41st Legislative District October 19, 2009
Friends and Neighbors,
Fall sees an increase in legislative activity as we prepare for the January session and this year is no different. I am active on a number of task forces related to basic education reform, higher education and transportation, working to build the legislative agenda for 2010. This eLetter kicks off a series of eLetters which will run through the session to keep you apprised of our work and how it affects our state and the 41st District. I hope you find them interesting and informative.
My plan is to issue a new edition roughly every other week until the Legislature convenes in January, at which time I’ll provide updates on legislative developments weekly.
This week I want to give you a few updates about the state of our economy, funding for state parks and direct you to where you can get some information about this year’s general election. In the weeks to come, I hope to outline work issues that are expected to dominate the legislative session — education, transportation and the budget.
Economy still lagging
While most economists believe our national recession has ended and that Washington is in better shape than most states, a series of indicators continue to show that we’re struggling.
New figures released last week indicate unemployment has reached 9.3 percent statewide and 8.8 percent in King County. It’s interesting to note that the job losses for government employees far outpaced every other sector in September. The recession has now cost one out of every 20 Washingtonians their job.
What’s more, tax collections for the past month are $32 million lower than expected, reinforcing the expectation that the Legislature is in for a very difficult re-write of the budget come January. I expect we may be faced with cuts approaching 10% of the remaining biennial budget.
Taxpayers opting in for parks
The good news is the state Parks and Recreation Commission is reporting that, so far, vehicle owners are choosing to pay an optional $5 fee on vehicle license renewals in sufficient numbers to prevent any near term parks closures. You may recall the Legislature added the optional fee this spring as a way to offset budget cuts. But in order for the agency to make budget, enough of us have to agree to pay the fee. And so far, that’s happening. If this participation rate continues, there will be no park closures.
Ballots arriving in the mail
Mail-in ballots for this year’s general election are now arriving in mailboxes across the state. This year’s ballot features two statewide measures — Initiative 1033 and Referendum 71.
There are several places to go to find information about them. For starters, the Secretary of State’s Office has produced an Online Voters’ Guide that includes statements for and against each measure. TVW has produced a Video Voters’ Guide with statements from proponents and opponents of each measure. The state’s budget office also has produced fiscal impact statements for I-1033 and R-71.
Finally, nonpartisan staff for the Senate Ways and Means Committee also performed this analysis about I-1033. This is the very same analysis that was performed for members of the Senate. While it’s too late to register by mail or online for the Nov. 3 general election, citizens can still register in person and local elections offices through Oct. 26.
Finally, I have written an article for Crosscut.com regarding transit and our state’s Growth Management Act. If you are interested, you can find it here.
As always, I want to hear your views on the issues that are important to you and your family. You may reach me by email at Jarrett_fr@leg.wa.gov, or call my office in Olympia at 360-786-7894, or you may use the Legislative Hotline Number 1-800-562-6000.
As I mentioned above, I will periodically continue these e-letters and to give you my perspective on the preparation for and progress of the legislative session. Obviously, I would love to get yours as well. I appreciate all your e-mails.
Take care,
Fred Jarrett,
State Senator, 41st District