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SECOND DAY
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NOON SESSION
Senate Chamber, Olympia, Tuesday, January 11, 2000
The Senate was called to order at 12:00 noon by President Owen. No roll call was taken.
MOTION
On motion of Senator Betti Sheldon, the reading of the Journal of the previous day was dispensed with and it was approved.
MESSAGE FROM STATE OFFICE
STATE OF WASHINGTON
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES
Olympia, WA 98504-5000
December 20, 1999
Mr. Tony Cook
Secretary of the Senate
P.O. Box 40482
Olympia, Washington 98504-0482
Dear Mr. Cook:
Enclosed is the Department's Report to the Legislature entitled "Decline of Youth in Police Custody." It is mandated under RCW 74.13.036(5).
Please call Shirley Moore at (360) 902-7937 if you have questions regarding the report.
Sincerely,
LYLE QUASIM, Secretary
The Report on the Decline of Youth in Police Custody from the Department of Social and Health Services is on file in the Office of the Secretary of the Senate.
MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR
GUBERNATORIAL APPOINTMENTS
November 20, 1999
TO THE HONORABLE, THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I have the honor to submit the following appointment, subject to your confirmation.
Marty Brown, appointed November 20, 1999, for a term ending at the pleasure of the Governor, as Director of the Office of Financial Management.
Sincerely,
GARY LOCKE, Governor
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
November 24, 1999
TO THE HONORABLE, THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I have the honor to submit the following appointment, subject to your confirmation.
Dawn M. Reynolds, appointed November 24, 1999, for a term ending December 30, 2000, as a member of the Fish and Wildlife Commission.
Sincerely,
GARY LOCKE, Governor
Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation.
December 6, 1999
TO THE HONORABLE, THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I have the honor to submit the following appointment, subject to your confirmation.
Leana D. Lamb, appointed for a term beginning January 24, 2000, and ending July 26, 2005, as a member of the Personal Appeals Board.
Sincerely,
GARY LOCKE, Governor
Referred to the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
January 3, 2000
TO THE HONORABLE, THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I have the honor to submit the following appointment, subject to your confirmation.
Charlie Brydon, appointed January 3, 2000, for a term ending March 1, 2005, as Chair of the Board of Tax Appeals.
Sincerely,
GARY LOCKE, Governor
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.
MESSAGES FROM THE HOUSE
January 10, 2000
MR. PRESIDENT:
The House has adopted SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. NO. 8420, and the same is herewith transmitted.
TIMOTHY A. MARTIN, Co-Chief Clerk
CYNTHIA ZEHNDER, Co-Chief Clerk
January 10, 2000
MR. PRESIDENT:
The House has adopted SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. NO. 8421, and the same is herewith transmitted.
TIMOTHY A. MARTIN, Co-Chief Clerk
CYNTHIA ZEHNDER, Co-Chief Clerk
SIGNED BY THE PRESIDENT
The President signed:
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 8419,
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 8420,
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 8421.
INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING
SB 6217 by Senators Hargrove, Long, Costa and Winsley
AN ACT Relating to technical and clarifying amendments to the dependency and termination of parental rights statutes; amending RCW 13.34.030, 13.34.040, 13.34.050, 13.34.060, 13.34.070, 13.34.080, 13.34.120, 13.34.145, 13.34.165, 13.34.170, 13.34.174, 13.34.176, 13.34.180, 13.34.190, 13.34.200, 13.34.210, 13.34.231, 13.34.232, 13.34.233, 13.34.235, 13.34.260, 13.34.270, 13.34.300, 13.34.340, 13.70.003, 13.70.110, 13.70.140, 26.44.115, and 74.15.030; reenacting and amending RCW 13.34.090, 13.34.110, and 13.34.130; adding new sections to chapter 13.34 RCW; recodifying RCW 13.34.170; and repealing RCW 13.34.162 and 13.34.220.
Referred to Committee on Human Services and Corrections.
SB 6218 by Senators Hargrove, Long and Costa
AN ACT Relating to technical and clarifying amendments to the family reconciliation act; amending RCW 13.32A.010, 13.32A.030, 13.32A.040, 13.32A.042, 13.32A.044, 13.32A.050, 13.32A.060, 13.32A.065, 13.32A.080, 13.32A.082, 13.32A.090, 13.32A.095, 13.32A.100, 13.32A.120, 13.32A.125, 13.32A.130, 13.32A.140, 13.32A.150, 13.32A.152, 13.32A.160, 13.32A.170, 13.32A.179, 13.32A.191, 13.32A.194, 13.32A.196, and 13.32A.200; adding a new section to chapter 13.32A RCW; creating a new section; repealing RCW 13.32A.210; and providing an expiration date.
