THIRD DAY
MORNING SESSIONSenate Chamber, Olympia, Wednesday, January 12, 2005
The Senate was called to order at 11:00 a.m. by President Owen. The Secretary called the roll and announced to the President that all Senators were present.
MOTION
On motion of Senator Eide, the reading of the Journal of the previous day was dispensed with and it was approved.
MOTION
On motion of Senator Eide, the Senate advanced to the third order of business.
MESSAGES FROM THE STATE OFFICES
December 23, 2004
STATE OF WASHINGTON
Olympia, Washington 98504-5000
Mr. Thomas Hoemann
Secretary of the Senate
P.O. Box 40482
Olympia, Washington 98504-0482
Dear Mr. Hoemann:
Enclosed is the Washington State Auditors report on The Evergreen State College.
If you have any questions about the report, please call the Washington State Auditors Office at 902-0370.
Sincerely,
Brian Sonntag, State Auditor
The Accountability Report, The Evergreen State College is on file in the Office of the Secretary of the Senate.
MESSAGES FROM THE STATE OFFICES
December 23, 2004
STATE OF WASHINGTON
Olympia, Washington 98504-5000
Mr. Thomas Hoemann
Secretary of the Senate
P.O. Box 40482
Olympia, Washington 98504-0482
Dear Mr. Hoemann:
Enclosed is the Washington State Auditors report on the Centralia College
If you have any questions about the report, please call the Washington State Auditors Office at 902-0370.
Sincerely,
Brian Sonntag, State Auditor,
The Accountability Audit Report, Centralia College is on file in the Office of the Secretary of the Senate.
MESSAGES FROM THE STATE OFFICES
December 23, 2004
Olympia, Washington 98504-5000
Mr. Thomas Hoemann
Secretary of the Senate
P.O. Box 40482
Olympia, Washington 98504-0482
Dear Mr. Hoemann:
Enclosed is the Washington State Auditors report on the Bellevue Community College
If you have any questions about the report, please call the Washington State Auditors Office at 902-0370.
Sincerely,
Brian Sonntag, State Auditor,
The Accountability Audit Report on the Bellevue Community College is on file in the Office of the Secretary of the Senate.
MESSAGES FROM THE STATE OFFICES
December 23, 2004
STATE OF WASHINGTON
Olympia, Washington 98504-5000
Mr. Thomas Hoemann
Secretary of the Senate
P.O. Box 40482
Olympia, Washington 98504-0482
Dear Mr. Hoemann:
Enclosed is the Washington State Auditors Report on the Washington State Fruit Commission (Yakima County). This report is mandated under RCW 15.28.
If you have any questions about the report, please call the Washington State Auditors Office at 902-0370.
Sincerely,
Brian Sonntag, State Auditor
The Washington State Fruit Commission report (Yakima County) is on file in the Office of the Secretary of the Senate.
MESSAGES FROM THE STATE OFFICES
December 2004
STATE OF WASHINGTON
Olympia, Washington 98504-5000
Mr. Thomas Hoemann
Secretary of the Senate
P.O. Box 40482
Olympia, Washington 98504-0482
Dear Mr. Hoemann:
Enclosed is the Washington State Auditors Report on the Audit Report on Medicaid.
If you have any questions about the report, please call Washington State Auditors Office at 902-0370.
Sincerely,
Brian Sonntag, State Auditor
The Washington State Auditors Report on the Audit Report on Medicaid is on file in the Office of the Secretary of the Senate.
MESSAGES FROM THE STATE OFFICES
December 2004
STATE OF WASHINGTON
Olympia, Washington 98504-5000
Mr. Thomas Hoemann
Secretary of the Senate
P.O. Box 40482
Olympia, Washington 98504-0482
Dear Mr. Hoemann:
Enclosed is the State Interoperability Executive Committee report on the High-Level Final Statewide Public Safety Communications Interoperability Plan. This report is mandated under RCW 43.105.
If you have any questions about the report, please call 902-3557.
Sincerely,
Carrie Tellefson, Government Relations Director
The State Interoperability Executive Committee report on the High-Level Final Statewide Public Safety Communications Interoperability Plan is on file in the Office of the Secretary of the Senate.
MESSAGES FROM THE STATE OFFICES
January 2005
STATE OF WASHINGTON
Olympia, Washington 98504-5000
Mr. Thomas Hoemann
Secretary of the Senate
P.O. Box 40482
Olympia, Washington 98504-0482
Dear Mr. Hoemann:
Enclosed is the Washington State Prescription Drug Program report. This report is mandated under Chapter 29 Laws of 2003 First Special Session.
If you have any questions about the report, please call .
Sincerely,
Dennis Braddock, Secretary
The Washington State Prescription Drug Program report is on file in the Office of the Secretary of the Senate.
MOTION
On motion of Senator Eide, the Senate advanced to the fifth order of business.
INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING
AN ACT Relating to noise control; amending RCW 70.107.050 and 70.107.060; and prescribing penalties.
Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.
SB 5044 by Senators Mulliken and Parlette
AN ACT Relating to contract interests of an officer of a rural public hospital district; and amending RCW 42.23.030.
Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.
SB 5045 by Senators Doumit and Morton
AN ACT Relating to allowing title insurance companies to provide a guarantee covering its agents; and amending RCW 48.29.155.
Referred to Committee on Financial Institutions, Housing & Consumer Protection.
SB 5046 by Senators Regala and Johnson
AN ACT Relating to ethics complaints; and amending RCW 42.52.425 and 42.52.450.
Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.
AN ACT Relating to cost-effective prevention and early intervention programs; and adding a new chapter to Title 43 RCW.
Referred to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.
SB 5048 by Senators Oke, Brown, Keiser, Swecker, Kline, Morton, Rockefeller, Deccio, Thibaudeau, Finkbeiner, McAuliffe, Sheldon, Rasmussen, Spanel, Berkey, Eide, Doumit, Regala, Kohl-Welles, Jacobsen, Franklin, Haugen, Fraser, Kastama and Weinstein
AN ACT Relating to protecting the health of minors by prohibiting tobacco product sampling; amending RCW 70.155.010, 70.155.050, 70.155.090, 70.155.100, 82.24.120, and 82.24.230; creating a new section; repealing RCW 70.155.060 and 82.24.270; and prescribing penalties.
Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research & Development.
SB 5049 by Senators Kohl-Welles, Benton, Fairley, Esser, Thibaudeau, Prentice, McAuliffe, Kline and Rockefeller
AN ACT Relating to disclosing information about mold in residential dwelling units; amending RCW 59.18.060; and creating a new section.
Referred to Committee on Financial Institutions, Housing & Consumer Protection.
SB 5050 by Senators Fraser and Hewitt
AN ACT Relating to state general obligation bonds and related accounts; adding a new chapter to Title 43 RCW; and declaring an emergency.
Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.
SB 5051 by Senators Fraser and Hewitt
AN ACT Relating to the capital budget; making appropriations and authorizing expenditures for capital improvements; amending RCW 43.135.045, 43.88.032, and 28B.50.360; amending 2003 1st sp.s. c 26 ss 115, 131, 330, and 403 (uncodified); amending 2004 c 277 ss 201, 110, 209, 221, 262, and 236 (uncodified); creating new sections; repealing 2003 1st sp.s. c 26 s 603 (uncodified); repealing 2004 c 277 s 302 (uncodified); providing an effective date; providing an expiration date; and declaring an emergency.
Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.
SB 5052 by Senators Johnson, Kline and Rockefeller
AN ACT Relating to uniform estate tax apportionment; amending RCW 83.100.020; adding a new chapter to Title 83 RCW; and providing an effective date.
Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
SB 5053 by Senators Kline and Johnson
AN ACT Relating to service by publication in actions to establish or modify parenting plans, for legal separation or invalidity of marriage, and for nonparental custody; and amending RCW 4.28.100.
Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
SB 5054 by Senators Johnson, Kline and Rockefeller
AN ACT Relating to patient authorization of disclosure of health care information; and amending RCW 70.02.030.
Referred to Committee on Health & Long-Term Care.
SB 5055 by Senators Johnson, Kline and Rockefeller
AN ACT Relating to trust and estate management; amending RCW 11.02.005, 11.12.110, 11.28.170, 11.40.020, 11.40.030, 11.40.051, 11.40.070, 11.42.020, 11.42.030, 11.42.070, 11.88.080, 11.94.010, 11.98.039, 21.35.005, and 22.28.030; and repealing RCW 11.04.270.
Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
SB 5056 by Senators Haugen, Swecker, Prentice, Kastama, Fairley, Honeyford, Zarelli, Hewitt, Berkey, Fraser, Thibaudeau, Jacobsen, McAuliffe, Rasmussen, Kline and Rockefeller
AN ACT Relating to creating the department of archaeology and historic preservation; amending RCW 43.17.020, 27.34.020, 27.34.070, 27.34.210, 27.34.230, 27.34.330, 27.34.342, and 27.34.344; reenacting and amending RCW 43.17.010; adding a new section to chapter 41.06 RCW; adding a new chapter to Title 43 RCW; repealing RCW 27.34.310 and 27.34.320; and providing an expiration date.
Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.
SB 5057 by Senators Jacobsen, Swecker, Weinstein and Haugen
AN ACT Relating to the agency council on coordinated transportation; and amending RCW 47.06B.020 and 47.06B.901.
Referred to Committee on Transportation.
