Republican Women Making A Difference

Legislative Update

Final Legislative Report 2010 By Charlotte Carrell

While our elected leaders in Washington D.C. were ignoring the will of the people by passing government controlled health care, Democrats in Olympia were busily doing the same thing. Despite passionate appeals by tea party activists and literally thousands of worried taxpayers, the majority party has chosen to solve the budget crisis that they themselves created with a series of tax increases. Fully aware that they had only 60 days in which to pass legislation, they waited until the very end of the session to give serious attention to the budget, and then spent the last days squabbling amongst themselves without reaching consensus. That necessitated a special session, at a cost of over $14,000 a day, during which Republicans, frozen out of the debate, twiddled their thumbs while waiting to cast their impotent “no” votes on tax increases devised by the Dems.

The Democrats did, however, pave the way early in the session for serious tax increases by passing SB 6130. This bill overturned I-960, which required a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to enact tax increases without a vote of the people. It allows current and future Legislatures to increase taxes with a simple majority vote.

One of the most onerous bills passed this session is SB 6143, which raises or creates 21 new taxes, including an increase in the state’s business and occupations tax. At a time when small businesses are struggling to stay afloat, this is unbelievable. Increased taxes on businesses in Washington will inevitably cause the demise of many small businesses and throw more people out of work. Then to add insult to injury, the D’s passed an amendment to the bill that will allow these tax increases to take effect May 1, 2010, instead of the usual July 1.

Despite the all-negative news on the fiscal front, some good things happened in the area of public safety. HJR 4220, a constitutional amendment co-authored by Senators Carrell and Hargrove, is headed to the November ballot. This bill allows judges to deny bail to someone who has been charged with a crime that could result in a life sentence without the possibility of parole if the individual has shown a history of violence that could endanger public safety. It also stipulates that the Legislature may provide judges with a set of criteria with which to make a determination of the appropriateness of bail.

HB 1317, which provides new protection for law enforcement and criminal justice officers by exempting photographs and birth information in personnel files of criminal justice employees and police officers from disclosure under the Public Records Act, passed both House and Senate. This bill is one of the recommendations coming from the task force on the Lakewood police murders. In the aftermath of the shootings, the Lakewood Police Department was barraged with information requests on the murdered officers and their families, and in some cases, the individuals turned out to be members of the Maurice Clemmons (the murderer’s) family.

An important bill for the protection of children, SB 6476, also passed both houses and is headed to the Governor’s desk. It imposes severe penalties for child-sex trafficking and will prosecute anyone who forces a minor child into sex slavery or who buys their services.

Senator Carrell’s SB 6308, which will control computer access by residents of the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island, also finally passed both houses and awaits the Governor’s signature. Under this bill, a resident of the SCC is prohibited from accessing or possessing a personal computer if the resident’s treatment plan states that access to a computer would negatively impact his treatment. (Sixteen residents of the SCC are currently facing federal indictments for crimes related to possession of child pornography.) This bill is intended to reduce such incidences of child exploitation.

Despite these improvements in public safety, most taxpayers would give the 2010 legislative session a failing grade. Until the Legislature changes the way it does business, such dismal results will remain the norm. And what is the best way to effect change in public policy? ELECT REPUBLICANS!