Governor Gregoire's Accomplishments: 2006 Legislative Session

For Immediate Release: March 8, 2006

$935 million in savings for future needs. Won passage of 2006 supplemental budget to keep pace with state-service demands, and invested in vital education, health care, environment, and economic development programs � while providing for a stable pension system. Saving $935 million will help meet projected needs in the 2007-2009 Budget Biennium.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Streamlined Early Learning. With strong bipartisan support, consolidated more than a half-dozen child care and early learning programs. This new department will be the focal point to work with the �The Thrive by Five� public/private partnership.

Provided struggling students additional help to meet academic standards. Created a new program of intensive instruction to help students meet graduation standards.

HIGHER EDUCATION
Increased opportunities to earn four-year college degrees. Expanded bachelor-of-arts programs to four Washington technical and community colleges, and offered funding to community colleges to bring regional universities to campus.

Advanced life-sciences research at the University of Washington. Helped to fund the operating costs of UW�s South Lake Union biomedical research facility.

HEALTH CARE
Solved medical malpractice issues to improve patient safety. Negotiated an agreement among lawmakers and the medical, insurance and legal communities to improve patient safety and reform malpractice insurance.

Provided tools to buy health care that works. Created an evidenced-based purchasing process to access health care.

SOCIAL SERVICES
Helped low-income families pay utility bills. In the first week of session, provided $7.6 million to boost the state�s existing program to help low-income people pay heating and lighting costs this winter.

Strengthened protection of children in state care. Improved staffing levels to ensure that caseworkers are able to respond quickly to reports of child abuse and make more frequent visits to children protected by state child welfare laws.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Supported development of a biofuels industry. Required fuel sellers in Washington to gradually increase the percentage of biofuels in diesel fuel and gasoline and promoted private investment in the biofuels industry.

Restored balance, stability and equity into the Unemployment Insurance system. Provided changes to Unemployment Insurance system to eliminate provisions that disproportionately reduced benefits for women, people of color and low-income workers.

Provided tax incentives to aerospace industry. Broadened two aerospace tax incentives to include companies engaged in research, design and engineering of airplanes and reduced the B&O tax rate for aviation repair services.

PUBLIC SAFETY
Covered the cost of more prisoners due to new sex offender laws. Funding for an increased prison population in response to longer sex-offender sentencing.

Provided tsunami-warning system. Twenty All-Hazard Alert Broadcasting radios are to be installed along the Washington coast.

Accelerated the preparation for pandemic flu. Funded local health departments to identify and address gaps in preparedness in case a pandemic flu hits and providef staff in the departments of health and agriculture to monitor flu activity.

Improved state ferry security. Funded the replacement of 18 Washington State troopers pulled from highway patrol assignments to screen state ferry traffic for potential terrorists.

NATURAL RESOURCES
Acted to clean up and protect Puget Sound. New funding will speed the cleanup of toxic underwater sediments; strengthen inspections of oil-related vessels and shore facilities; help restore estuaries and salmon habitat; provide grants and loans to homeowners to repair and replace failing septic systems and grants to local governments for low-impact storm water projects; make improvements to state parks� wastewater systems in Hood Canal and Puget Sound.

Provided tools to secure water for agriculture, cities and fish on the Columbia River. Under this agreement, one-third of all newly stored water will be allocated to support stream flows for fish. Two-thirds of newly stored water will be available for new out-of stream water uses, such as farming, industry and municipal growth. A bond authorization of $200 million is created to fund future storage projects.

TRANSPORTATION
Set the stage for a Puget Sound regional solution to large transportation needs. Created a short-term reform commission to hammer out a regional transportation finance-improvement plan. The commission will work with Sound Transit to submit a common ballot measure.

Created worker apprenticeships for transportation projects. Extended the state apprenticeship utilization requirement to Department of Transportation projects. In addition, returning veterans will get help through programs such as "Helmets to Hardhats," to move into construction jobs.


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