Referred to Committee on Human Services and Corrections.
SB 6219 by Senators Rasmussen and Morton (by request of Conservation Commission)
AN ACT Relating to conservation districts; amending RCW 89.08.210; and adding a new section to chapter 89.08 RCW.
Referred to Committee on Agriculture and Rural Economic Development.
SB 6220 by Senators Prentice, Winsley, Deccio and Rasmussen
AN ACT Relating to a prohibition on unfair competition by motor vehicle dealers and manufacturers; and adding a new section to chapter 46.96 RCW.
Referred to Committee on Commerce, Trade, Housing and Financial Institutions.
SB 6221 by Senators Thibaudeau and Deccio (by request of Department of Health)
AN ACT Relating to making technical changes, wording updates, and other corrections to department of health statutes covering health professions and facilities; amending RCW 18.35.240, 18.35.240, 18.35.250, 18.35.250, 18.48.020, 18.52.030, 18.83.135, 18.92.013, 18.92.015, 18.92.030, 18.92.060, 18.92.125, 18.92.140, 18.92.145, 18.120.020, 18.73.030, 18.73.101, 18.73.130, 18.73.140, 70.168.020, 71.12.455, 71.12.460, 71.12.470, 71.12.480, 71.12.510, 71.12.520, 18.46.005, 18.46.010, 18.46.020, 18.46.040, 18.46.060, 18.46.070, 18.46.080, 18.46.090, 18.46.110, 18.46.120, 18.46.130, and 18.46.140; reenacting and amending RCW 71.12.500; adding a new section to chapter 71.12 RCW; repealing RCW 18.48.040, 18.57A.070, 18.83.910, and 18.83.911; providing an effective date; and providing an expiration date.
Referred to Committee on Health and Long-Term Care.
SB 6222 by Senators Costa, Long and Kohl-Welles (by request of Sentencing Guidelines Commission)
AN ACT Relating to the termination of offenders from the special drug offender sentencing alternative; and reenacting and amending RCW 9.94A.120.
Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
SB 6223 by Senators Hargrove, Long, Costa and Kohl-Welles (by request of Sentencing Guidelines Commission)
AN ACT Relating to reorganization of, and technical, clarifying, nonsubstantive amendments to, community supervision and sentencing provisions; amending RCW 9.94A.190, 9.94A.390, 9.94A.130, 9.94A.210, 9.94A.370, 9.94A.383, 9.94A.400, 9.94A.410, 9.94A.137, 9.94A.135, 9.94A.180, 9.94A.185, 9.94A.145, 18.155.010, 18.155.020, 18.155.030, 46.61.524, and 9.94A.395; reenacting and amending RCW 9.94A.030, 9.94A.120, 9.94A.310, 9.94A.360, 9.94A.440, 9.94A.150, 9.94A.140, 9.94A.142, and 9.94A.040; adding new sections to chapter 9.94A RCW; creating new sections; providing an effective date; and providing an expiration date.
Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
SB 6224 by Senators Hargrove, Long, Costa and Kohl-Welles (by request of Sentencing Guidelines Commission)
AN ACT Relating to community custody ranges; reenacting and amending RCW 9.94A.120; adding a new section to chapter 9.94A RCW; and prescribing penalties.
Referred to Committee on Human Services and Corrections.
SB 6225 by Senators Fairley and Winsley (by request of Department of Social and Health Services)
AN ACT Relating to definitions of income and resources; and reenacting and amending RCW 74.04.005.
Referred to Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
SB 6226 by Senators Morton, Hochstatter and Oke
AN ACT Relating to unemployment compensation and disqualification for refusing to take or failing a substance abuse test; amending RCW 50.20.080; adding a new section to chapter 50.20 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.
Referred to Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
SB 6227 by Senators Jacobsen, Spanel and Rasmussen
AN ACT Relating to service as a substitute teacher, administrator, or principal; and amending RCW 41.32.570.
Referred to Committee on Education.
SB 6228 by Senators Jacobsen, Winsley, Spanel, Rasmussen and McAuliffe
AN ACT Relating to providing a death benefit for certain members of the Washington school employees' retirement system; adding a new section to chapter 41.35 RCW; and providing an effective date.
Referred to Committee on Ways and Means.
SB 6229 by Senators Jacobsen and Oke
AN ACT Relating to promoting wildlife viewing; amending RCW 77.12.010; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.
Referred to Committee on Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation.
