The Washington State Legislature will reconvene for its 2023 session on Jan. 9.
The 105-day session will include the approval of the state’s biennial budgets among a number of other issues.
Locally, the makeup of North Clark County representation has changed this year. Redistricting moved the borders of legislative districts, while the 2022 elections brought new faces to the House of Representatives after some prior seatholders did not run for office.
Overall, the districts representing the area remain Republican, though cities like Ridgefield and La Center are now represented by the 20th Legislative District, while Battle Ground remains in the reworked 18th Legislative District.
Ahead of the session, The Reflector asked local lawmakers about their priorities heading into 2023. Topics included budget priorities, their take on growth issues in Clark County, and their opinion on the effort to replace the aging Interstate 5 Bridge over the Columbia River. Lawmakers from the 17th, 18th and 20th Legislative District were asked for responses. Of those, 17th Legislative District Representatives Paul Harris and Kevin Waters did not respond by press deadline.
Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver
2023 committees:
Ways and Means, Law and Justice.
Key priorities for the session:
As budget leader, and a fiscal conservative, taxes and spending are at the top of my list. I wanted to return to the Law and Justice Committee because it addresses the many public- safety issues that are another big priority for me and all Senate Republicans. As well, the Legislature’s number one responsibility is to provide for our public schools, but the majority has dropped the ball on that, so it has jumped higher on my list, especially with the dramatic learning loss our children have endured over the past few years.
I have already pre-filed close to a dozen bills. Probably half are in the public-safety area, others have to do with things like coverage for biomarker testing and the governor’s attack on natural gas heating. I’ll also be introducing some good government and budget-related bills, like one that would create a tax transparency website.
State budget priorities:
Instead of naming certain areas let me point out how state spending is out of control in a general sense. The 2021-23 operating budget, which runs through the end of June, spends 22% more than the previous two-year budget, and for what? Not more for K-12. The majority Democrats actually cut funding for our public schools, although you won’t hear them advertising that. The current budget also doesn’t make big investments in reestablishing public safety and it certainly does not provide meaningful tax relief. Most people didn’t see their wages go up by 22%. The population didn’t increase by 22%. Does anyone see where the majority of Washington families benefit from all that additional spending? I don’t. Once upon a time the voters had put a spending limit on the Legislature. That’s another bill I will be introducing prior to the session.
During the 2022 session, the state had a surplus of $15 billion, thanks in part to a dose of federal pandemic relief. In spite of that, and even though the inflation rate was already soaring, the majority rejected Republican ideas for letting people keep more of their own money, like our plan to temporarily suspend the state gas tax. Now the surplus is expected to be more like $6 billion, which is still an enormous amount. Once you subtract the cost of maintaining state services and programs at today’s levels, for another two years, that should leave more than $4 billion. We should be looking to convert some of that to tax relief, or make a bigger deposit than usual into the rainy-day fund, or both.
A recession is on the horizon. But if the Democrats in the Legislature follow the example set in the budget proposal we received in December from Gov. Jay Inslee, they will put the desires of government agencies first, not the needs of the everyday Washington family.
Growth issues in Clark County:
The governor got a lot of headlines because the budget package he just proposed to the Legislature would put $4 billion toward housing. He would finance it by basically asking the voters to approve the state taking on more debt than is currently allowed by the Washington State Constitution. I took some offense because he flatly declared the private market “will not” produce the housing units our state needs. Does he seriously think government would do a better job of building hundreds of thousands of housing units? Heck, government has enough trouble replacing a bridge over the Columbia.
Also, the governor has much to do with why it costs so much to build housing in our state. When he couldn’t get enough legislators from his own party to ban the use of natural gas for heat in new construction, a majority of his appointees on the State Building Code Council took up the crusade. That isn’t a decision for them to make, but it happened anyway. I have prefiled legislation, Senate Bill 5037, to protect the state energy code from being hijacked by the governor’s political agenda and continue allowing people to have more energy choices.
