Valley lawmakers faced tough odds

OLYMPIA – Washington’s legislative District 4 is a lot closer to Idaho than to Puget Sound, both geographically and politically.

The district’s three lawmakers, all of them conservative Republicans, had a rough year in Democrat-dominated Olympia.

Rep. Lynn Schindler, R-Otis Orchards, was the most visible, frequently blasting Democratic bills during House floor debate.

A recurring theme for her: Statehouse decisions can weigh heavily on small businesses.

“I really am tired of being part of the middle class and being squeezed from both ends,” she said during one budget debate.

Although budget writers steered $99 million into the North Spokane Corridor project, Schindler repeatedly argued for more.

Sen. Bob McCaslin, R-Spokane Valley, backed several long-shot measures, but none passed.

And Rep. Larry Crouse, whose specialty is energy legislation, proposed just one bill. It passed.

“I don’t run a lot of legislation, on purpose,” said Crouse, R-Spokane.

“There’s too many bills, too much talking and not enough done on behalf of the people of this state.”

It’s a challenge just to try to stop bad legislation, he said. “That’s part of the job.”

The one bright spot for the district was the state construction budget, which included $800,000 for a children’s park at Mirabeau Point, $250,000 for a fishing dock at Newman Lake, $1.4 million to buy land on Antoine Peak, and $2 million for renovations to Avista Stadium.

Here’s some of the legislation each of the three sponsored:

Crouse

“House Bill 1261: The bill allows some public employees injured on the job to purchase up to two years of pension credits. Passed the Legislature.

McCaslin

“Senate Bill 6076: Banning the public release of law enforcement investigative records after a year if the case is no longer active and hasn’t led to an arrest or conviction. Failed.

“Senate Bill 5201: Boosting the property tax exemption for senior citizens and disabled people. Failed.

“Senate Bill 5095: Expanding the state DNA database to include samples from anyone arrested for a felony or gross misdemeanor. Failed.

“Senate Bill 5096: Requiring political parties to pick up the multimillion-dollar cost of the state’s partisan primary elections. Failed.

Schindler

“House Bill 2172: Reviewing the clarity and rigor of state math standards for public schools. Failed.

“House Bill 1640: Allowing new mobile home parks outside urban growth areas. Schindler said she’s worried about the loss of parks as owners sell to developers.

“This is low-income housing,” she said.

“These people own these homes.” Failed.

“House Bill 1173: Prioritizing the North Spokane Corridor for a slice of the state gas tax, a move that would have meant tens of millions more for the project. Failed.

“House Bill 1940: Requiring state agencies to notify cities and counties when selling land, so they can bid on it. Passed.