SB 6230 by Senators Stevens, Fairley, Franklin, Oke and Kline
AN ACT Relating to consent requirements for the acquisition or conveyance of a person's deoxyribonucleic acid; adding a new chapter to Title 7 RCW; and prescribing penalties.
Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
SB 6231 by Senators Fairley and Oke (by request of Department of Labor and Industries)
AN ACT Relating to telecommunications contractors and installations; adding a new chapter to Title 19 RCW; and prescribing penalties.
Referred to Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
SB 6232 by Senators Fairley, Oke, Hochstatter and Rasmussen (by request of Office of the Lieutenant Governor Owen, Department of Labor and Industries and Department of Social and Health Services)
AN ACT Relating to industrial insurance premiums for employers with drug-free workplace programs; amending RCW 49.82.901; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.
Referred to Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
SB 6233 by Senators Wojahn, McDonald, Loveland, Deccio, Snyder, Spanel, Winsley, Rasmussen, Gardner, Costa, Hale, McAuliffe and Kline
AN ACT Relating to the developmental disabilities endowment trust fund; amending RCW 43.330.200, 43.330.210, 43.330.220, and 43.330.230; amending 1999 c 384 s 1 (uncodified); adding new sections to chapter 43.330 RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 43.33A RCW.
Referred to Committee on Health and Long-Term Care.
SB 6234 by Senators Patterson, Haugen, Eide, Costa, Kohl-Welles, Gardner and McAuliffe
AN ACT Relating to driver's license examinations and restrictions; amending RCW 46.20.305 and 46.63.020; adding a new section to chapter 42.17 RCW; and prescribing penalties.
Referred to Committee on Transportation.
SB 6235 by Senator Fairley (by request of Employment Security Department)
AN ACT Relating to allowing an employer to request relief of benefit charges within thirty days of notice of the claim being filed; amending RCW 50.29.020; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.
Referred to Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
SB 6236 by Senator Fairley (by request of Employment Security Department)
AN ACT Relating to the transfer of data for operational, evaluation, and research purposes; reenacting and amending RCW 50.13.060 and 42.17.310; creating new sections; and prescribing penalties.
Referred to Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
SB 6237 by Senator Fairley (by request of Employment Security Department)
AN ACT Relating to processing fees deducted from earnings withheld due to child support; amending RCW 26.23.060; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.
Referred to Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
SB 6238 by Senator Fairley (by request of Employment Security Department)
AN ACT Relating to eligibility for unemployment insurance benefits when an employee voluntarily participates in an employer initiated layoff; adding a new section to chapter 50.20 RCW; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.
Referred to Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
SB 6239 by Senator Fairley (by request of Employment Security Department)
AN ACT Relating to requiring large employers to report tax and wage information electronically for unemployment insurance purposes; amending RCW 50.12.070; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.
Referred to Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
SB 6240 by Senators Honeyford, Haugen and Gardner
AN ACT Relating to legal newspapers; and amending RCW 65.16.020.
Referred to Committee on State and Local Government.
SB 6241 by Senators Fairley, Kohl-Welles, Brown, Shin, Kline, Fraser, Prentice, McAuliffe, Patterson, Eide, Rasmussen and Costa
AN ACT Relating to establishing performance measures and the setting of goals for earnings gains, job retention, and access to benefits that support work for the WorkFirst program; adding new sections to chapter 74.08A RCW; and creating new sections.
Referred to Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
SB 6242 by Senators Fairley, Patterson, Kohl-Welles, Shin, McAuliffe, Eide and B. Sheldon
AN ACT Relating to public agency telephone systems; adding a new section to chapter 43.105 RCW; and creating a new section.
Referred to Committee on Labor and Workforce Development.
SJR 8212 by Senators Loveland, Winsley, Fairley, Haugen, Snyder, Fraser, Patterson, Bauer, Wojahn, Spanel, B. Sheldon, Rasmussen, Oke, Gardner, Thibaudeau and Goings
Providing a tax credit on owner-occupied residential property.
Referred to Committee on Ways and Means.
MOTION
At 12:05 p.m., on motion of Senator Betti Sheldon, the Senate recessed until 4:30 p.m.
The Senate was called to order at 4:30 p.m. by President Owen.
MOTION
At 4:40 p.m., on motion of Senator Betti Sheldon, the Senate was declared to be at ease to retire to the House of Representatives for the purpose of a Joint Session.
JOINT SESSION
The Sergeant at Arms of the House announced the arrival of the Senate at the bar of the House.