On the I-5 bridge replacement:
There is much that could be said about the bridge replacement program, but I’ll sum it up like this: a project that was estimated to cost $3.2 billion to $4.8 billion is now estimated at $7.5 billion. Yes, price inflation is a factor, but come on, the real reason seems to be project inflation, as in a bunch of add-ons that have been hung on the program like ornaments on a Christmas tree. Some of us on the bi-state bridge commission have asked for an accounting that compares the two estimates. We will see just how transparent the accounting is, if and when it arrives.
Additional comments:
Another of the bills I’ve prefiled would reform the state’s emergency powers law, to address the obvious flaws that basically kept the Legislature on the sideline for 975 days. Senate Bill 5063 has bipartisan sponsorship, but then so did the two bills I introduced in 2021 and 2022 that weren’t even given a committee hearing.
Now that the COVID state of emergency is finally over, I hope the Democrats won’t be afraid to support the idea of having balance between the legislative and executive branches during whatever state of emergency comes next. And there will be a next time.
Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center
2023 committees:
Health and Long-Term Care (Republican leader), Ways and Means, Capital Budget (assistant Republican leader), Housing, Rules.
Key priorities for the session:
A family member had his car stolen and destroyed here in Clark County almost a year ago, part of the huge surge in auto thefts statewide since severe restrictions were placed on police pursuits of most suspected criminals. Correcting that mistake is just one reason why public safety will continue to be a priority for me and for all Senate Republicans.
As a former teacher and having served on the select bipartisan group that hammered out an overhaul of the K-12 funding system six years ago, I’m also saddened by the learning loss in our schools. Providing for education is our paramount duty under the state constitution and that should mean policy as well as funding. We absolutely need to come out of the 2023 session with a thoughtful, student-centered plan to help our kids recover what they were denied.
I could not believe there was a $15 billion surplus this past year and there was nothing approved in the way of real tax relief, to help offset the rising cost of living. I was the lead Republican sponsor of a Democrat bill to provide a monthly subsidy for diapers, which passed and will be great for low-income moms, but my bill to eliminate the sales tax on all diapers got blocked at the last minute. All these months later I still don’t know what the objection was to helping even more people of all ages afford something that is medically necessary.
State budget priorities:
The state capital budget appropriates money for public construction work and similar capital investments throughout our state. This year I will be part of the Ways and Means committee that negotiates that budget. Seeing how the governor’s costly, debt-financed homelessness plan is wrapped into the capital budget he proposed to the Legislature in December, this could be an especially interesting year to be on that team.
Getting to the operating budget, the governor in particular has put our state in lockstep with California in several ways, like the controversial plan to ban the sale of vehicles with internal combustion engines. But people in California also got tax refund checks from the state government, just a few months ago. Don’t our residents deserve that kind of consideration too? There’s still going to be a surplus in 2023, although not as big. Let’s use some of it to make life in our state at least a little easier to afford. I’m looking to introduce that sales tax exemption for diapers again and will hope there is more bipartisan support this time.
Growth issues in Clark County:
This is where you see some of the philosophical differences between Republicans and Democrats emerge. Democrats, unlike Republicans, tend to want more regulation of construction and housing, and regulation always adds cost. Republicans, unlike Democrats, recognize the GMA is a law that needs review and updating like many other laws.
As for transportation, the $16.8 billion transportation package called “Move Ahead Washington,” which unfortunately leaves most of Washington behind, was passed less than a year ago. It will likely be many years before another set of new investments is seriously considered. Clark County has many transportation needs and the list is only getting longer. I can think of $350 million worth without even setting foot in Vancouver: expand the Camas Slough bridge, complete the Main Street and state Route 503 project in Battle Ground, a new Interstate 5 onramp at Ridgefield, and more. There is zero for any of that in the 2022 package, which focuses on investments that heavily favor the population-dense Puget Sound area, including bike and pedestrian paths, and free ferry rides for children. The only item for our corner of the state is $1 billion toward replacing the I-5 bridge, and it’s not even a promise; the law refers to how the Legislature “intends” to provide the money over the next 16 years.
On the I-5 bridge replacement:
I thought the creation of the bi-state bridge commission back in 2017 was progress and would help us avoid some of the issues that rightfully brought an end to the mismanagement that was the Columbia River Crossing project 10 years ago. But I have to say, between the cost overrun, the discussion about bridge height and the debate about the choice of transit method, I am really feeling a sense of deja vu recently.
