Capitol color a deep blue

OLYMPIA – When the state Senate convenes Monday, Democrats will dominate the place to a degree that no one’s seen since 1966.

They’ll outnumber Republicans nearly two to one. The balance is almost as lopsided in the House of Representatives, which also convenes Monday. Additionally, the governor’s a Democrat.

After a years-long Republican- Democratic tug of war in the statehouse, Democrats have the clout to drag the depleted ranks of Grand Old Party lawmakers all over the field.

And it’s a good time to be in charge. The state’s sitting on a projected $1.9 billion windfall over the next two years, much of it from real estate and construction taxes.

So what can Washington expect? Will this be the year for sweeping tax reforms? Universal medical care, like Maine is trying? Gun-control measures? Same-sex marriage?

Probably not, Democratic leaders say. While some of those things – gun control and same-sex marriage – will be discussed by lawmakers – Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane, and House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, say they’ll focus on “kitchen-table issues” like education, some health care improvements and the economy.

The closest thing to an overhaul this year will likely be Gov. Chris Gregoire’s education push, from toddlers to graduate students: early learning programs, better teacher pay, more math and science learning and room for thousands more college students. Not addressed: long-term funding, which is the subject of at least two major lawsuits by school districts against the state.

Democratic leaders also support Gregoire’s call for state-subsidized health coverage for tens of thousands more children and for finding ways to help businesses cover more of their own employees.

But Chopp and Brown are also clearly trying to restrain expectations among their party and political allies. Last year was a banner year for Democrat-led victories in Olympia, they say. Now is the time to build on those successes, Brown says.

“If we’re really successful in this legislative session, then our results will be things that you don’t see,” Brown told political reporters and editors in Olympia last week.

Those successes, she said, will be the child who doesn’t drop out of school, or the teenager who doesn’t get pregnant. They’ll be the prison that doesn’t need to be built, or the people who aren’t showing up sick at hospital emergency rooms.

“I think we need to make the same investments with people that we’ve made with infrastructure,” Brown said. “That means education and health care.”

Republicans – who comprise the vast majority of Eastern Washington lawmakers – say they’ll try to have some impact, even with their much-reduced ranks.

“I think there’s a Chinese proverb that says ‘may you live in interesting times,’ ” says House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis. “Well, our caucus will be doing that this year.”

Here’s a look at some of the major issues that lawmakers will take up between now and the April 22 end of this year’s legislative session:

Budget

Gregoire has proposed a two-year, nearly $30 billion general-fund budget, a $4 billion increase over the last one. She wants to spend much of the $1.9 billion windfall, but leave about $600 million in savings. Republicans call it a spending spree and say the money should be saved for future lean times.

“We need to talk about frugality now,” said Rep. Gary Alexander, R-Olympia.

But Democratic budget writers – who will get final say – seem to generally agree with Gregoire’s blueprint.

Among the spending highlights:

“$800 million for school construction,

“$1 billion for college construction,

“College tuition-hike limits of 5 percent to 7 percent a year,

“$400 million in raises and benefits for college faculty and staff,

“$1.5 billion in raises for state workers,

“$390 million for teacher raises,

“and 32,000 more children getting state-subsidized health insurance.

Transportation

The state’s struggling with how to replace Seattle’s crumbling Alaskan Way Viaduct, an elevated highway along the city’s waterfront. Gov. Gregoire and Speaker Chopp, citing the multibillion-dollar cost, want to simply rebuild it. But Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels is leading a campaign to replace the “ugly” structure with a tunnel, at about twice the price. If so, Seattle and its neighbors would have to pay the extra cost, says Gregoire, who wants Nickels to hold a citywide vote that includes the price tag.

Meanwhile, higher asphalt, steel, concrete and labor costs are delaying millions of dollars in other road projects around the state.

School levies

Democrats want to change the state constitution so that it only takes a simple majority – not a 60 percent “supermajority” – to approve school levies. The lower threshold is enough for most taxing districts, they argue, and schools shouldn’t be held to a higher standard. Republicans argue that the change – which voters must approve – makes it easier for schools to raise taxes.

Math and Science curricula

Gregoire says students who move from one school district to another frequently are thrown into completely new math or science curricula. That’s a recipe for failure, she says. So she wants lawmakers to steer struggling school districts to a few standardized curricula. Local school districts, however, may balk at the perceived loss of local control.

Health care

A task force is due to recommend more changes Jan. 17, but Gregoire wants to add 32,000 more low-income children to the state health plan and pay for more childhood vaccinations. Lawmakers are also trying to find ways to make health coverage cheaper for the state, workers and small businesses.

“If you get sick, you can go bankrupt,” said Chopp. “That’s wrong.”

Crime

Lawmakers want to toughen anti-methamphetamine and auto-theft laws. There’s also a new emphasis on reforming prison inmates, a high percentage of whom now reoffend.

Same-sex marriage

Brown said she expects the full range of bills to be proposed, from same-sex marriage to civil unions to a constitutional amendment stating that marriage is only between one woman and one man. But she said there’s no clear consensus in the Senate about what to do on the divisive issue.

Stadiums

Groups are asking lawmakers to steer new taxes to build a new stadium for the Seattle Supersonics and a NASCAR track on the Olympic Peninsula. But so far, few lawmakers are beating the drum very hard for either proposal.

“It’s a question of priorities,” said Speaker Chopp. “…We’ve got to keep in mind the entire society, not just those that are rich, playing on a basketball court that doesn’t have any potholes in it.” Also proposed: millions of dollars in work on the state’s five minor-league baseball stadiums.

Environment

Gregoire proposed $220 million toward the $9 billion problem of cleaning up Puget Sound. Also on the table this year: more cleanup of the Spokane River, phasing out toxic flame retardants, long-term contracts with farmers to grow biodiesel oil seeds and $100 million to buy land for habitat and recreation throughout the state.

WASL

Gregoire wants to delay the graduation requirement that high schoolers, starting with the class of 2008, pass the math part of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning. Unwilling to deny diplomas to thousands of seniors, many lawmakers apparently agree.

“Testing isn’t teaching. It’s just two different things,” said Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Seattle.

The Wal-Mart bill

Unions and other groups pushed hard last year, trying to get a “Fair Share” bill passed that would have forced large employers like Wal-Mart to get health coverage for more workers or to pay into a state fund. The bill failed. Both Chopp and Gregoire are resistant, saying the measure would cause more problems than it would solve.

Gun control

Rep. Brendan Williams, D-Olympia, wants to require anyone selling firearms at a gun show to be a licensed dealer and to do background checks on gun buyers. Asked about the proposal, Democratic leaders were noncommittal.

“If we pass the bill in Washington, people can still walk across the border and buy guns in Idaho,” said Brown.

Payday lending

Poverty groups are pushing for an annual cap of 36 percent on all payday loans. Congress, worried about military families in debt, recently passed a similar measure covering service members and their dependents. But payday lenders – some of whom are generous campaign donors – say such a cap would drive them out of business and spur a flood of illegal loans.