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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Mccaslin’s Focus Will Be Fine-Tuning Existing Laws

State Sen. Bob McCaslin has promised to support a gas tax increase during the upcoming legislative session, if it will bring funding for the Valley’s much-needed Evergreen Interchange project.

Unlike some of his fellow legislators, McCaslin isn’t hopeful Evergreen money can be carved out of the state’s $865 million surplus.

“Everybody wants that money,” McCaslin said, citing a long list of contenders, including K-12 education, higher education, criminal justice, welfare, health care and westside transportation interests.

“Let’s face reality,” he said. “We need that service to the mall. I’ve never voted for a tax, (but) I’d vote for it now if I get the Evergreen interchange.”

The long-time Valley legislator said his goals for the session are the same as last year: working to hold down government spending and expansion. He said he will focus on fine-tuning existing laws, rather than proposing new ones.

The chairman of the Government Operations committee said he will not revive his 1997 proposal to repeal the Growth Management Act.

“Why waste your time?” said McCaslin, who saw the proposal fail to gain significant support last year. He will support a proposal this session to allow counties with less than 75,000 in population to opt out of Growth Management requirements.

Still, McCaslin said it’s his dream to see the law completely scrapped, and local government given full control of growth planning.

In a perfect world, he said, many state powers would be returned to cities and counties. Control of public education would be taken away from the state Superintendent of Public Instruction, and given to local districts.

But after 17 sessions in Olympia, McCaslin knows small changes are more realistic, especially during a short 60-day session.

He said he doesn’t plan to introduce many new proposals. He will support a cut in the state’s motor vehicle excise tax. He’ll also support a crackdown on drunken drivers.

“I’ll support all the DUI bills that increase sentences for convicted criminals,” he said.

Those will include proposals to impound more vehicles, increase penalties, require “alcohol ignition interlocks” and decrease the legal level of alcohol in a driver’s blood from .10 to .08.

McCaslin also will push for more state money for the Mirabeau Point project, if supporters seek it. The project secured $1.5 million in state funding during last year’s session, and faces a struggle for more.

McCaslin will not try to revive failed proposals to eliminate presidential primaries or short, even-year legislative sessions.

, DataTimes