SB 5058 by Senators Haugen, Swecker, Prentice, Jacobsen and Weinstein
AN ACT Relating to changing the payment date of motor vehicle fuel tax and special fuel tax when paying by electronic funds transfer; amending RCW 82.36.035 and 82.38.160; repealing RCW 82.36.405 and 82.38.289; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.
Referred to Committee on Transportation.
SB 5059 by Senators Haugen, Swecker, Jacobsen, Benton and Rockefeller
AN ACT Relating to state transportation bond payment revenue; and adding a new section to chapter 39.42 RCW.
Referred to Committee on Transportation.
SB 5060 by Senators Haugen, Swecker and Jacobsen
AN ACT Relating to regulating the use of automated traffic safety cameras; amending RCW 3.46.120, 3.50.100, 35.20.220, 46.63.030, and 46.63.140; adding new sections to chapter 46.04 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 46.63 RCW; and creating a new section.
Referred to Committee on Transportation.
AN ACT Relating to periodontal insurance coverage; and creating a new section.
Referred to Committee on Health & Long-Term Care.
SB 5062 by Senators Jacobsen and Rasmussen
AN ACT Relating to formation of an organic foods commission; adding a new section to chapter 15.24 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 15.26 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 15.28 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 15.44 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 15.62 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 15.65 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 15.66 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 16.67 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.78 RCW; adding a new chapter to Title 15 RCW; and prescribing penalties.
Referred to Committee on Agriculture & Rural Economic Development.
SB 5063 by Senators Jacobsen, Rasmussen and Kline
AN ACT Relating to creation of a telework enhancement funding board; and adding a new chapter to Title 47 RCW.
Referred to Committee on International Trade & Economic Development.
SB 5064 by Senators Thibaudeau, Deccio, Jacobsen, Parlette, Kohl-Welles, Weinstein and Keiser
AN ACT Relating to electronic medical records and health information technologies; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.
Referred to Committee on Health & Long-Term Care.
SB 5065 by Senators Thibaudeau, Deccio, Jacobsen, Parlette, Kohl-Welles and Keiser
AN ACT Relating to injuries resulting from health care; adding a new section to chapter 70.41 RCW; and creating a new section.
Referred to Committee on Health & Long-Term Care.
SB 5066 by Senators Benton, Kohl-Welles and Oke
AN ACT Relating to the taxation of physical fitness services; amending RCW 82.08.0291; reenacting and amending RCW 82.04.050; and creating a new section.
Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.
AN ACT Relating to lawful vehicle combinations; and amending RCW 46.44.037.
Referred to Committee on Transportation.
SB 5068 by Senators Keiser, Thibaudeau, McAuliffe, Kline, Franklin, Haugen and Kohl-Welles
AN ACT Relating to health information for youth; adding a new section to chapter 70.24 RCW; and creating a new section.
Referred to Committee on Health & Long-Term Care.
SB 5069 by Senators Keiser, Kohl-Welles, Franklin, Thibaudeau, Brown, Kline and Regala
AN ACT Relating to family leave insurance; and adding a new chapter to Title 49 RCW.
Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research & Development.
SB 5070 by Senators Spanel, Stevens and Haugen
AN ACT Relating to superior court judges; amending RCW 2.08.063; and creating a new section.
Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
SB 5071 by Senators McAuliffe and Rasmussen
AN ACT Relating to elimination of mandatory norm-referenced student assessments; amending RCW 28A.230.195; and repealing RCW 28A.230.190, 28A.230.193, 28A.230.230, and 28A.230.260.
Referred to Committee on Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education.
SB 5072 by Senators McAuliffe and Rasmussen
AN ACT Relating to the powers, duties, and membership of the state board of education and the Washington professional educator standards board and the elimination of the academic achievement and accountability commission; amending RCW 28A.305.130, 28A.300.130, 28A.505.210, 28A.655.070, 28A.410.210, 28A.410.200, 28A.410.010, 28A.410.040, 28A.410.050, 28A.410.060, 28A.410.100, 28A.410.120, 28A.415.023, 28A.415.060, 28A.415.205, 28A.150.060, 28A.170.080, 28A.205.010, 28A.205.050, 28A.405.210, 28B.10.140, 18.118.010, 18.120.010, 28A.300.020, 28A.310.110, and 28A.315.085; adding a new section to chapter 28A.305 RCW; creating new sections; repealing RCW 28A.305.010, 28A.305.020, 28A.305.030, 28A.305.040, 28A.305.050, 28A.305.060, 28A.305.070, 28A.305.080, 28A.305.090, 28A.305.100, 28A.305.110, 28A.305.120, 28A.305.200, 28A.655.020, 28A.655.030, 28A.655.900, and 28A.660.901; and declaring an emergency.
Referred to Committee on Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education.