Co-Speaker Chopp of the House of Representatives instructed the Sergeant at Arms of the House and the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate to escort President of the Senate, Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen, President Pro Tempore R. Lorraine Wojahn, Majority Leader Sid Snyder and Minority Leader James West to seats on the rostrum.
The Senators were invited to seats within the House Chamber.
The Co-Speaker of the House of Representatives declared the Joint Session to be in order.
The Clerk of the House of Representatives called the roll of the House and a quorum was present.
The Secretary of the Senate called the roll of the Senate and a quorum was present.
The Co-Speaker of the House of Representatives presented the gavel to the President of the Senate, Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen.
APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES
The President of the Senate appointed Senators Mike Heavey, Stephen Johnson, Adam Kline and Larry Sheahan and Representatives Tom Campbell, Jim Dunn, Pat Lantz and Brian Sullivan as a special committee to escort the Supreme Court Justices from the State Reception Room to the House Chamber.
The President of the Senate appointed Senators Tracey Eide, Calvin Goings, Bob McCaslin and Pam Roach and Representatives Jerome Delvin, Kelli Linville, Al O’Brien and Beverly Woods as a special committee to escort the State Elected Officials from the State Reception Room to the House Chamber.
The President of the Senate appointed Senators Karen Fraser and Dino Rossi and Representatives Roger Bush and Ed Murray as a special committee to inform Governor Gary Locke that the Joint Session has been assembled and to escort him from his office to the House Chamber.
INTRODUCTION OF SPECIAL GUESTS
The President of the Senate welcomed and introduced the Supreme Court Justices: Chief Justice Richard P. Guy, Associate Chief Justice Charles Z. Smith, Justice Charles Johnson, Justice Barbara A. Madsen, Justice Gerry Alexander, Justice Phil Talmadge, Justice Richard B. Sanders, Justice Faith Ireland and Justice Bobbie Bridge.
The President welcomed and introduced the State Elected Officials: Secretary of State Ralph Munro, State Treasurer Mike Murphy, State Auditor Brian Sonntag, Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson, Insurance Commissioner Deborah Senn and Commissioner of Public Lands Jennifer Belcher.
INTRODUCTION OF CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION
The President welcomed and introduced the Honorable Jim McDermott, Congressman from the Seventh District and the Honorable Adam Smith, and his wife Sarah, Congressman from the Ninth Legislative District, who were seated on the rostrum.
INTRODUCTION OF MEMBERS OF THE CONSULAR ASSOCIATION OF WASHINGTON
The President called upon Secretary of State Ralph Munro to introduce the honored guests of the Consular Association of Washington, who were seated in the back of the House Chamber: The Honorable Walter Weber, Treasurer of the Consular Association and Consul General Emeritus of Austria; The Honorable Roger Simmons, P.C., Consul General of Canada; The Honorable Karsten Babig, Acting Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany; The Honorable Shoji Sato, Senior Consul of Japan; The Honorable Byung Seang Oh, Consul of the Republic of Korea; The Honorable Sylvia Meek, Vice Consul of Mexico; The Honorable Andre Veklenko, Consul General of the Russian Federation; The Honorable David Broom, Her Majesty’s Consul, United Kingdom; and The Honorable Frank Liu, Director General, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Seattle.
INTRODUCTION OF GOVERNOR AND MRS. GARY LOCKE
The President welcomed and introduced Governor Gary Locke and Mona Lee Locke and asked the special committee to escort them to their place on the rostrum.
The flags were escorted to the rostrum by the Joint Service Color Guard.
The prayer was offered by Rabbi James Mirel of the Temple B’nai Torah of Bellevue.
REMARKS BY LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BRAD OWEN
“It is the purpose of this joint session to receive the State of the State Address from His Excellency, Governor Gary Locke. It is always a pleasure for me to have the opportunity to introduce to you and to present to you the Honorable Governor. Governor Gary Locke.”
STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS
BY GOVERNOR GARY LOCKE
Governor Locke: "Mr. President, Mr. Speakers, Honorable Chief Justice, distinguished Justices of the Supreme Court, members of the Consular Association, statewide elected officials, members of the Washington State Legislature, and all of the people of Washington, welcome. Tonight, we stand together at the bright dawn of a new millennium. A wealth of possibilities stretches before us. Behind us lies a proud history to guide the choices we make for the next century. A century our grandchildren will close just as we have closed our grandparents’ century.
