Several Peninsula issues on legislative agenda during session starting Monday
By Brian Gawley, Peninsula Daily News
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Others include toughening sex offender laws and maintaining funding for a $32 million project to widen to four lanes a 2.5-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 101 between Shore Road and Kitchen-Dick Road.
The 24th Legislative District includes Clallam and Jefferson counties and one-third of Grays Harbor County.
Its three legislators are House Majority Leader Rep. Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam; Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim; and Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam.
The 60th Washington State Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on March 13.
"Fortunately it's a short session, and we have every intention of getting out on time," Kessler said.
Car ferry service
Expediting the resumption of permanent car ferry service between Port Townsend and Keystone will be at the top of Kessler's list of priorities.
The Steel Electric ferries are the only vessels in the state's fleet small and agile enough to navigate the rough water between Port Townsend and Whidbey Island and the narrow harbor at Keystone.
But the 80-year-old boats were pulled from service on Nov. 20 by Department of Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond because of severe corrosion and cracks found in the hull of one of the ferries, the Quinault.
"The governor, [DOT Secretary Paula] Hammond, Sen. Haugen and Rep. Clibborn all are committed that they are going to get the funding and get it expedited but it's not a done deal," Kessler said
"But it's not going to be new money," she said.
"It will come from other projects. We have a very limited funding stream."
Kessler described Hammond as "very direct and responsive.
"I can't put any blame on [Hammond], Kessler said.
"She inherited this."
Kessler said that, when she asked Gov. Chris Gregoire for ferry funding during a leadership meeting late last year, she was told no money was available.
But that changed once all four Steel Electric ferries were pulled from service, she said.
"I'd like to ask the question of how this happened, but that's not going to happen during this session," Kessler said.
Van De Wege said he expects the legislature to "solidify a lot of plans put in place to fix the Port Townsend-Keystone run.
He also said he had spoken with Kyle Montgomery, a Port Ludlow resident and longtime commuter to Seattle on the Bainbridge Island ferry who has gathered more than 1,000 online signatures supporting a Seattle-Port Townsend ferry run.
"I was blunt that the state is getting out of passenger ferry business and his effort needs to be on local level," Van De Wege said.
Maybe there could be some grants made available from the sale of the state's passenger only ferries, he added.
Sex offender laws
As majority leader, Kessler doesn't write much legislation but has pre-filed House Bill 2602.
It would allow victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking to use their vacation and leave time to attend court hearings, counseling sessions or other appointments connected to being a crime victim.
The Legislature plans to address several bills from the governor's task force on sex offenders that included prosecutors, law enforcement officers and victims' advocates, Kessler said.
One bill would allow the state to collect DNA samples from sex offenders, including those now in prison.
Another would provide $5 million for local law enforcement to monitor released sex offenders.
"These bills should make people safer in their communities," Kessler said.
"Prosecutors feel strongly that it's important to have this legislation.
"My niece was raped and murdered at 3 ½ years old, so I have a personal interest in seeing that these horrible people don't re-offend," Kessler said.
Archaeology surveys
Kessler is co-sponsoring House Bill 2624 with Rep. John McCoy, D-Tulalip, to allow the state archaeologist to conduct surveys for private landowners at state expense.
In May 2007, digging for a Jefferson County Public Utility District septic and on-site sewer project at Beckett Point unearthed Native American remains.
"I think it is of great importance to the North Olympic Peninsula, especially private landowners," she said.
"The people at Beckett Point had to pay for their own."
Kessler also is sponsoring two bills to make it more difficult for the government to take private property through the eminent domain process.
One deals with providing better notification and information to the public, and the other with better defining "blighted" areas, she said.
"I know it has to happen sometimes, but these bill make it more difficult," Kessler said.
Van De Wege "promotion"
Van De Wege has pre-filed three bills.
House Bill 2468 directs the state Department of Natural Resources to make recommendations for improving urban forestry.
House Bill 2560 would allow small business owners who get less than 75 percent of their income from their businesses to qualify for group health insurance.
House Bill 2626 would allow the governor to waive the one-week unemployment insurance waiting period for people left unemployed because of a natural disaster or other emergency.
Property tax reform
The Legislature reinstated Initiative 747 during a November special session and other property tax reform proposals are out there, Van De Wege said.
"Property tax reform is very much alive," he added.
Proposals include the predictable property tax measure championed by Sequim resident Shelley Taylor, homestead exemptions and senior exemptions, all of which simply shift the tax burden onto another group, he said.
A possible solution is reducing the state's reliance upon property taxes, but that is more an appropriations committee issue, he said.
Widening highway
The money to create four lanes on Highway 101 between Shore Road and Kitchen-Dick Road remains in the state's 2009-11 budget period for now.
But earlier this month, Gregoire declared that the Alaskan Way Viaduct in Seattle was coming down by 2012 "because I'm going to take it down."
That could leave the North Olympic Peninsula competing with Seattle for transportation funding.
Van De Wege said he and Kessler will work to keep the money in the budget, but that he is concerned that new projects could be delayed because construction costs are up and gas tax revenues are down.
"The viaduct really is a concern," he said.
"I'm concerned that the Regional Transportation Investment District bond issue didn't pass because that would allow [King, Pierce and Snohomish counties] to fund their own projects," he said.
Hargrove
In the Senate, Hargrove is preparing to tackle another broad policy issue that has become his specialty.
"It's an election year, so we'll be dealing with sex offenders again this year.
Hargrove said he will work on legislation to provide funding for local law enforcement to enforce existing sex offender laws.
"It does no good to pile up laws if there's no money to check on those sex offenders who already are registered," he said.
"The governor's package looks reasonable. You don't have to be bad to get better.
"Public safety is one of the most important things government can do for us," Hargrove said.
Hargrove also will file a bill on climate change that would allow industries that produce carbon emissions to buy carbon reduction credits from the timber industry.
"This is not simple — and probably will be a several-year — process.
"But I want to make sure the timber industry gets the scientific credit it deserves instead of just limiting polluters," he said.
Hargrove has pre-filed one bill, Senate Bill 6193 to improve the system for county clerks to withhold funds from defendants who owe money.
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Reporter Brian Gawley can be reached at 360-417-3532 or brian.gawley@peninsuladailynews.com.
Last modified: January 12. 2008 9:00PM