SB 5073 by Senators Prentice and Zarelli
AN ACT Relating to fiscal matters; amending RCW 9.46.100, 28A.160.195, 28A.305.210, 41.50.110, 41.50.110, 43.07.130, 43.08.190, 43.10.180, 43.10.215, 43.72.900, 46.09.170, 66.16.010, 67.40.025, 67.40.040, 70.105D.070, 70.146.030, 70.146.080, and 70.148.020; reenacting and amending RCW 43.320.110; creating new sections; making appropriations; providing effective dates; providing expiration dates; and declaring an emergency.
Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.
SB 5074 by Senators Prentice and Zarelli
AN ACT Relating to fiscal matters; amending RCW 66.16.010; amending 2004 c 276 ss 105, 106, 107, 108, 110, 111, 115, 117, 118, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 126, 129, 131, 132, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206, 207, 208, 209, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 217, 218, 301, 302, 304, 306, 307, 308, 402, 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, 506, 507, 508, 509, 510, 511, 513, 514, 515, 516, 701, 702, 703, 709, 802 (uncodified); amending 2003 1st sp.s. c 25 ss 119, 152, and 617 (uncodified); adding new sections to 2003 1st sp.s. c 25 (uncodified); making appropriations; and declaring an emergency.
Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.
SB 5075 by Senators Kohl-Welles, Schmidt, Pridemore, Rasmussen, Kline and Rockefeller
AN ACT Relating to academic eligibility for the Washington promise scholarship program; and amending RCW 28B.119.010.
Referred to Committee on Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education.
SB 5076 by Senators McAuliffe, Schmidt, Pridemore, Kohl-Welles and Rasmussen
AN ACT Relating to college in the high school; amending RCW 28A.150.275, 28A.225.290, and 28A.600.160; adding new sections to chapter 28A.600 RCW; and creating a new section.
Referred to Committee on Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education.
SB 5077 by Senators Eide, Schmidt and Berkey
AN ACT Relating to failing to summon assistance; adding a new section to chapter 9A.36 RCW; and prescribing penalties.
Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
SB 5078 by Senators Roach, Stevens, Honeyford, Mulliken, McCaslin and Benton
AN ACT Relating to voter registration; and adding a new section to chapter 29A.08 RCW.
Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.
SB 5079 by Senators Roach, Oke, Honeyford, Mulliken, Hewitt, Swecker, McCaslin and Benton
AN ACT Relating to a special runoff election for governor; creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.
Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.
SB 5080 by Senators Roach, Mulliken, Swecker, Hewitt, Oke, Parlette, Deccio, Zarelli, Stevens, McCaslin, Pflug, Carrell, Johnson, Honeyford and Benton
AN ACT Relating to election ballot requirements; amending RCW 29A.08.625, 29A.40.091, and 29A.84.130; and prescribing penalties.
Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.
SB 5081 by Senators Roach, Swecker, Oke, Deccio, Zarelli, Mulliken, Honeyford, Schmidt, Stevens, Benson, McCaslin and Benton
AN ACT Relating to monitoring of a child's telephone conversations by a parent or guardian; and amending RCW 9.73.080.
Referred to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.
SB 5082 by Senators Roach, Schmidt, Hewitt, Oke, Mulliken, Deccio, Zarelli, Stevens, McCaslin and Benton
AN ACT Relating to the time for signing and receipt of absentee and mail ballots; and amending RCW 29A.40.091, 29A.40.110, 29A.48.050, and 29A.60.160.
Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.
SB 5083 by Senators Roach, Mulliken, Pflug, Parlette, Oke, Benton, Schmidt, Benson, Swecker, Stevens, Zarelli, Carrell, Honeyford, Deccio and Schoesler
AN ACT Relating to state government performance audits; and amending RCW 43.88.160.
Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.
SB 5084 by Senators McAuliffe, Hargrove, Kohl-Welles, Rasmussen and Regala
AN ACT Relating to postsecondary education and training support for former foster youth; amending RCW 28B.92.060 and 28B.12.060; adding a new section to chapter 74.13 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.
Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research & Development.
SB 5085 by Senators Weinstein, Haugen, Jacobsen and Kline
AN ACT Relating to child passenger restraint systems; and amending RCW 46.61.687.
Referred to Committee on Transportation.
SB 5086 by Senators Shin, Schoesler and Rasmussen
AN ACT Relating to the rural Washington loan fund; amending RCW 43.84.092; reenacting and amending RCW 43.84.092; providing effective dates; providing an expiration date; and declaring an emergency.
Referred to Committee on International Trade & Economic Development.
MOTION
On motion of Senator Eide, all measures listed on the Introduction and First Reading report were referred to the committees as designated with the exception of Senate Bill No. 5081 which was referred to the Committee on Human Services & Corrections and Senate Bill No. 5086 which was referred to the Committee on International Trade & Economic Development.
MOTION
At 11:07 a.m., on motion of Senator Eide, the Senate was declared to be at ease subject to the call of the President for the purpose of convening a Joint Session with the House of Representatives.
