After a long session, the 2005 Legislature has adjourned for the year. Despite the serious challenges of having a $1.6 billion revenue shortfall and wanting to avoid imposing a general tax increase, we had one of the most productive sessions in recent memory.
We managed to make critical investments in our schools and universities, in health care for more of our population, in our transportation infrastructure and in a stronger safety net for those in need, while shielding critical public services from cuts and without a general tax increase.
Here are some highlights of the most notable successes.
Education
Initiative 728 for reduced class sizes and Initiative 732 for teacher cost-of-living adjustments - both approved by voters with vast supermajorities in 2003 - have gone unfunded for the last two years. This year, the Legislature funded them.
In addition, we funded the first comprehensive review of the state's early learning, K-12 and higher education system in 25 years.
We strengthened the special education safety net and expanded early learning programs and the Learning Assistance program designed to help struggling students.
The Legislature also passed a bill I sponsored broadening school districts' ability to know of instances of sexual misconduct in a potential employee's history, even when applicants are coming from out of state.
Higher education
The Legislature boosted the number of students eligible for a State Need Grant (a family of four with an income of $43,000 may now qualify, as compared to the previous amount of $36,500) and added funding for nearly 8,000 new enrollments to help accommodate the demand from the burgeoning college-age population.
We strengthened our state's Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) program.
We expanded access to baccalaureate degree programs by allowing branch campuses to offer four-year degree programs - legislation that I sponsored.
I also sponsored a measure that will provide pay equity for part-time faculty at community colleges, another measure that will review and update compensation packages and conditions of employment for all part-time faculty and a measure that will require the state's higher-education institutions to develop their own policies regarding the on-campus marketing of student credit cards.
Health and long-term care
To make health care more accessible, we set in motion a plan that will assure all low-income children in our state have health-care coverage by the year 2010.
We successfully maintained current Medicaid eligibility and standards, kept the Basic Health Plan at 100,000 enrollees and held the line on funding for community clinics.
To reduce the cost of prescription drugs, we expanded the state's existing prescription drug program by allowing uninsured Washingtonians - as well as private businesses and labor unions - to join the program and become eligible for wholesale discounts.
We also passed a bill allowing residents to purchase medicines imported from Canada and other countries at their local pharmacies. Under the bill, the state Board of Pharmacy will submit a waiver to the federal Food and Drug Administration to authorize the state to license wholesalers in Canada and elsewhere.
In the area of long-term care, we began the full phase-out of the nursing-home per-patient, per-day bed tax and increased wages for individual providers and agency workers caring for the elderly and disabled.
With the state's loss of $82 million in federal Medicaid funding, 2005 was shaping up to be among the worst years for Washington's mental-health system in a long time. The Legislature managed to backfill these lost federal funds in full and also passed landmark legislation to achieve parity for mental health coverage in health-insurance plans and to expand and integrate treatment for mental health and chemical dependency.
Transportation
The historic 16-year transportation spending plan passed by the Legislature funds more than 300 highway, bridge and intersection improvement projects in every county in the state, including $2 billion for the Alaskan Way Viaduct, $500 million for the state Route 520 bridge and $992 million for Interstate 405.
The plan also funds freight rail, passenger rail, bus service, park-and-ride lots and other proven strategies that take vehicles off the road.
The projects are financed through a 9.5-cent, phased-in increase in the gas tax over the next four years, starting with a 3-cent increase in July 2005, a 3-cent increase in July 2006, a 2-cent increase in July 2007 and a 1.5-cent increase in July 2008.
Next week: Sen. Kohl-Welles will address passed legislative actions that protect children, improve the economy, as well as her disappointments with the recent legislative session.
Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, represents the 36th Legislative District.
She chairs the Senate Labor, Commerce, Research & Development committees.
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