Miloscia: People came out on top

To help digest the 2004 session of the Legislature that ended March 11, the Mirror asked the three legislators from Federal Way to describe what they consider the session’s main accomplishments. In a three-part series ending today, it’s the turn of Rep. Mark Miloscia (D-30th District). Sen. Tracey Eide’s report was on March 27, followed by Rep. Skip Priest March 31.

By MARK MILOSCIA

For the Mirror

The 2004 Legislature passed a supplemental budget that not only provides relief for our businesses but also the support of our most important asset –– our people.

Lawmakers extended the tax incentives for high-tech companies that create good-paying jobs for Washington workers. We also gave our colleges and universities an additional $10 million and increased financial aid for college students by $6.8 million.

We showed our support for homecare workers, as well, approving their contract and giving these valuable service providers a well-deserved pay increase and healthcare coverage. These individuals provide critical assistance to 20,000 seniors across our state, allowing them to stay in their homes and help avoid costly nursing homes.

We also accomplished great reforms for K-12 education by allowing retakes of the WASL for students and increased levy capacities for school districts.

Budget: Once budget negotiations closed, it was clear that the Legislature would also keep our promise to those most affected by our economic downturn –– the families that go without the care, services and even food they need, especially the children that often bear the largest burden when times are tough.

Recognizing the importance of a healthy body as well as mind, the Legislature passed the 2004 Act for Hungry Families. This new legislation will require school lunches for low-income kids and greater food-stamp eligibility for needy families. The ramifications of this legislation sadly won’t make any headlines, but will make a huge difference in the lives of many struggling children and elderly in our state.

Even with one of the highest percentages of per capita incomes, Washington ranks a dismal fifth-highest in hunger. Despite the money allocated for K-12 and higher education this year, how do we expect our children to succeed if they can’t focus on their schoolwork?

Property taxes: The Legislature was also able to expand senior property tax relief to retirees with household incomes up to $35,000. With a fixed income, many of our state’s senior citizens struggle to stay in their homes. They can’t afford rising property taxes and shouldn’t be forced out. This legislation is the first expansion of senior property tax relief in Washington since 1998, when the current $30,000 eligibility ceiling was enacted.

Education: While these were great accomplishments for the Legislature as a whole, I found personal reward in helping some key pieces of legislation pass this year. I advocated for increased funding for family support and high school transition for persons with developmental disabilities. I also helped promote the extension of funding for the governor’s digital learning commons project, and more specifically, funding for the Internet Academy in Federal Way.

The Internet Academy provides innovative uses of technology, customized learning environments and access to certified teachers and school curricula. The academy is leading the way for students to attain an education beyond the physical limits of a classroom. Both of these items were included in the final supplemental budget.

Law enforcement: I also worked to pass legislation requiring law enforcement agencies to develop guidelines to address domestic violence, as well as restricting police officers from carrying a weapon in a courtroom when involved in the allegations.

The package of legislation also allows victims of domestic violence to terminate rental agreements without paying additional rent and prohibits landlords from evicting or refusing to rent to them. This ensures that we remove any barriers preventing victims of domestic violence from escaping the abuse.

Election system: The “top-two” system was a big win for our state’s voters whose party affiliation will remain private. Empowering the people takes priority over empowering the political parties.

As always, I continued to push for greater private and public sector accountability and efficiency measures by advocating for the Washington Quality Award Council. This council recognizes outstanding efforts by the state’s industries, businesses and organizations in setting higher standards of cost-effectiveness and public satisfaction. Recognizing and rewarding excellence by businesses and agencies in Washington results in overall improvements in the state’s economy.

Lawmakers left Olympia with great accomplishments of which they can be proud. We must continue to answer not only the call for greater economic development, but also greater investments in our most important asset –– our people. This session proved we could do both.

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