“I have to admit, I feel time slipping away. Just the other day, I received my AARP card in the mail, and I thought, What’s this? I’m not anywhere near retirement--I hope. In fact, I feel pretty young. I’ve still got lots of energy. I can still carry my golf clubs, walk the length of a golf course, and not be out of breath. I can even stay up past my kids’ bedtime. In fact, Mona and I have decided that since we, as a family, share everything, why not age? So, on average, she and I are really only in our early forties. Throw Dylan and Emily’s ages into the mix, I’m still in my mid-twenties. But, in all seriousness, time isn’t moving backwards. It is moving forward, and fast.
“When I look into the future of the state of Washington, I like what I see. I see a Washington where our kids go to outstanding schools and get individual attention--where they pass their achievement tests with flying colors--where fourth graders read beyond the fourth grade level, and our tenth graders are passing their tests of mastery in the subjects that we deem important. Their teachers are the best in the nation, their school buildings state of the art; where a college education is available and affordable to anyone who works hard and earns it--and where our schools are free from violence, crime and drugs.
“The Washington I see is a place where our families-- our children-- can find family wage jobs in their own hometowns; where our economy is vibrant, and unemployment is low and hardly anyone needs welfare. It’s a Washington where a young family can buy a home that doesn’t force them to live paycheck to paycheck, and our senior citizens can continue to live in the family home; where there is affordable and accessible health care for everyone; and where medical decisions are made by doctors and their patients, not by accountants.
“It is a Washington where it is safe to walk the streets alone at night; where neighbor looks out for neighbor. I see a Washington with pure air, clean water, healthy forests, and flourishing farmlands, where there are no endangered species, where our rivers are teeming with wild salmon. Is this an impossible dream? I don’t think so, and neither should you. President Kennedy once dreamed of putting a man on the moon, and we did it. Realizing our dreams of opportunity and success for our children, should be our man on the moon. It is a dream that together, we can help make a reality.
“We begin this Twenty-first Century with a strong foundation of high ideals, hard work, courage, and sacrifice. The Twentieth Century answered Franklin Roosevelt’s call for a rendezvous with destiny. Martin Luther King, Jr. challenged each of us to judge each other not by the color of our skin, but by the strength and content of our character. We witnessed Neil Armstrong take ‘one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’ We saw our parents survive the Great Depression and fight wars to ensure our freedom. We saw the Berlin Wall crash to the ground and we saw communism crumble and democracy flourish. We saw Washington fly to worldwide prominence in the aircraft industry. And we saw Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos revolutionize technology and the way we do business. We saw thousands and thousands of Washingtonians--everyday Washingtonians--sacrifice everything that they had to ensure that their children would have a better life.
“We have with us today some of those everyday Washingtonians who shaped our nation and our state-- who made choices and sacrifices that ensured the freedom and the democracy we enjoy every single day. First, let’s pause to honor one of our heroes who isn’t with us today. On October 7th, State Trooper Jim Saunders lost his life protecting our citizens. His wife Billie is with us today. Billie, you are in our thoughts and prayers, and you can always count on our support. It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge Jim’s sacrifice today. Let’s have a moment of silence to honor Trooper Jim Saunders.
“Thank you.
“There are other heroes we honor today: Jacque Long is with us today. After witnessing the Ku Klux Klan in action, Jackie went to work for Martin Luther King, Jr., marching, registering voters, putting her own safety at risk to ensure equal rights for all. Jacque Long, thank you very much.
“Francis Agnes and his wife, Marlene, are also with us today. Francis was a Prisoner of War in World War II. He survived the Bataan Death March--a deadly sixty mile march in jungle heat. When he returned to Washington after twenty-one years in the Air Force, Francis and his wife dedicated their lives to helping veterans in our great state. Francis guards the lives of our veterans like a hawk. If a veteran is sick and needs a ride to the hospital, Francis will drive him. If a widow needs help arranging funeral plans, Francis is there. Francis Agnes, thank you very much.
“LeRoy Roberts is one of the great Tuskegee Airmen. He flew forty-two missions against Nazi Germany and one hundred and six missions during the Korean War. After spending his entire career in the Air Force, LeRoy continues to volunteer at air force bases, and he travels around to our schools, Elk Clubs, Rotaries, and gives slide show presentations, educating our children and our citizens about the Tuskegee Airmen. LeRoy Roberts, thank you very much.
