Ranker Reports Laws Affecting 40th District as Legislative Session Ends

Contributed by State Senator Kevin Ranker

In January I arrived in Olympia for our 2010 session. It didn’t take long to see that what we already knew was a daunting task — balancing our $2.8 billion budget shortfall — would take more than 60 days. It was important for us to take the time to be thoughtful and weigh all of the options before making these difficult decisions.

Last night however, after a 60-day regular session and 29 days in Special Session, we were able to pass a balanced budget, including a thoughtful approach in solving the shortfall, and leave Olympia without the devastating impact of an all cuts budget.  This is not to say however, that this budget does not cut further some very important programs.  We are also facing an additional shortfall next year, so our work is not done.  I will begin working immediately, developing ideas for tackling next year’s projected deficit.

As I’ve written to you before, it has been evident that we could not solve the shortfall with another all-cuts budget. The cuts would have been too wide and too deep – impacting the programs that are most important to our communities. If we want to keep Washington a leader in providing a world class education, attracting globally competitive businesses and maintaining our way of life, we have to make the tough choices and invest the resources we need to ensure Washington’s future remains bright.

The budget process is a difficult one. Every day this session I heard from people from across Washington, including many of you from here in the 40th district. Your input is what guides my decisions in Olympia. Please continue to stay in touch throughout the interim as we work toward the 2011 session.   In this update I want to let you know about the legislation I worked on for the 40th district, our budget cuts and why we needed to find new revenue, how we’re creating jobs, and a breakdown of the budget shortfall.

[Following is Ranker’s report on legislation affecting the 40th district directly. His reports on the Budget and Jobs will appear in separate articles.]

Working for the 40th District This year I was able to work with my colleagues in the Senate and in the House, and with many of you, to pass a number of bills that will directly benefit the 40^th District.

• SB 6350 will implement Marine Spatial Planning, limiting user conflicts between the increasing number of existing and new uses proposed in our state’s marine waters.
• SB 6557 requires brake pads be made of substances less harmful to the environment, excluding heavy metals like copper. This bill is already recognized as a national model for coastal states throughout the country.
• SB 6634 increases accountability for the state’s dairy nutrient program by establishing fines for noncompliance.
• SB 6346 allows residents of San Juan County to operate neighborhood electronic vehicles and medium-speed electronic vehicles on city streets and county roads that are not state routes, provided the speed limit is 45 mph or less.
• SB 6349 will allow farms with gross sales of less than $250,000 annually to establish internship programs for future farmers who are not enrolled in classes to work on farms throughout the state.
• SB 6373 directs the Department of Ecology to adopt rules requiring people to report emissions of greenhouse gases where those emissions from a single facility, source or site, or from fossil fuels sold in Washington by single supplier, meet or exceed 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
• SB 6248 bans BPA, a harmful chemical, in baby bottles, sippy cups and similar containers beginning in July 2011, and plastic sports bottles in July 2012.

For more information on these or any bill, visit Ranker’s website at SenateDemocrats.wa.gov/senators/ranker