Senate Democrats a short while ago rolled out their jobs strategy for this year's legislative session with a noon press conference and you can find the details here.

TVW was there to cover it and it is schedule to be aired at 7 p.m.

"It really is more of a strategy than a package of bills," said Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane. "It builds directly on some things we started last year."

Sen. Claudia Kauffman, D-Kent, spoke to a trio of bills, most notably a tax credit for small businesses that create jobs. Vijay Mathur of G.R. International, an invited guest, said businesses could use the savings from the tax credits to create new jobs.

That could help create "a spiral going upwards,” he said. “It goes on and on."

Sen. Chris Marr, D-Spokane, spoke to Senate Bill 6609, an expansion of the local infrastructure financing legislation approved last year that allows communities to pay for infrastructure improvements by using the new business activity they generate to retire debt. A project approved a year ago already is helping develop the Spokane University District.

“We see immediately the impact," Marr said.

Under this year’s bill, six new communities would see funding to bolster economic development projects.

Sen. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, announced the strategy would include almost doubling the number of worker retraining enrollment slots at the state’s community colleges from 6,200 to 12,200.

"We have a system of community and technical colleges that are really being overrun with demand," Kilmer said. He said such programs are “opening up new beginnings for people who are out of work."

Sen. Jim Kastama, D-Puyallup, also touted a measure that will create a permanent funding source for the state’s Stars program to lure high caliber researchers to Washington research institutions. Already, the state’s existing $2 million investment has returned $33 million in grants and private investment, Kastama said.

"While other states recruit sports teams our state recruits the best minds," he said.

We’ll post video from TVW once it’s available.