“Tosh Okamoto--Tosh and his family were placed in concentration camps at the outbreak of World War II, simply because of their Japanese ancestry, and yet Tosh stood up and asked to fight for our country. He served in the heroic 442nd regimental combat team-- the most-decorated unit in the history of American warfare. When Tosh returned to Washington, he went to a nursing home to visit the father of his friend, a fellow soldier, who had died in battle. The man’s other son was also visiting his father that day, and asked Tosh for some change. Tosh searched his pockets, and handed the son what he had. The son told Tosh that when his father rang his call button, it was more likely that someone would come and see what he wanted if he held up some money. Tosh was outraged. This man’s son had died for democracy, and that’s how he was being treated. So Tosh formed a non-profit organization and opened the Keiro Nursing Home. Keiro, in Japanese, means ‘respect for the elderly.’ That was the beginning of Tosh’s involvement in improving the lives of our elders. Tosh Okamoto, thank you very much.
“LeRoy Roberts and Tosh Okamoto and countless thousands of others served our country even as their families faced discrimination at home because they believed in the essential goodness of America and her promise of freedom and equal opportunity for all. We must do for our children and our children’s children as these heroes have done for us. When these soldiers went off to fight in wars, they weren’t thinking about their own well-being-- they were thinking about us-- and our future. When Jacque risked her safety to march for civil rights and register voters, she was thinking about a society for all of us--where everyone has equal opportunities. When Jim Saunders drove that patrol car night after night, he did it because he wanted our children to live in a safe community. They did it for us--to create a better future. The choices these heroes made carved out our destiny. What kind of a destiny do we want to carve out for our children? That will depend on the choices we make in the next sixty days.
“Things have never been better in our great state of Washington. The state of our state is good. Our schools’ test scores are rising; We’ve helped more than 80,000 people move from welfare to work; we’ve retrained thousands of displaced workers into good paying jobs; and we’ve returned almost a billion tax dollars to businesses so they can reinvest, grow, and create the jobs that provide for our families and provide us with a good future. Our unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been in thirty-three years.
“Our economy is strong. It’s our responsibility to preserve our prosperity and we’ll do it by building trust in government--by joining as ‘One Washington’ and sharing our economic bounty and by finding long-term solutions to our immense transportation problems, and by making a long-term all-out commitment to education.
“Today, as we celebrate our progress, we must also adopt an agenda for the future--if our prosperity is to continue. So, as we begin the new century and its first legislative session, we must do more than simply meet the challenges of Initiative 695. As we begin, let us resolve to set aside partisanship, to do what is best for our people and for our children--the children of our state--because you know what? Twenty years from now, fifty years from now, a hundred years from now, nobody is going to care whether we were Democrats or Republicans. They won’t even remember our names, but what they will remember and care about is what we’ve done--together--to make the future a better place.
“You’ve all read and digested my budget and legislative proposals, so today, let me just reinforce some of the most critical issues we must resolve. First, health care should be available and affordable to everyone in the state. People can’t purchase individual health coverage in this state, so let’s resolve to find a solution and let’s also establish a Patients’ Bill of Rights so that no citizen is denied proper care. With our economy booming, there’s no reason for the unemployment insurance taxes to be going up. Let’s make sure they stay down. But at the same time, we need to make sure that we provide extended benefits to the workers who are engaged in job training and retraining, who want to better their lives, who want to take care of their families. We owe them that.
“None of us should feel unsafe in our homes, our jobs, our schools, our own backyards, so let’s resolve once and for all to protect our families and our children from the scourge of domestic violence. Let’s do everything we can to eliminate violence in the schools! No child should be afraid to go to school, and no parents should be afraid to send their children to school. Schools are for learning. Let our teachers teach and let our children learn. Let’s eliminate violence from our schools. And let’s protect our air and our water from pollution. And let’s make sure that every inch of every pipeline in Washington is safe and secure.
“None of us should have to fear neglect in our aging years. Let’s pay greater respect to our elders; let’s make sure they have secure long-term health-care options, and are never taxed out of the family home.
“In fact, we have with us today two of our citizens whose lives have spanned three centuries. Kikuno Kimura and Madame Kodama are both over one hundred years old--and both have truly enriched our lives. These citizens have witnessed the evolution of travel from horse and buggy to space exploration. They’ve seen communication go from telegraphs to global cellular communications. We owe so much to our seniors, our elders, for the legacy they’ve left us. So, thank you Kikuno and Hosoe.
“The most important item on our agenda is sitting right up there. There! Wave to us. There is our future. Do you see them? Those children with us today, and every child in every city and town. They are Washington’s future. Those children will soon fill the seats you’re sitting in today. They will be the doctors and dentists who take care of us. They will be the farmers, the scientists, the grocery store managers, the artists, the teachers, and the engineers and one of them will stand here, some day, delivering the State of the State Address.
“The key to their future, and the key to our future, is education. Education is the sword of democracy--the Excalibur of Opportunity-- and yes, the great equalizer. Our children deserve our best. So we need the best teachers in our classrooms. Our new teachers need to be properly prepared and tested and we need to provide training and professional development so that all of our teachers can continue to excel.
