From the Director: Legislative Contact Needed Before Session Begins

We understand many of you have been busy with local elections and campaigns – an extremely time consuming task. As the election season comes to a close, we hope you will be able to meet with your legislators before they come to Olympia for 60 days.

AWC is still a month away from finalizing our legislative package for 2008. Our legislative subcommittees are meeting now, the full committee will meet on November 19 and the Board will finalize our priorities on November 30. Regardless, there are a few messages you can help deliver now:

• Infrastructure Financing – We need money to address growth for economic development purposes, to repair an aging utility system and to upgrade our streets and roads. The current state loan and grant programs are significantly under-funded. We need more money and funds need to be distributed as quickly as possible to avoid escalating costs.
• Affordable Housing - A variety of densities and styles is needed. Please, no mandates but we want to help address a growing need.
• Safe Communities - We need help from the state, in the form of increased authority and funding, to ensure that our communities are safe from sex offenders, gangs, and drugs.
• Taping of Executive Sessions - The Attorney General has indicated he will advance legislation requiring the taping of executive sessions. Please do not advance legislation that will hinder or prohibit the appropriate use of executive sessions.
• Streamlined Sales Tax and Full Mitigation – AWC and others are working to ensure smooth implementation of destination-based sourcing. Thank them for passing this important piece of legislation and ask them not to delay implementation beyond July 2008.

Local stories always help – they personalize the issue and provide a legislator a local reason to advance the issue or work against detrimental legislation.

We understand you are very busy. We appreciate any contact you can make with your legislators. If you have any questions or need additional information on any issue please contact me or Jim Justin at 360 753-4137. We would also appreciate hearing back from you if your legislators provide you any interesting information.

Thank You!!!

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