Additional comments:
Early in my time as a senator, I basically ended up wrangling the regulatory issues that resulted from the voters’ legalization of cannabis in 2012. It was a lot of work, but I’m still satisfied with how we brought stakeholders together around policies that have enabled the evolution of an industry that has its controversial moments but has steadily grown in importance.
For 2023, I’ve introduced a cannabis bill that is likely to make headlines, because it anticipates the legalization of cannabis at a federal level. To be clear, I am not advocating for the feds to make cannabis legal, but the fact that it is now legal in all but 11 states suggests that day may come. We need to have a policy framework in place just in case, because Congress could act when we legislators are not in session. My legislation, Senate Bill 5069, basically authorizes the governor to enter into agreements with other states regarding commerce in cannabis across state lines, and would protect both Washington’s market and its consumers. There’s really nothing unusual about the policy itself, I just know the topic attracts attention.
Rep. Stephanie McClintock, R-Vancouver
2023 committees:
Capital Budget, K-12 Education; Consumer Protection and Business
Key priorities for the session:
My key priorities are those that are of most concern to the district which are inflation, crime and public safety, and learning loss in K-12 schools. I am interested in a more robust Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) Program than what my sons had in high school that teaches kids the danger of drugs. I would also like to see bills that have impeded law enforcement repealed.
State budget priorities:
Overall, I hope to see better fiscal responsibility with tax dollars. I support returning excess funds to taxpayers as well as putting excess funds in a rainy day fund. Our state had a $15 billion surplus, record revenue, and neither was done. We are on schedule for another surplus so I hope to see our state cut back on spending at a time of record inflation.
Growth in Clark County:
Aggressive green energy goals in building homes is driving the cost up when we already have an affordability issue. We need to find a balance of protecting our environment without damaging our economy and pricing people out of homes and expand the urban growth boundary.
On the I-5 bridge replacement:
The project is slow and the cost is growing which is a concern. I do have faith that the IBR committee will come up with a solution that addresses the needs of both Washington and Oregon fairly. I will work with the county and cities in Southwest Washington on their project development needs to bring home funding for our local projects.
Additional comments:
I am looking forward to being the voice of the people of the 18th Legislative District and am honored that they chose me to do so. My first goal is to educate myself on the many different needs in our community. I have already met so many wonderful people that areadvocates for their industry that have shared with me their struggles and needs. From my ride-alongs with Battle Ground Police Department and Clark County Sheriff’s Office, I appreciate the time they have given me and am grateful for their service. I will continue to reach out to constituents with both in-person and virtual town halls and my office will always be available to assist with casework. If I don’t know the answers I will find them.
Rep. Greg Cheney, R-Battle Ground
2023 committees:
Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry (assistant ranking minority member), Capital Budget, Civil Rights and Judiciary, Consumer Protection and Business
Key priorities for the session:
One priority is fixing the Blake Supreme Court decision to recriminalize drugs while incentivizing treatment-based care rather than incarceration. I also want to increase funding for and improve the delivery of mental health services.
I want to eliminate regulations that hurt small businesses and negatively impact job growth. I also want to support bringing a regional police training center to Southwest Washington.
I will be introducing a number of bills addressing these goals.
State budget priorities:
I would like to see the Legislature increase funding for mental health care while implementing measures of accountability to ensure those dollars aren’t being spent on more bureaucracy but rather on meeting the therapeutic needs of those who are suffering.
Growth in Clark County:
There are three things we must do during the 2023 session. The first is review Growth Management Act restrictions and make necessary changes to bring more land into buildable inventory, particularly unviable farming parcels. We also must eliminate unnecessarily restrictive building codes that are increasing the cost of housing. We need to take legislative action to address the use of natural gas in single-family and multi-family homes as well.
On the I-5 bridge replacement:
I remain concerned about the overall cost currently projected for the bridge replacement, as well as the apparent support for tolling by Oregon that would negatively impact the residents of Southwest Washington. When it comes to this project and so many others, efficient use of taxpayer resources is critical. I will continue making that clear.