JOINT SESSION
The Sergeant at Arms announced the arrival of the Senate at the bar of the House.
Pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution No. 4400, Speaker of the House (Representative Lovick presiding) called the Joint Session to order.
The Clerk called the roll of House members and a quorum was present. The Clerk called the roll of Senate members and a quorum was present.
The Speaker (Representative Lovick presiding) called upon President Owen to preside.
REMARKS BY PRESIDENT OWEN
President Owen: "The purpose of the Joint Session is to administer the oath of office to statewide elected officials and to receive the inaugural address from Her Excellency, Governor Christine Gregoire."
APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES
The President appointed a special committee to escort the Supreme Court Justices to the House Chamber: Representatives Chase, Priest, Rodne and Upthegrove, and Senators Carrell, Doumit, McCaslin and Weinstein.
The President appointed a special committee to escort the statewide elected officials to the House Chamber: Representatives Kretz, Murray, B. Sullivan and Walsh, and Senators Delvin, Pflug, Pridemore and Poulsen.
The President appointed a special committee to advise Her Excellency, Governor Christine Gregoire that the joint session has assembled and to escort her to the House Chamber: Representatives Kagi and Serben, and Senators Eide and Schmidt.
The Supreme Court Justices arrived, were escorted to the Floor of the House Chamber and were introduced: Chief Justice Gerry L. Alexander, and Justices Charles W. Johnson, Barbara A. Madsen, Richard B. Sanders, Bobbe J. Bridge, Tom Chambers, Susan J. Owens, Mary Fairhurst and Jim Johnson.
The statewide elected officials arrived, were escorted to the floor of the House and were introduced: Secretary of State Sam Reed, State Treasurer Mike Murphy, State Auditor Brian Sonntag, Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson, Commissioner of Public Lands Doug Sutherland, Insurance Commissioner Mike Kriedler and Attorney General Rob McKenna.
INTRODUCTION OF SPECIAL GUESTS
The President introduced the special guests present in the Chambers: Governor Gary Locke, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongski, Governor Mike Lowry, Governor Booth Gardner, Governor Al Rosellini, Congressman Jim McDermott, Former Lands Commissioner Jennifer Belcher, former State Senator Betti Sheldon, former Secretary of State Ralph Munro and former Attorney General of Virginia Mary Sue Terry.
The President introduced the members of the Consular Corps: H. Ronald Masnik, Consul of Belgium and President of the Consular Association of Washington; Daravuth Huoth, Consul of Cambodia; Frank Brozovich, Consul of Croatia, Solomon Tadesse, Consul General of Ethiopia; Jack Cowan, Consul of France; Enid Dwyer, Consul of Jamaica; Kazuo Tanaka, Consul General of Japan; Kim, Jae-gouk, Consul General of The Republic of Korea and Dean of the Washington Consular Corps; Victor Lapatinskas, Consul of Lithuania; Jorge Madrazo, Consul of Mexico; Miguel Angel Velasquez, Consul of Peru and Vice President of the Consular Association of Washington; Vladimir Volnov, Consul General of The Russian Federation; John Gokcen, Consul General of Turkey; Dennis Leith, Her Majesty’s Consul, United Kingdom; Gary Furlong, Consul General of Uzbekistan; and Robert Chen, Director General, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office.
Governor Christine Gregoire, her husband Mike Gregoire and daughters Courtney and Michelle were escorted to the Rostrum and introduced.
The Washington State Patrol Color Guard presented the colors. The National Anthem was sung by Kathleen Murphy, sister of State Treasurer Mike Murphy. The prayer was offered by Father Michael J. Ryan, Holy Spirit Catholic Church of Kent.
OATHS OF OFFICE
Justice Mary Fairhurst administered the Oath of Office to Doug Sutherland, Commissioner of Public Lands.
Justice Barbara Madsen administered the Oath of Office to Mike Kriedler, Insurance Commissioner.
Justice Susan Owens administered the Oath of Office to Terry Bergeson, Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Chief Justice Gerry Alexander administered the Oath of Office to Rob McKenna, Attorney General.
Justice Charles Johnson administered the Oath of Office to Brian Sonntag, State Auditor.
Associate Justice Tom Chambers administered the Oath of Office to Mike Murphy, State Treasurer.
Justice Richard B. Sanders administered the Oath of Office to Sam Reed, Secretary of State
Justice Bobbe Bridge administered the Oath of Office to Brad Owen, Lieutenant Governor.
Chief Justice Gerry Alexander administered the Oath of Office to Christine Gregoire, Governor.
Governor: Gregoire: "Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chief Justice, distinguished justices of the court, honored officials, members of the Washington state legislature, members of the Consular Corps, and fellow citizens: I am honored and humbled to be your new governor, and to have the opportunity to lead the people of this great state.
