Gov. Gregoire: Let�s work together and do what�s right for Washington state

For Immediate Release: January 12, 2010

OLYMPIA � In her annual �State of the State� address, Gov. Chris Gregoire today called on legislators to provide decisive, compassionate leadership to navigate through �one of the most difficult chapters� in state history and rebuild Washington state�s economic future.

�For all of us who are called to public service, now is the time for leadership. Now is the most important time to serve,� Gregoire said. �For as difficult and challenging as the decisions that lie ahead of us will be, now is the time to be decisive, and now is the time for compassion. It�s the time to make a real difference for people. It�s the time to truly shape the future of Washington state.�

Addressing a joint session of the 61st Legislature, the governor said that �jobs are the way out of this recession,� and outlined her 10-point plan to create up to 40,000 jobs through capital investments, financial incentives and removing barriers to private investments. Gregoire will fully unveil her job creation plan Thursday, Jan 14.

Gregoire said a bright economic future is dependent on a highly trained and healthy work force and asked the Legislature to focus on the following priorities:

*A successful education system: Gregoire called for adoption of �All Start� legislation to create a voluntary Washington preschool program to provide early learning opportunities to all 3- and 4-year-olds. Gregoire also asked the Legislature to lift the levy lid and provide equity between the school districts, and to approve an overhaul of the state�s evaluation system of teachers and principals. In addition, Gregoire called on lawmakers to restore funding for college tuition assistance programs.

*High-quality health care: Gregoire asked the Legislature to consider restoring funding for the state�s Basic Health Plan, hospice services and maternity care for at-risk mothers.

*Keeping families safe: Gregoire said a healthy future requires safe communities. Recognizing the loss of seven law enforcement officers in the past two months, Gregoire called on lawmakers to pass legislation to strengthen the state�s mental health laws, increase the sentencing tools of prosecutors, and give more weight to law enforcement and criminal histories when making commitment decisions.

Gregoire also asked lawmakers to focus on real government reform � and called upon legislators to approve measures to eliminate 78 boards and commissions, as well as realign or eliminate one-third of the 64 small state agencies.

�One of the things that I love about my job is that I get to talk to Washingtonians from across the state,� Gregoire said. �They definitely don�t want business-as-usual from government. They want real government reform, real innovation, real service improvement, and more value for their tax dollar. Now is the time to create a lean and effective government.�

Gregoire also asked the Legislature to move 25 programs out of the Department of Commerce, and explained her intentions to partially or fully close 10 state institutions.

�By more efficiently using the beds we have, we can save $65 million over four years, and not release a single offender prior to his or her earned release date,� the governor said.

Facing a $2.6 billion shortfall, Gregoire said the state will have to make up to $1 billion in drastic cuts that will affect Washington families. Gregoire asked the Legislature to consider new revenue to restore $750 million to support key programs in education, public safety and health care.

�The December budget I presented was balanced, and it certainly sets new, and admittedly untenable, policy directions,� Gregoire said. �But the balanced budget also would force us to abandon the values that define this state � fairness and compassion. It would be unjust, unwise and unfair to abandon our friends and neighbors when they need us most.�

To read the �State of the State� address, visit: http://www.governor.wa.gov/speeches/speech-view.asp?SpeechSeq=213