“Our children need small classes and individual attention to reach the high standards we’ve set for them. We don’t need to go to the moon. We need to bring the universe to our children. Our goal is 100% literacy and 100% high school graduation. We’ve initiated Promise Scholarships, so hard-working high school graduates can get the college education they need to get good-paying jobs. But, now we must make the Promise Scholarship Program more than just a promise. We need to guarantee that it will continue as a permanent program in our state. We need an education system that provides a lifetime of learning opportunities, because the need for new knowledge and new skills is moving at light-speed.
“We’ve got to provide the training and retraining our workers need for the jobs of the future. Every working person knows the truth about the workplace of the Twenty-first Century: If you don’t keep up to date, you’ll be left behind.
“I say to you tonight, it does not make sense that our state, with one of the highest per capita income levels in America, has the third most crowded classrooms in our nation. And I say to you tonight, it does not make sense that Washington is one of only five states that don’t require new teachers to take tests to prove their mastery. This is simply unacceptable, and it must end now.
“Every day, our hard-working, dedicated teachers have to make an impossible choice: focus on the struggling students, or focus on the majority of students, or focus on the gifted students. Whatever choice they make, every day they are forced to choose to leave some children behind--and that’s not right.
“In my three years as Governor, I’ve traveled to schools throughout our state. I’ve seen classrooms with thirty kids to a teacher. I’ve met eighteen year old high school graduates who can barely read. That’s not right; it has to stop. If we commit to eliminating crowded classrooms, our teachers will have the chance to teach and our children will have a better chance to learn.
“So, I propose that we make a down payment on eliminating crowded classrooms by using savings in the state education budget to hire 1,000 effective teachers in the next school year. We’ve laid the foundation for the best education system in the nation by setting tough standards for students and holding schools accountable for results. Add teacher testing, on-going training, and professional standards to this equation, and we’ve got a rock-solid foundation for what comes next-- smaller class sizes and unparalleled academic achievement. We cannot leave this session without fulfilling our duty to the future. Let us resolve here tonight to do the right thing for our children.
“Washingtonians have proven over and over again that if we give communities more power, they will use that power for the greater good --for our children. So, let’s allow local school boards to keep more of the taxes generated in their own communities-- to invest in their schools. Local schools will benefit without any tax increase, and this way we can invest more than a billion dollars in schools over the next six years.
They can eliminate crowded classrooms and they can provide after-school and weekend programs for children who need extra time or extra attention--and we can be sure that we won’t leave a single child behind. If we can let local governments keep money for economic development or convention centers, for baseball and football stadiums, we can surely let local school districts keep money for our kids, because if even one child goes through our school system without gaining an education, we fail. And we will all be held accountable for that failure.
“I propose we take yet another big step for schools and taxpayers by settling once and for all how we invest our surplus revenue. Initiative 601 spending limits are here to stay, but when we have a surplus, why not share that money fifty-fifty between schools and taxpayers. Schools will improve and taxpayers will see surplus tax dollars going back into their pockets where they belong. I know that many of you out there are wondering how we can afford to take this leap forward in education after the passage of Initiative 695. But I ask you, how can we not?
“I heard the voters on Initiative 695. I heard them loud and clear. I respect the initiative process our state holds so dear and I regard the voters as both the customers and the shareholders of the state of Washington--and our shareholders said their tax burden was too much and that they want effective, efficient government.
“Make no mistake — responding to I-695 will require sacrifices and tough decisions, but I stand here tonight to say that together we can meet this challenge without sacrificing a single child’s future. Working together, we can provide immediate property tax cuts, including a tax cut of more than six percent for all property owners, and we can exempt all low-income seniors from the state portion of the property tax. After working so hard and sacrificing so much for their families and our communities, our elders must not be taxed out of their homes.
“We are redoubling our efforts to make government more efficient and effective. We can do more and we will. We’re eliminating at least 1,500 state positions, but let’s go farther. Let’s take state government into the Twenty-first Century by contracting out more state services, reforming our civil service system, and allowing state employees to have the same bargaining rights as city and county workers have. Let’s continue our state’s Savings Incentive Program, which has provided $143 million in cold, hard cash for school construction since I took office. One hundred and forty-three million dollars towards school construction all because state employees have been creative and diligent in streamlining their operations. From the Department of Labor & Industries that streamlined its contractor registration renewal process from twenty-seven days down to one, to the Department of Information Services that designed and implemented "Access Washington," the best state Web site in America, to the Department of Health that developed a DNA fingerprinting technique which can identify an E-coli outbreak within twenty-four hours, instead of the seven days it used to take.
