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Call it the Republican version of the Three Amigos.
A trio of legislators from Spokane County’s 4th district – Sen. Bob McCaslin, Rep. Larry Crouse and Rep. Matt Shea – met with citizens last Saturday at CenterPlace in Spokane Valley to discuss the latest developments from Olympia with much of the conversation focusing on the beleaguered state budget.
A crowd of approximately 150 gathered for the March 14 event, including local leaders like Rose Dempsey and Gary Schimmels from the Spokane Valley City Council and Liberty Lake Mayor Wendy Van Orman.
Crouse, now in his seventh term as a state representative, applauded constituents for their interest in the legislative process.
“I thought this room was going to be vacant when I walked in,” he said. “It encourages us when we see turnouts like this.”
Crouse described how early projections on the state deficit were in the $6.1 billion range as the latest session opened in January. That number has now reached $8.3 billion with more shortfalls anticipated.
Crouse pointed to increased government spending in recent years as part of the problem. Initiative 601, which was passed after expenditures escalated in 1992, helped for a while, Crouse said, but when that legislation was suspended in 2000, spending increased again with the rate up 33 percent over the past four years.
Crouse and other Republicans have been critical of the Democratic majority in Congress, calling for significant reductions in government spending.
“We told them a downturn was on its way,” Crouse said. “Right now, it’s just a tough situation.”
While Initiative 960 stipulates that taxes can’t be raised without a two-thirds majority vote in Congress, Crouse said there are “a few bills out there that will mean huge tax increases for business,” a prospect that he, Shea and McCaslin strongly oppose.
“I won’t vote for new taxes because they’ll spend that and be back to ask for more,” McCaslin said.
Shea spoke out against Washington’s “hostile business environment” that, he said, has led to the departure of companies like Itronix.
“We need to concentrate on jobs,” Shea said. “This is a recession approaching a depression at this point. We have to increase capital and provide tax breaks for businesses that will lead to more products and more employees.”
Another fund-raising possibility – implementation of a state income tax – is unlikely, Crouse said. Such a change would require voter approval.
Other ideas, including a service tax on attorneys and doctors and a tax on miles traveled, have reached draft form, though remain far from a vote.
Gov. Christine Gregoire has proposed $3.5 billion in cuts for the 2009-11 biennium. Crouse said he expected the state budget to be announced by early April. Legislators recently passed the halfway point of the 105-day session.
Shea, who defeated Democrat Tim Hattenburg last November to earn the House seat vacated by the retiring Lynn Schindler, expressed frustration with the continuing lack of legislative support for the construction of the north/south freeway, an issue he facetiously referred to as “everyone’s favorite subject over in Olympia.”
While $40 million in federal stimulus money was originally earmarked for the project, Shea said both chairs of the Senate and House transportation committee – each from the West side of the state – said the project would have to wait in line for state funds.
“We’ve been shut out of the process again,” Shea said. “The Legislature needs to provide some permanent funding for this project. This would also be part of the U.S. freeway system which means the federal government needs to be part of the solution.”
Crouse said it would be important not to cut programs such as mental health, especially when federal matching dollars are involved.
“We need to set priorities in government,” he said.
While talk of bipartisanship was limited at the open house, Crouse, who works with a number of Democrats on technology and energy issues, said both sides need to find common ground in order to solve the state’s problems.
“Part of our job is building relationships,” Crouse said. “Not only with Republicans, but with Democrats on the other side of the aisle.”
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By
Craig Howard