As I stand here today, I am mindful that this opportunity – like all the opportunities in this state – are the legacy of those who came before us. And speaking of legacy – I am especially honored to have former governors Rosellini, Gardner, Lowry and Governor Locke here today. These are our state’s foremost experts on the subject of legacy, and every person in this state owes them a debt of gratitude.
I certainly have many people to thank personally for the legacy I was given. I have my mom to thank.
As you may know, she was a short order cook and I am very proud of her. I have her to thank for solid values – forgiveness, compassion, respect and caring -- for my work ethic, and the love she provided me. She taught me to laugh and enjoy life. She also taught me one thing over and over again: the importance of education. I know her proudest moments came when I graduated from college and from law school.
I have Mr. Reis, my sixth grade English teacher, to thank. Vernon Reis opened the world to me through books. He taught me that while I was physically firmly planted in blue-collar Auburn, Washington in the 50s and early 60s, intellectually I could go anywhere, explore anything, and sample exciting new ideas simply by opening a book. Mr. Reis, will you please stand?
I have Fred Faber, a Moses Lake businessman, to thank. He was like a father to me, and made me a part of his family. Fred taught me to pursue my dreams – he even paid my tuition to attend law school – and generously and wisely taught me never to let barriers get in the way of your dreams. While he has passed away, his legacy lives warmly on in my memory and his family is my family. Allow me to introduce the Faber family.
I have Dr. Chris Griffith, an Olympia surgeon, to thank. In those dark days after I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was truly blessed to have him for support, along with my family and church. This talented, compassionate, caring surgeon really gets it when it comes to bedside manner, and I can’t imagine going through that terrible ordeal without him. When I called Dr. Griffith to ask him to come today and thank him again for his support, he wisely noted, "we are all patients at some time in our lives." Dr. Griffith could not be with us today; he is in surgery, quite likely saving another life.
I have Father Michael Ryan, who gave today’s invocation, to thank. Father Mike baptized our daughter Michelle, and to this day, he likes to whisper to me, in a voice loud enough so she can always hear, that if the baptism didn’t take, we can do it again. Like many of you, my spiritual life guides me, and Father Mike helped me transform my religion into a living faith. And Father Mike connected our family to one of the anchors in our lives – our church group. Father Mike, and our church group, will you please stand?
And, of course, I have my family to thank. I want to thank my wonderful husband and daughters, who, in the last year, have seen me through a bout with cancer, a long campaign, and two recounts. I would like you to meet the First Gentleman of this state, Mike Gregoire. He is the best husband I could have asked for – an outstanding father to our two daughters, and proud veteran who served this country in Vietnam. He is retired now, and plans to invest his time in working to improve the lives of his fellow veterans. Our two daughters are Courtney, who is in her last semester at law school, and Michelle, a college sophomore. Mike and I like to say we are getting poorer by degrees. For all you parents of teenagers, I have some good news for you. If you are as fortunate as Mike and I, you can look forward to seeing your relationship change from a test of wills with a teen, to becoming the best of friends.
And finally, I’d like you to meet some members of my extended family. Some have come from as far away as Florida and North Dakota. I mention these vital people in my life because we all have a chance to have a positive influence in the lives of others. We all leave personal legacies for the people we know and love.
And as elected officials, we have a special obligation to leave an even larger legacy of opportunity, prosperity, and optimism. As we gather here today, it seems fitting to ask, what will our legacy be? Will we leave a legacy of holding government accountable, cutting through the red tape and breaking down the barriers that hinder business development? Will we leave a legacy of strong democratic institutions and faith in government? Will we work to provide health care for every child in this state? Will we dramatically lower our high school dropout rate, and help every young person fulfill his or her full potential?
That’s exactly what I’m here to do – not alone, but together with all of you, Republican and Democrat alike. Think about the legacy we have inherited: Our agricultural products are among the finest in the world.
We have Pacific Rim ports that are major economic engines for our state’s thriving international trade. We are a global leader in aviation, high-tech, biotech, and health care. Our state is a magnet for smart, creative people, and we have well-trained workers, and well-educated scientists and entrepreneurs. We have fine universities, some on the leading edge of research and innovation, and one of the nation’s best systems of community and technical colleges. In the last decade, our public schools and teachers have done heroic work to raise the academic achievement levels of our children. We have a rich and diverse cultural heritage, vibrant arts, and a spirit of openness and inclusion. We are also blessed with a unique legacy of natural resources and landscapes so beautiful they attract tourists from around the world. We have so much to be thankful for.
It’s our responsibility to pass on what we inherited, not to squander it, but to build on it. And frankly, I worry about the legacy we may leave.
When citizens don’t have confidence their tax dollars are being used efficiently and effectively, we have work to do.
When we lose 20 percent of our manufacturing jobs in five years, we have work to do. When half a million people have no health insurance, we have work to do.