“Every agency in our state is working hard to streamline government, so let’s thank and applaud our state employees, for the great work they’re doing. By working together we can ensure that local governments hardest hit by Initiative 695 can continue to provide vital police, fire protection, public health, and transit services. I will not turn my back when someone needs the police, a medic, a firefighter, a vaccine for their child, or a bus ride home from work. We cannot walk away from our responsibility to make our communities safe and secure.
“We all know we need transportation improvements to relieve congestion, to make our highways safer, to get our products to market more swiftly, and to make our ferry system more efficient. Our Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation, created by this Legislature, will find a way to fund over 20 billion dollars worth of transportation projects necessary in the decades ahead. Within a year, we will have their answer -- a proposal that will go to the voters.
“Yes, we could divert state revenue for short-term transportation solutions, but the result would destine our education system to mediocrity and hardly put a dent in the massive transportation problems we face. On my watch, I will not see education sacrificed. The children are our future. If we don’t educate our children--if we don’t commit to excellence in education-- our children will carry the shackles of their inability to prosper, to engage, to be full active members of our society, to their graves--and we will all lose. We will all, as a society, be diminished. and that would be a tragedy that we simply can’t allow to happen.
“You know, I’ve taken on a lot of titles in my life. Deputy Prosecutor, State Representative, County Executive, and now Governor, but I’ll tell you, the most important title I’ve ever had is Daddy. To Emily and Dylan, I am Daddy, and I always will be and that means more to me than anything else. So. let’s remember our true titles. The ones that last; the ones that really matter--Uncle, Aunt, Brother, Sister, Mom and Dad.
“Those children up there? Our future? I asked them a couple of questions. I asked: What do you like about your lives now, and what do you want the world to be like when you grow up?
“Tana said she wants to be a teacher and a trapeze artist. And some people might say the two are synonymous--one and the same.
“Kathy said, ‘I like learning stuff, but sometimes I learn sad things like the sea turtles who eat plastic bags and get sick and die. I learned about salmon at school and am real worried that they may all be gone if we don’t clean up our rivers and creeks.’
“Maggie said, ‘I think more towns should be like my town because it is safe. I like walking to my grandma’s house.’
“Madeleine said, ‘It is great to be a kid today. I hope for good choices by presidents and other people in the government.’
“Citizens of Washington: Is all that too much to ask? Jim, Jacque, LeRoy, Tosh, Francis, all of our heroes, they gave us freedom, democracy, the right to sit in whichever seat on the bus we want. And now our children are asking for opportunities--chances. Let’s give them the opportunities to make the right choices when their turn comes--and that is not too much to ask.
“Last Saturday I went to the opening of a new school on Bainbridge Island. The children were singing some incredible songs, and one of the songs went like this, ‘The future begins with us and every moment we live lights the way! This is our day. This is our day.’ Let’s help them light the way. Let’s give them their day.
“A wise person once said, ‘A hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove--but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.’ Today I say: ‘A hundred years from now, it won’t matter whether we were Democrats or Republicans, but the world will be different in a hundred years, if all of us--each and every one of us commit today to being important in the lives of our children.’
Thank you, and God bless us all."
The President of the Senate thanked Governor Locke for his comments.
The President of the Senate introduced the parents of Governor Locke, Julie and Jimmy Locke, who were seated in the gallery.
The President of the Senate instructed the special committee to escort Governor and Mrs. Locke from the House Chamber.
The President of the Senate asked the special committee to escort the State Elected Officials from the House Chamber.
The President of the Senate asked the special committee to escort the Supreme Court Justices from the House Chamber.
MOTION
On motion of Representative Kessler, the Joint Session was dissolved.
The President of the Senate returned the gavel to Co-Speaker Ballard of the House of Representatives.
The Co-Speaker of the House instructed the Sergeant at Arms of the House and the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate to escort President of the Senate, Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen, President Pro Tempore R. Lorraine Wojahn, Majority Leader Sid Snyder and Minority Leader James West from the House Chamber.
The Co-Speaker of the House instructed the Sergeant at Arms of the House and the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate to escort the Senators from the House Chamber.
The Senate was called to order at 6:03 p.m. by President Owen.
MOTION
At 6:03 p.m., on motion of Senator Betti Sheldon, the Senate adjourned until 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, January 12, 2000.
BRAD OWEN, President of the Senate
TONY M. COOK, Secretary of the Senate