From the Director: Governor Gregoire's State of the State

Her speech was well-received, in part due to her continued focus on her top priorities:

• An education system families can rely on;
• An economy that offers opportunity for family-wage jobs;
• Health insurance families can afford;
• An environment where families can thrive;
• Communities where families feel safe; and
• A state government that is performance-driven and accountable to Washington’s families.

The Governor spent the bulk of her speech outlining the need for improvements in education, including early learning and higher education. This is consistent with her budget proposal and where she allocated revenues.

She also addressed the need to shred the "Cascade Curtain" and create One Washington with a strong economy on both sides of the state. She specifically mentioned improved broadband service to rural communities, which is good news for many of our smaller cities and towns.

Health care is also a priority for the Governor, and she has allocated $10 million in additional funds for public health in her budget. This is not as much as cities and counties are seeking – $50 million a year – but the issue is in play and we will continue to make our needs known.

Her primary environmental interest appears to be clean-up of the Puget Sound. She is proposing $220 million for the clean-up. Some of that money may be used by local governments to assist with stormwater. She specifically mentioned stormwater twice in her speech and the need to address the issue.

Finally, in regards to safe communities, she noted the need to continue to fund all of the transportation projects promised to the public, with safety projects coming first.

The Governor closed with a commitment to remain very active in the legislative process. She was last year, making a difference on a number of priority issues. We expect the same this year and will continue to work with her on AWC’s top priorities.

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