When children start kindergarten already behind because they didn’t get early education, we have work to do.
When a third of our high school students don’t finish high school on time, we have work to do.
And when Hood Canal, Puget Sound, Lake Roosevelt, and the Spokane River are polluted, we have work to do.
This is not an easy time to lead. Much has been written about red states and blue states and the great political divide – not to mention the razor thin governor’s race here. Many have asked how I can govern without a clear mandate from the voters. I believe the voters have given all of us a mandate – a mandate to overcome our differences, and to solve problems. Truly, the challenges we face are not Democratic challenges or Republican challenges. In fact, they are not political challenges at all; they are fiscal challenges, and educational challenges, and the challenges of figuring out how to take care of each other and create a future worthy of our children.
It is healthy to have differences of opinion about how to rise to these challenges. It is unhealthy to let those differences paralyze us. We can leave our legacy only if we are willing to change – to go beyond partisan labels, and to solve the problems facing Washingtonians. We can build the strength of the center of our political spectrum – that ground where left and right converge and move forward. This is the imperative of our election.
Our divisions are not nearly as deep as others may think. All of us basically want the same things: opportunity for our children, and prosperity for our families and communities. We want state government agencies that are accountable, efficient and effective. We want affordable health care and college tuition, and successful businesses that provide good jobs. We want a wholesome culture that makes the most of our diverse heritage. And we want a clean and sustainable environment that contributes to our quality of life.
Clearly the election recount ordeal of the last two months has challenged us, and among our challenges this session is election reform. We want every vote to count – and to be counted right the first time. I will, therefore, create a task force, chaired by Secretary of State Sam Reed, and former State Senator Betti Sheldon, to review our election process and report back to me and to the legislature with recommended reforms by March 1st. This task force will travel the state and listen carefully to suggestions from citizens on how we can move forward with improvements in our election system.
Speaking of what government must do better, I believe we all agree there is a need for change in Olympia. Change is here and more is coming. Let me give you an example of where we are headed. Today, businesses are regulated by, and pay taxes to multiple government agencies. They face a blizzard of paperwork, threats of penalties, different due dates, and different definitions of who has to pay what and do what. And if they have multiple locations or branches, government will multiply the number of forms and regulations they have to cope with. So I want to make my views about this perfectly clear: No business in Washington should have to put up with all of that. I believe that the vast majority of regulated businesses want to do the right thing, and we should make that easier instead of harder. I will propose legislation to establish a new government management accountability and performance approach in state government -- GMAP for short. We must hold state agencies accountable. We will require agencies to be more effective and efficient in achieving results, and ensuring that public tax dollars are being spent wisely.
This is a significant challenge. And change involves measured risk. As Governor Booth Gardner once told me, if you are succeeding 10 times out of 10, you’re not taking enough risk. So I want to say that I am willing to take risks, and willing to tolerate failure as long as we admit it, can learn from it and keep moving forward. I will challenge agency directors to take good risks, and to pursue innovative changes that make life better for business and for our citizens. There will be some failures, but we will learn from them and move on.
I will ask a lot of state employees because I intend to pay them fairly, and because I respect and admire them. In the Attorney General’s office, I was proud that our employees contributed over $5,000 to tsunami relief efforts in 24 hours after that disaster struck. They didn’t wait for the national appeals. They acted quickly, decisively and generously. They knew they couldn’t single-handedly overcome the tragedy of the tsunami – but they united to do what they could, and they made a positive difference. We must do the same to address another overwhelming challenge -- political gridlock and escalating prices in our health care system. There is just no reason why the richest nation in the world can’t provide health care to all its people. This is a national problem that begs for a national solution. We can’t truly solve this problem at the state level. But we can make a difference. We can expand access to affordable health insurance by providing a pooled state health plan to business, so they can afford to offer insurance to their employees. Every employee should have access to doctors like Chris Griffith. We can make prescription drugs more affordable by pooling our purchases. We can make importation of drugs from Canada legal. And we can set a goal of all our children having health care coverage by 2010.
We all are united in the knowledge that we need to get Washingtonians back to work. Since 2001, this state has lost nearly 100,000 jobs. Toward that end, I am proposing the creation of a Life Sciences Discovery Fund to finance new research in two areas: debilitating diseases, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and cancer – and improving the quality and yield of our agricultural crops. Our state has earned a special bonus because of our leadership in the national tobacco lawsuit. I want to combine those bonus dollars with private sector and foundation funding to create a $1 billion fund that has the potential to leave a huge legacy of better health, more and better crops, and new jobs and economic opportunity on both sides of the Cascades. It’s been said that government doesn’t create jobs, business does. For the most part, this is true. But government creates the environment in which businesses can excel and expand. Small businesses, like the one Fred Faber owned, are the backbone of our economy. I will propose tax relief for small and start-up enterprises. I will make state government a more aggressive and savvy player in economic development, and I will work to bring new jobs to the communities in this state that need them most. We must be ready to compete in a global economy. So I will challenge our Competitiveness Council to think globally so we can succeed locally, in every community and every corner of our state. A strong transportation system is essential to a thriving economy and we have important challenges throughout the state – be it freight mobility concerns in Eastern Washington or the viaduct and Lake Washington bridge issues in Seattle.
