Mulliken to see busy year in 2006

Legislative session starts in January

OLYMPIA — Sen. Joyce Mulliken expects a number of issues to be discussed in the upcoming legislative session, and said she wants to ensure projects she voted for in 2005 are followed through on in 2006.

Mulliken, R-Moses Lake, sees issues impacting highway infrastructure improvements and the growth of renewable fuels as among the top for the 13th Legislative District in the coming session that begins next month. Mulliken will again sit on four committees this session, including: transportation, water, energy and environment, government operations and education.

And while the state is projecting a $1.45 billion reserve in their supplemental budget, Mulliken said the state should use that money reasonably for its current obligations and long-term programs. Mulliken added it is important for the state to adequately fund its legally-mandated pension funds. Pension payments will continue to increase if they are continually neglected, she said.

Following a year when gas prices hit record levels, Mulliken will be one of many legislators in Olympia next year looking toward alternative fuels. The best way to create a biodiesel industry in the state of Washington, Mulliken said is to require all state owned vehicles to use a blend of biodiesel. An oil seed crop could be folded into the crop rotation of some Washington farmers, but Mulliken said those farmers need an incentive and need to be assured there is going to be a profit.

"That creates a market without costing taxpayers a dime," Mulliken said, describing what she called a win-win and a topic of discussion she will be pushing for this session.

Mulliken is in the minority, but cites three bills she signed last year in saying a legislator can be effective without being a member of the majority party. Often, Mulliken said she can find a Democrat with similar feelings on a particular issue. During the last session, Mulliken cast her first pro-tax vote since joining the legislature in favor of the 9.5-cent transportation package, a vote she has defended in saying it was going to pass anyway and said her vote secured funds for a number of infrastructure projects in her district.

Part of her work this session will be focused on making sure the transportation projects promised for the district, like a rail study and the expansion of Highway 17 from Interstate 90 to the Port of Moses Lake, are followed through on by the Washington State Department of Transportation.

As a member of the transportation committee, Mulliken said she is pushing for traffic safety project improvements for Highway 243 near Mattawa. The roadway saw an increasing number of fatal and serious accidents in 2005. She mentioned improved lighting and shoulder stabilization with rumble strips as steps the state could work toward in the coming years.

Outside of Grant County, Snoqualmie Pass remains a top issue for transportation statewide and Mulliken said work is being done to have improvements on the pass bumped up on their schedule.

"I think it's important for people to know that I-90 is the commerce corridor," Mulliken said, "It serves commerce going east-west, alternate east-west routes are more scenic and aren't designed for transporting huge volumes."

Other issues on the plate include the estate tax. She said she is pushing for the repeal of the reinstated estate tax. Mulliken believes a person should not be forced to pay a tax just because someone dies, saying it will be difficult on family farmers and business owners.

One of the top social issues for the legislature in 2006 is gay marriage. She said it's important to keep the institution between a man and a woman. The Defense of Marriage Act was passed by the legislature in 1998, defining marriage as between a man and a woman. Mulliken said she would vote against House Bill 1515, which gives gays and lesbians minority protected status. Mulliken said she believes the law is unnecessary and said there are already laws in place prevent mistreatment of anyone.

"The governor needs to hear from all the constituents in our state," she said.

In health care, Mulliken said despite the failure of medical malpractice Initiative 330 that would have capped damages in lawsuits, the Senate Republican Caucus will continue its efforts on the issue. She is also arguing in favor of liability insurance reform, following what she called its exponential rise in the last decade.

"Liability insurance on our emergency rooms and hospitals is going to effect if we keep our rural hospitals open," she said.