Mulliken has a full plate in new year

Four committee assignments await state Sen. in the 2005 session

COLUMBIA BASIN — With a new set of committee assignments and with the added challenge of being in the minority, State Sen. Joyce Mulliken, R-Ephrata, readies for the 2005 Legislative Session.

The main goal of the session will be the balancing of budget without new taxes, Mulliken said. It's a task for which Grant County has an example right in its own front yard, she said.

"The Grant County Commissioners passed a budget without laying anybody off or raising taxes," she said.

To Mulliken, improving the business climate will be crucial to get the state back on its feet, as with better business activity, revenues increase and the state receives more money.

This biennium, Mulliken and the rest of the Republicans will have to do it while sitting in the minority on both houses of the Legislature and, so far, with a Democratic governor as well.

"It's not as much fun, but it's workable," she said of being in the minority, adding that the key for a member of the minority is to have a good relation with the committee's chairman, which she said she has.

"When I was a chairman, I treated the Democratic committee members with the same respect I hope they treat me with," she said.

The most experienced out of the three lawmakers from this area, Mulliken will be chairman of the Governor's Prayer Breakfast this year and Deputy Republican Whip for the party's Senate caucus.

She will be a member of four committees this year, as well. One of them will be the Senate's committee on Water, Energy and the Environment, where she will deal with water issues such as the Columbia River Initiative, renewable energy and power production.

"It will be a great committee to serve the 13th District's need," she said.

A second committee will be the Senate's Transportation Committee. Mulliken said that central Washington needs to improve the transportation infrastructure in order to improve the area's economy.

As a member of this committee, Mulliken will be working with the Moses Lake Chamber of Commerce, Grant County and the county's economic development council to identify some of the important transportation projects that need to take place.

Third, the Ephrata legislator will join the committee on early childhood, K-12 and higher education. Mulliken said turf battles may occur between supporters of higher education and K-12.

"They are going to be competing for a piece of the pie," she said. "I hope it goes well."

Fourth, Mulliken will be a member of the Committee on Government Operation and Elections, which she anticipated to host some high profile discussions, given the contested race for governor and the dispute over which primary elections system to use.

The fight over who gets to lead the state concerns Mulliken on a particular level: Raising taxes.

"If Dino (Rossi) prevails, I will have less concerns about tax increases," she said. "If (Christine) Gregoire prevails, that will be my concern, and the government expansion that will happen."

Mulliken predicted a Gregoire administration would not be responsive to the people.

"If she (Gregoire) prevails, hold on to your wallet," she said.

The senator said such sayings did not contradict the parties' promise to voters to work together to fix the state's economy.

"We will be working together," she said. "My experience over the last 11 years is our concerns are the same, safety, the environment, natural resources, regardless of party."

Last, Mulliken said that with her committee assignments and those of fellow Republican lawmakers, Rep. Bill Hinkle and Rep. Janea Holmquist, the county could not be more fortunate.

Holmquist's assignments to the capital budget committee in the House could help the discussion on the Grant County Fairgrounds and her work on the Housing Committee could be helpful on farmworkers' housing issues, she said, adding that Hinkle's work on the House's Appropriations Committee and the committee on Child and Family Services would be helpful to the Basin, as well.

"We are in very good shape," she said.