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Legislature Not Snowed Under, Yet Lawmakers Begin Session In Earnest Today; Gingrich Address At 11

By Craig Welch craigw@olywa.net

While most lawmakers spent Monday being urged to toe the line on taxes, Rep. Alex Wood, D-Spokane, apparently was calling a tow truck.

Wood was the only member of the Spokane delegation not in attendance at noon Monday, when lawmakers kicked off the 1998 legislative session.

Fellow Spokane Democrat Jeff Gombosky said Wood, who is staying in a house outside of town during the session, got his car stuck following a storm that blanketed this city in several inches of snow - an unusual occurrence in Olympia.

Wood was forced to call for a tow truck and wait behind a long line of stranded motorists needing assistance, Gombosky said.

“You’d think someone from Spokane would know better,” Gombosky said with a chuckle, adding that his own car has studded snow tires.

Wood was unavailable for comment.

The weather was a source of amusement for most lawmakers Monday as they convened a 60-day session during which they’ll tackle issues ranging from repairing rutted roads to saving salmon and derailing drunken drivers.

In a speech from his chair above the chamber, House Speaker Clyde Ballard, R-East Wenatchee, reminded members the Republican-controlled body would be vigilant on not raising taxes. He also urged Democratic Gov. Gary Locke to cooperate with the GOP to improve reading levels for elementary school students, and promised the Republicans would have a plan to fix the state’s deteriorating transportation system.

After Ballard’s speech, the House approved 26 law bills, mostly on crime and punishment, dealing with everything from grandparents’ rights to a crackdown on voyeurism. The legislation cleared the House last year only to narrowly miss a Senate committee deadline.

Legislators begin the session in earnest today, when U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, on a multi-state tour, addresses both houses at 11 a.m.

Locke will give his annual State of the State address at 5 p.m.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Legislative facts Length: Sixty days, with 30-day extra session permitted. Cost: $130,000 per day, including $79 expense money per legislator. Key issues: Budget, tax cuts, transportation funding, affirmative action, energy deregulation, crackdown on drunken driving, resource issues, health care, education and social issues. Political control: Republicans control both chambers. House split is 57 Republicans and 41 Democrats; Senate division is 26 GOP members to 23 Democrats. Talking, talking: U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich addresses a joint session today, before Democratic Gov. Gary Locke delivers his first State of the State address.

This sidebar appeared with the story: Legislative facts Length: Sixty days, with 30-day extra session permitted. Cost: $130,000 per day, including $79 expense money per legislator. Key issues: Budget, tax cuts, transportation funding, affirmative action, energy deregulation, crackdown on drunken driving, resource issues, health care, education and social issues. Political control: Republicans control both chambers. House split is 57 Republicans and 41 Democrats; Senate division is 26 GOP members to 23 Democrats. Talking, talking: U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich addresses a joint session today, before Democratic Gov. Gary Locke delivers his first State of the State address.