Additional comments:
I am honored to have this opportunity to serve my community and am looking forward to meeting and listening to constituents through a blend of virtual and in-person meetings. My goal is to be as accessible as possible. I encourage all 18th Legislative District residents to reach out to my office with their thoughts on legislative issues, ideas for bills, and requests for assistance with local matters or navigating state government programs and services.
Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia
2023 committees:
Ways and Means; Housing; Labor and Commerce. Senate Republican Leader.
Key priorities for the session:
Senate Republicans are united around three priorities: restoring public safety, returning affordability and rebooting education. We’ve carried public safety and affordability forward from 2022, and no one can deny how our students are struggling. I’ve said before how the racial and economic disparities caused by remote instruction are the equity issue of our time. That was confirmed by the latest student assessment scores. I will likely introduce legislation in all three areas.
State budget priorities:
I am particularly focused on addressing the drug-overdose epidemic and the learning loss among K-12 students. Also, it’s past time for the majority side to join with Republicans and step up with the support our students with special needs deserve. The same is true for the Washington residents with intellectual disabilities.
Growth in Clark County:
The majority Democrats think government is the answer to everything, but hopefully they won’t side with Gov. Jay Inslee and his new scheme to create a $4 billion government housing construction program. It’s amazing how on one hand they lament the cost of housing while approving policies that drive up the cost of housing. Also, we need to draw a clear line between “affordable housing” and housing that people can afford to buy. Those aren’t the same.
I’d like to have a serious discussion about bringing the Growth Management Act into this century. Unfortunately, it seems to be viewed as a sacred document. Also, I realize many roads in Clark County are carrying far more traffic and the needs are well-known. Republicans have repeatedly put a no-new-taxes funding proposal on the table that would generate an enormous amount of money for projects, in a way that would be both responsive and progressive. The majority is instead sticking with regressive approaches that hit lower-income people harder.
On the I-5 bridge replacement:
As members of the bi-state bridge committee, Sen. Rivers and Sen. Wilson are more on point for Senate Republicans on this. They’ve shared with me their concerns about the new, higher cost estimates and the “scope creep” behind some of the larger numbers. Our members on the Senate Transportation Committee are aware as well. We all understand the value of replacing the bridge but the last thing anyone needs are bad decisions driven by the lure of federal infrastructure money.
Additional comments:
The majority passed several pieces of controversial legislation while the people we serve were kept away from the Capitol by COVID restrictions. They included the first-ever state income tax and a new payroll tax to pay for government managed long-term care. Both are going to be in the news while we are in session, for different reasons. The income tax, which is limited to capital gains at the moment, was declared unconstitutional last March. That ruling was appealed to the Washington State Supreme Court and the justices will hear arguments starting Jan. 26. I encourage people to keep an eye on the case because the supporters have essentially admitted that passing the capital gains tax was their way to get the income tax question back in front of the state Supreme Court. Past justices have ruled that a full-blown state income tax is not legal under Washington’s constitution, but a majority of the current justices were appointed by governors who have proposed an income tax or at least supported the idea of one, and the supporters knew it.
Unlike the income tax, the payroll tax to pay for the program called WACares is still under the Legislature’s control. Every worker in our state will pay the tax, except for those who bought their own long-term care coverage in 2021 before the new law took full effect. The majority had delayed the collection of the tax until July 1, claiming some adjustments were in order. Unfortunately, that was only after WACares had destroyed the private market for long-term insurance in our state. Republicans recognize the challenges that go with finding and paying for long-term care, but we also do not believe people should be taxed by the government for long-term coverage that is not of their choosing. We will see what changes the majority proposes this session, but it would be better to repeal the whole program and instead pursue policies that would encourage a competitive insurance market, like we have for other kinds of coverage.
Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia
2023 committees:
State Government and Tribal Relations (ranking member), Capital Budget (assistant ranking member), Environment and Energy
Key priorities for the session:
My priorities are affordability, public safety, housing, and early education and child care. I plan on filing a number of bills.