I am honored to have Oregon Governor Ted Kulongowski here today. We already have talked about working together to address our interstate bridge issues, and we plan to work together on many other issues in the years ahead. Like our neighbors in Oregon, we are all challenged by our commitment to high academic standards that prepare every student for good jobs in the 21st century. In 1993, we passed a sweeping education reform measure that has led to rigorous standards and real school improvement. The education reform act made our schools accountable for results. Now we need to make sure we have necessary funding to ensure we will get the results we’re after. Because this need is urgent, I intend to name a broad-based bipartisan commission to find and propose efficiencies and long-term funding solutions – for early education, K – 12, and our colleges and universities. This is a very tall order. But education is the foundation on which our future must be built. We must provide early childhood education and coordinate our early learning programs so that every child starts kindergarten ready to learn. A mountain of research shows us that when kids start school already behind, many never catch up. That’s why we must make sure that every child gets the early learning that is the foundation for a successful life. We know the positive power of teachers like Mr. Reis to help every child thrive. We also know the consequences when children lack that vital connection with a caring teacher. We cannot keep the faith with our children if we betray our commitments to their teachers. That’s why we need to fund cost-of-living pay increases to teachers – something voters overwhelmingly supported.
We also need to address an educational emergency. Today, nearly a third of our high school students do not graduate on time, with their peers. High school dropouts earn half as much as graduates. They often are chronically unemployed and dependent on government help, and they are at higher risk to end up in our jails and prisons. That’s why we will design our middle and high schools so no student gets lost in the crowd and disconnected from his or her own potential. And we can’t stop with high school graduation. Today, our two- and four-year colleges are all bursting at the seams. We need to take down the no-vacancy signs that kept 1,500 students out of college last year. And we need to give families some certainty about the cost of college education so they can plan for the future.
Surely no issue unites us more than our appreciation for our military personnel who are bringing aid to devastated countries, defending us against terrorism, and fighting to make a free election possible in Iraq. When those soldiers come home – and we pray daily for their safe return – we must thank them and welcome them. Our state has a special relationship with our military services. Our military bases are an important part of our economy, and military retirees are a growing part of our population. We are all proud of that. But we can also do a better job of making sure that our veterans and their families get what they need and deserve from us. My administration will make that a very high priority, and I can assure you that Mike will remind me, probably often, of that commitment. I know that all I’ve talked about today adds up to a very ambitious agenda.
But we live in a time when anything less would be insufficient. We need to set an ambitious agenda, but at the same time, we need to be honest. We cannot achieve all our goals overnight. We will need enormous patience and persistence, not just for a single legislative session, but for the long term. We must not promise more than we can deliver. Governing involves tough choices between important programs – especially now, when we face a $1.8 billion budget shortfall. We will not be able to do all we want to do this year.
But we can make progress – on job creation and business growth, on improving our education system from early learning to graduate education, on health care, environmental protection and veterans’ issues. These are all enormous challenges. And whether we are Democrat or Republican, old or young, rich or poor, these are our challenges. This will require change – change in the way we think about partisan politics, and change in the way we reach out to each other and reconcile our differences. As Gandhi so famously said, we must all "be the change we want to see in the world." If we want unity, we must all be unifiers. If we want accountability, each of us must be accountable for all we do. It is up to us to live up to the legacy that was left for us, and to leave a legacy that is worthy of our children and of future generations. We can do this. And we can start today.
Thank you very, very much. God bless all of you, and God bless our wonderful state."
The President asked the special committee to escort Governor Gregoire and her family from the House Chamber.
The President asked the special committee to escort the statewide elected officials from the House Chamber.
The President asked the special committee to escort the Supreme Court Justices from the House Chamber.
The President returned the gavel to Speaker Pro Tempore Lovick.
On motion of Representative Kessler, the Joint Session was dissolved.
The Sergeant at Arms of the House and the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate escorted the President of the Senate Owen, President Pro Tempore Franklin, Majority Leader Brown and Minority Leader Finkbeiner and members of the Washington State Senate from the House Chamber.
MOTION
On motion of Representative Kessler, the Joint Session was dissolved.
AFTERNOON SESSION
The Senate was called to order at 1:42 p.m. by President Owen.
MOTION
At 1:42 p.m. on motion of Senator Eide, the Senate adjourned until 12:00 noon, Thursday, January 13, 2005.
BRAD OWEN, President of the Senate
THOMAS HOEMANN, Secretary of the Senate