Gop’s Regulatory Reform Plan Zips Along

A sweeping GOP plan for regulatory reform cleared its first big hurdle Tuesday, with Republicans rejecting warnings by minority Democrats that it is expensive and tries to do too much.

The measure, a key piece of the Republicans’ “Contract With Washington State,” zipped out of the House Governmental Operations Committee on a party-line 9-6 vote. Because of a price tag estimated in the millions, it may have to detour through the Republican-controlled Appropriations Committee before a vote by the full House.

Democrats complained about the “pellmell” fast-track treatment the bill is getting.

The bill, HB1010, would rein in state regulators, give the Legislature a much stronger oversight role, impose a seven-year limit on state rules without reauthorization, abolish penalties in most cases and reimburse private citizens up to $10,000 for their legal bills if they successfully challenge a rule.

The panel approved some amendments, most notably eliminating a requirement that agencies review all regulations currently on the books. The committee also made it clear that “technical assistance” aides - the new name for enforcement agents - still could hand out fines and violation notices.

But that didn’t begin to satisfy the Democrats’ objections. They released a study from the Lowry Administration that the original bill would cost agencies nearly $37 million in the next two years and would require the addition of 248 new employees.

Rep. Helen Sommers, D-Seattle, called it “whopping, a stunning amount.”

Chairman Bill Reams, R-Bellevue, dismissed the estimate as exaggerated.

The Democrats said the measure would prevent effective enforcement of child-support orders, tax collections and other state functions. The technical-assistance aides would have to make on-site visits three times before they could actually enforce a regulation, they said.

Rep. Nancy Rust, D-Seattle, said Republicans supported the “Three Strikes, You’re Out” initiative, but wink at violation of state regulations.

“You’re saying that for this type of crime, you get three chances,” she said.