House Bill 1011 would repeal the state’s new long-term care insurance program and payroll tax that is set to take effect July 1.
House Bill 1004, also known as “Zack’s Law,” seeks to prevent cold-water shock drownings through signage at bridges and along waterways throughout Washington state. The bill is named in honor of 18-year-old Zachary Lee Rager, an experienced swimmer who fell victim to cold-water shock and drowned in the Chehalis River on March 23, 2021.
House Bill 1005 would double the existing business and occupation tax credit for employers who hire a veteran, spouse of a veteran, or spouse of an active-duty military member and employ them in a full-time position for at least two consecutive full-calendar quarters.
House Bill 1014 would provide a new grant funding source for rural fire departments whose buildings and equipment are inadequate to meet the fire safety needs of their communities.
State budget priorities:
I’m prioritizing tax relief for working families that should be a priority for the Legislature. I want more investment in child care deserts to provide an opportunity for parents to seek employment and educational opportunities. I want to create greater early learning opportunities to help children to be kindergarten ready for school and improve likelihood of success in school and beyond. Infrastructure improvements to new and existing communities will help create economic opportunities, increase housing inventory and improve our quality of life.
I’m also prioritizing addressing homelessness, including behavioral health and substance abuse, in a way that measures success other than just the amount of money spent. Washington must invest money in coordinated programs that have measurable goals and accountability.
Growth in Clark County:
Each community in Clark County has unique needs and challenges. However, a common problem is growth management. The state must engage local governments and work on permitting reform, infrastructure investments, and eliminating overregulation. Continually adding Growth Management Act and construction requirements is making it more difficult to build, both commercially and residentially.
On the I-5 bridge replacement:
The process has been slow and created a lot of frustration at the local and state level. The new cost estimates raise significant concerns. I anticipate members of the Joint Oregon-Washington Legislative Action Committee will continue its work and provide the Legislature updates on what is needed to proceed and complete the right project for Clark County and Washington state.
Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama
2023 committees:
Finance (ranking minority member), Agriculture & Natural Resources, Transportation
Key priorities for the session:
My key priority is tax relief, primarily property tax relief. With revenues forecasted to be up by $2.2 billion since the supplemental budget was written, and up $6.7 billion since the original 2021-23 budget was written, it seems tax relief is possible and warranted. This unexpected additional revenue has come from taxpayers, therefore at least some of it should be returned to taxpayers.
State budget priorities:
Our operating budget should improve funding for special education. However, all families are feeling the strain of property taxes and inflation, so we also need to reduce tax burdens for all families.
The capital budget needs more construction assistance to school districts within which there is too little industrial property, thus high levy rates.
Growth in Clark County:
Housing and rent costs will only come down when the cost to build housing comes down. Regulatory relief, including Growth Management Act reform, needs to be part of it, but so does relief on permit fees, permitting timelines, mitigation requirements or conditioning of permits, et cetera.
Any building code that creates higher costs but provides no additional safety should be suspended or eliminated. If urban growth boundaries are artificially constricted and fail to provide adequately for growth, more homes will be driven into rural areas, necessitating that roads and other services be extended further, thus increasing costs.
On the I-5 bridge replacement:
Over the years, I have offered amendments and ideas on fixing the crossing issues we have. The I-5 bridge needs to be replaced with a reasonable, workable and affordable replacement.
The proposal for light rail appears to serve more to “check a box” than it does to really address congestion. The focus should be on a new bridge that adds auxiliary lanes to allow better through traffic flow while accommodating entering/exiting traffic.
But we also need to be planning for a third crossing. Two crossings do not adequately handle current traffic volumes, thus will not handle the coming growth. Had citizens and legislators concerns been addressed by bridge sponsors a decade ago, it is likely that a new bridge would be under construction by now.
Additional comments:
The Legislature needs to repeal certain aspects of the 2021 law enforcement reform bills and restore authority to pursue suspects and for reasonable suspicion to allow perpetrators to be apprehended.
More generally, the rights of law-abiding citizens need to be protected in any legislation that is considered. We should not be classifying law-abiding citizens as criminals nor allowing criminals to go free.
