candidates talk education, employment

EPHRATA — A whole host of candidates for local and state offices spoke on Wednesday evening at a candidate forum sponsored by the American Legion.

And the discussion of issues ranged from the Washington state Supreme Court’s McCleary decision to the state’s responsibility — or lack thereof — to provide employment for out of work veterans.

“I don’t agree with the court order,” said State Rep. Cary Condotta, who is running to retain his seat in the state legislature’s 12th district. “The court stepped over the line. We’ve increased education spending over 30 percent, we’re on the right track money wise.”

In 2012, the State Supreme Court ruled in McCleary v. State that the legislature had violated the state constitution and failed to properly fund education. The court gave the legislature until 2018 to provide school districts with enough money to comply with state constitution.

And in 2015, the court ruled the legislature was in contempt, and levied a fine of $100,000 per day. The legislature has racked up more than $36 million in fines in the last year.

State Rep. Brad Hawkins, who is seeking to fill the 12th district’s open state senate seat, echoed Candotta by noting that increased revenue has allowed the state legislature to increase education spending by $3 billion.

“That’s additional revenue, not tax increases or cuts,” he said.

Jerry Paine, who is running against State Rep. Mike Steele for his 12th district legislative seat, disagreed completely with the state Supreme Court.

“Education is funded adequately,” he said. “The schools have enough money. They just are not teaching properly.”

A despite the forum’s venue at an American Legion Hall, the candidates were all in agreement that its was not the legislature’s job to provide employment to unemployed veterans.

“It’s not the government’s job to provide employment to anybody,” Hawkins said, adding it was the state’s job to provide for a healthy economy and make sure important services were funded for those who needed them.

Hawkins’ opponent Jon Wyss agreed, though he added that some government agencies have hiring preferences for veterans that can help those newly separated from the service to find work.

And several incumbent state legislators were asked if they remembered voting earlier this year on House Bill 2768, which imposed a tax on stand-alone dental insurance plans. The measure was passed with near unanimity, and was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee at the end of March.

“I don’t remember a vote, we vote for hundreds of pieces of legislation, massive volumes, it’s too much,” Hawkins said.

His response was typical. None of the state legislators said they could remember voting on the measure.

“Eighty percent of bills pass almost unanimously,” Condotta said. Charles H. Featherstone can be reached via email at countygvt@columbiabasinherald.com