Eastside politicians and business leaders met at Microsoft headquarters in downtown Bellevue on Tuesday to share takeaways from this year’s marathon three-session Legislature. The event, hosted by the Eastside Chambers Legislative Coalition, addressed a disappointing transportation package, budget and bolstered funds for state education to comply with the McCleary ruling.
“It’s been a grueling three-session Legislature. It [adjournment] is barely two weeks old, but I think there are lessons to be learned from this situation, it’s a long time since we operated as a split Legislature,” said District 45 Democrat Rep. Larry Springer.
The chamber coalition includes the Issaquah, Sammamish, Kirkland, Bellevue, Bothell, Newcastle, Redmond, Renton, Snoqualmie Valley and Woodinville chambers.
Discussion centered mostly on the topic of transportation, which District 48 Democrat Rep. Cyrus Habib noted to broad agreement, was critical not only to immediate job creation in the form of construction labor, but in the long-term as the Eastside grows its economy. Despite the backing of businesses and most constituents, the $10 billion transportation package died in the Senate, opposed by District 48 Republican Rodney Tom, leader of the Senate Majority Coalition and his colleagues.
“We couldn’t do transportation because both sides thought of it as a hostage. Do you know what it’s like to have a dead hostage?” said District 41 Democrat Rep. Judy Clibborn, Chair of the House Transportation Committee.
Transportation, she said, had largely been pushed to the end of the session. With all that’s at stake, Clibborn added, legislators would have to go to work in the interim or risk not passing a package of equal merit in 2014.
Habib, who noted the closures of I-405 and 520 over the weekend, said that the consequences of a stunted deal would be felt by all. He encouraged audience members, businesses and constituents to engage in a “hard conversation” with their politicians: “[tell them] we know you look out for us during tax time, but we’ll remember who’s with us and who’s not.”
The package, which had been approved by the House, would have included a gas tax increase of 10.5 cents to go toward projects like a replacement bridge over the Columbia River and state Highway 167.
Legislators also touched on the controversial prospect of tolling I-90. Eastside cities, including Bellevue, have rallied for a more extensive study of the impacts and need for I-90 tolling.
On the topic of bringing jobs, Habib, who served as Vice Chair of the House Committee on Technology and Development, said that Washington would have to do more to edge out competition from Silicon Valley and other high-tech hotspots. Washington is one of the only states that taxes start-ups before they’re profitable. HB 1693 was intended to grant some relief, but never made it out of the House. The news wasn’t all doom and gloom though, said Habib, after Tom noted Boeing’s departure could become emblematic of the state’s business environment. Washington and in particular the Eastside’s talent pool would continue to be a magnet, bolstered by a healthy school system.
District 48 Democrat Rep. Ross Hunter pointed to a boost of $18 million invested in computer science and engineering programs at UW, WSU and WWU, funding he said that would turn into local jobs several years down the line.
