Tony Overman / The Olympian
Senate Majority Leader Sid Snyder, D-Long Beach, admits this session has been difficult but says the Senate can take pride in what is has done.

Snyder gives perspective to strange session

BRAD SHANNON, THE OLYMPIAN

OLYMPIA -- Voters passed initiatives in the fall urging tax cuts, while approving measures calling for new spending on schools.

If that mixed message wasn't difficult enough, lawmakers found themselves homeless in February when a major earthquake slammed the region, leaving the Legislative Building dangerously damaged and unusable.

One lawmaker called it the "biblical" session, wondering aloud what plague might hit next.

Today, lawmakers roll into the final day of their improbable and prolonged 105-day session with most of their work undone. They have no agreement on an operating budget for 2001-03 -- in fact, the House has yet to offer a proposal, which is customary, to answer proposals from Gov. Gary Locke and the Senate.

They also lack a new spending plan for transportation, including a revenue package to pay for highway expansions needed to relieve congestion. A capital projects budget is also incomplete.

The Olympian sat down last week with Senate Majority Leader Sid Snyder, D-Long Beach, for perspective on one of the toughest sessions in memory. Snyder, a 52-year veteran at the Capitol, started work in the 1940s as a Capitol elevator operator, before moving through various insider jobs to become a state representative and senator.

Q: Is there any one session in history that compares to this one?

A: I think each session has its own character and personality. I think this one is a little different with the earthquake causing us to move out. And the tie in the House for the second consecutive year makes it very tough.

Q: There's still no House budgets on the table for operations, capital projects or transportation. Hasn't this legislative session been a big bust?

A: Oh, I don't think it's been a bust. We passed a water bill. We (passed) an energy bill here today. I think those are great moves.

The Senate takes a lot of pride in the fact that we passed a bipartisan operating budget, we passed a capital budget 47-0, we passed bonds to go with it 47-0. For the transportation budget without any revenue enhancements, that passed with over 40 votes. ... We passed several Blue Ribbon Commission on Transportation recommendations, eight or 10 of those. So we think that we have done our job.

With the tie in the House (where the Senate proposals have idled) they have a very difficult time accomplishing anything.

Q: Is anything else contributing to the paralysis on the major issues? Do you think that citizens, through the initiatives, are hamstringing the Legislature's ability to respond to problems?

A: The initiative process is probably a little bit out of control by my viewpoint. We have people passing initiatives to reduce the revenues coming into the state, and then we get initiatives passing to tell us to spend more on education -- and to come up with money for the teachers and the school employees and all the other needs in the state of Washington. It's just a mess.

Q: How frustrating is it not to have a House budget yet?

A: They haven't even reported one out of committee. There were rumors they would have one this week. We would like to see that because we want to know where our differences are between the two budgets so we can sit down and start negotiating or even rewriting a new budget that addresses some of their concerns.

Q: In 1979 there was a divided House also. Was it as slow?

A: I think it was slow to a great extent. I think the key difference between now and then is that in 1979, John Bagnariol, who was the Democratic co-speaker, and Duane Berentson, the Republican co-speaker, were very close friends. I think that made a very big difference. They could sit down and communicate quite well. They would lay out a plan, and at times they did a little play-acting for their own members.

Q: What do you think the public will say about the way this session has gone? Do you think this legislative logjam can widen the credibility gap elected officials have with many taxpayers?

A: Like I mentioned earlier, I think we did a pretty good job of passing legislation out of the Senate and the House hasn't been able to respond. I don't think the general public realizes the difference. All they say is, "It's just those damn legislators not getting anything accomplished." I also don't think the public can comprehend what a difficult problem and situation we're in (financially).

Q: Is there a drop-dead date for a budget, a statutory date?

A: I guess. The new biennium starts July 1, and I would hate to be in that situation without a budget. But it's really much more convenient if we have a budget much earlier than that, because schools need to know how much money they've got. They need to know how many teachers they can hire. They have to hire those people in May. The sooner we can get a budget, the better.

Q: Do you agree with claims that a lack of leadership by Gov. Gary Locke is adding to the logjam, or is the governor actually showing leadership behind the scenes that the public doesn't see?

A: I guess I'm not the one to make a comment or judge on that question.

Q: Do you think the strike has had any effect on the Legislature so far?

A: I don't think it's had any real effects, because we're limited in our amount of money. If we come up with more money for employees we have to take it from someplace else.

What I think it has done is it has raised the awareness of some of the legislators. You know, there are jobs in this state going (unfilled) because of the salary differentials between the private sector and the state. I know the attorney general is having an awful time. ... She said most attorneys can go to work in the private sector for more money.

Q: What's your expectation for the special session? What'll have to happen to produce the three budgets for operations, capital projects and transportation in the 30-day session?

A: We don't know if our strategy is going to be to re-pass the present budgets we have or wait a few days and see how the House reaction is going to be.

Q: Besides the budgets, what issues do you think will be on the table?

A: I haven't had any conversations with the leaders of the other caucuses, but I would hope we'd keep it as tight as possible. That would be just the budgets and the primary and things to implement the budget. (One exception might be) the sex predator bill -- (for) the McNeil Island (placement facility).

Sid Snyder

- Age: 74

- Residence: Long Beach

- Occupation: State senator representing the 19th Legislative District, which includes Pacific and Wahkiakum counties and parts of Cowlitz and Grays Harbor counties; grocery store operator on Long Beach Peninsula.

- Background: Senator, 1990-present; secretary of the Senate, 1969-88; assistant chief clerk of the House, 1957-69; began as elevator operator at the Capitol in 1949 and later served as bill clerk, becoming Bill Room supervisor in 1951.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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