionally, two vice chairs were also selected:
Ways and Means: Mark Ericks (Bothell)
Capital Budget: Timm Ormsby (Spokane)

The Democrats note that "the major change in committee structure is the creation of the Ways and Means committee. The Education Appropriations, General Government Appropriations, and Health and Human Services Appropriations committees are now standing committees that will make funding recommendations to the Ways and Means committee."

Back in November the House Democrats chose their leadership team:

Frank Chopp (Seattle) – Speaker-elect
Lynn Kessler (Hoquiam) – Majority Leader
Bill Grant (Walla-Walla) – Caucus Chair
Sharon Tomiko Santos (Seattle) – Majority Whip
Jeff Morris (Mount Vernon) – Speaker pro-tem-elect
Jim Moeller (Vancouver) – Deputy Speaker pro-tem-elect

Dec 10, 2008 update:
The House Democrats have selected the rest of their leadership team. In addition to the above names, the following were chosen to fill leadership roles:

Zack Hudgins (Tukwila)-Majority Floor Leader:
Larry Springer (Kirkland) - Majority Caucus Liaison:
Dawn Morrell (Puyallup) - Caucus Vice Chair:
Tami Green (Lakewood) - Assistant Majority Floor Leader:
Kevin Van De Wege (Sequim) - Deputy Majority Whip:

For more information and to track the bills, committee meetings, legislators and legislative action in the 2009 Washington State Legislative session go to www.leg.wa.gov and follow the links. The site is still not updated for 2009 Legislators because Legislators elected in 2007 serve through the end of their terms which is Dec 31, 2008. The site should be updated in January 2009.

Environmental Coalition Picks 2009 Legislative Priorities.

The environmental coalition of groups have picked their 2009 priorities for the Washington State Legislature. Environmental groups in Washington State have been successfully championing a priority list of 3 to 4 bills each year that they concentrate on passing. For 2009, the Environmental Priorities Coalition has picked 4 bills.

The 2009 Environmental Priorities are:

Cap and Invest -"effort starts by putting a cap on greenhouse gas emissions, and then having polluters pay when they pollute. This new revenue will be invested to reduce fossil fuel dependence and spur new clean-tech innovation, while assisting moderate- and low-income people with volatile energy prices."

Efficiency First -"will put “efficiency first” by promoting super-efficient, low-energy-use buildings, providing incentives to maximize energy efficiency, requiring energy use information on buildings offered for sale or lease; and making our public buildings models of energy efficiency. This policy will also help to ensure that low-income consumers can cope with rising energy costs."

Transit-Oriented Communities - "would revise the state’s transportation and land-use planning framework to assist local jurisdictions to plan for growth in a sustainable and climate-friendly way. The bill will provide incentives for cities and developers to create affordable, livable, transit-oriented development, increasing transportation choices."

Invest in Clean Water - "will raise new revenue to fund critical projects to save Puget Sound and restore Washington’s rivers and lakes. By investing in stormwater infrastructure, toxics prevention and other programs, we create new jobs, relieve financial pressure on local government, and promote new economic stimulus."

The 2009 LEGISLATIVE WORKSHOP for the Environmental Priorities Coalition will be held on Saturday, January 10th, from 9:30 AM to 2:15 PM at Seattle Pacific University, Gwinn Commons, 3310 Sixth Avenue West in Seattle.

This annual event is an opportunity to be involved as the state’s leading environmental groups gear up for the upcoming 2009 session of the Washington State Legislature. The workshop will feature presentations by Washington State Legislators, environmental lobbyists, and others regarding the Environmental Priorities for 2009.

You can register for the workshop by going to their legislative workshop page.