Steve Bloom/The Olympian
Gov. Gary Locke, pictured Monday in his office in the Capitol, said he doesn't expect the 2002 Legislature to be a repeat of last year's session, which went into three special sessions.

Locke has high hopes for 2002 Legislature

$1.2 billion budget hole can be filled, governor says

BRAD SHANNON AND PATRICK CONDON, THE OLYMPIAN

OLYMPIA -- Gov. Gary Locke hopes this year will be better than last.

He'll get an idea if his hope will become reality when the 2002 Legislature opens a 60-day session at noon today.

The ever-upbeat governor, starting his sixth year in office, says nothing could compare to 2001, which brought a major earthquake, the Sept. 11 attacks that plunged the state's economy deeper into recession, and a sprawling, largely unproductive 163-day legislative session.

Last year, lawmakers met in a third special session in July and still failed to find ways to help the state's crippled transportation system.

This year, Locke is predicting better things. He believes lawmakers can agree on budget cuts and new revenue to fill a $1.2 billion budget gap, as well as raise taxes for transportation projects.

And he thinks they can do it in 60 days.

"I've been assured we will adjourn in 60 days and we will tackle the difficult issues," Locke told reporters last week, referring to legislative leaders' promises. "I think you'll see an incredible level of activity" on transportation, he said, adding, "The commitment is to get finished in 60 days."

Others agree they should aim for it, taking on tough issues as they come up.

"Somebody's going to dislike all of these" proposed cuts to the budget, said Rep. Barry Sehlin, the top House Republican on budget issues. "So let's put on our armor and face up to it."

Sehlin, however, hasn't pledged to work on a budget with Appropriations Chairwoman Helen Sommers, D-Seattle.

If legislators fail, they'll run up against another deadline: June 1, when inhabitants of the Legislative Building must relocate to allow a more than $100 million renovation paid by trust-fund forest income to move ahead.

Incoming House Speaker Frank Chopp, who will be formally elected today when the House convenes, has sole control over the gavel after three years of power-sharing with Republicans because of the 49-49 tie in that chamber. Locke needs Chopp to help legislation slip through the House, despite a two-vote advantage.

The governor sat down with The Olympian last week to talk about his view of the coming year.

Q:2001 was a tough year, not only for Washington but for America, the world and just about everybody. What are you going to remember most about 2001?

A: I don't think anybody can forget or diminish the impact of Sept. 11. Just like my dad's generation, my dad fought in World War II and they all remember the attack on Pearl Harbor; they remember listening on the radio to Roosevelt, and of course their own war experiences. I don't think anybody can forget where they were when they heard the news, and watching the TV set for hours and hours ... the constant replay, the different vantage points of the airplanes coming in.

Q: Do you think that is changing how you see yourself as a public servant and as a leader?

A: Obviously it presents totally different challenges and moved the direction of our state and impacted all of us in terms of accelerating or putting us into a national recession. Every state now, every governor, every mayor and every county elected official is dealing with the aftermath of Sept. 11. It's had a major impact. As a result, the budget that we proposed and that the Legislature will have to consider is a complete rewrite of the budget that was just passed a few months ago. Nobody could have foreseen Sept. 11.

Q: Coming into the office, did you ever think you'd see a year like this one, in terms of budget problems, Boeing, earthquake, the whole range of stuff that happened?

A: I don't think anybody could have imagined it. As a governor, you're always worried about downturns in the economy; we've had downturns in the past. We've also seen Microsoft and the high-tech and bio-tech cushion. So, we know that Boeing goes in cycles. That's always been inevitable. But I don't think any of us, if you asked Bill Gates, if you'd asked even Boeing five or six years ago, if they would even consider moving their corporate headquarters out of state, would you see dot.com companies suddenly surging and suddenly fall away, almost disappear.

Q: For the first time since you took office as governor in 1997, you'll be working with a Legislature controlled by Democrats in both houses. Do you believe gridlock is over?

A: Actually there are many things in state law that require a supermajority to pass. So while I think a Democratic majority in the House and Senate will be very, very helpful to bring things up for a vote and to have many generally non-controversial and middle-of-the-road proposals considered and voted on, it doesn't mean there won't be a lot of debate and disagreement on a lot of issues. At least on most of the issues we'll be able to schedule a vote and see where they'll fall. There's school safety, just a whole host of issues, even good government issues that are nonpartisan to begin with.

A:What do you need to see accomplished this session by the Legislature to call its work a success? We know you weren't happy with what was accomplished last year.

A:We accomplished a lot, but a glaring shortcoming was transportation. But we did pass an operating budget, a construction budget for state facilities and campuses across the state. We got water reform passed last year, the first time in over 30 years that anything meaningful and significant got passed in water.

Q:As you enter this session and what's certainly going to be a painful budget process, what do you feel about the state's overall direction? Do you ever worry that Washington's run of good luck is over?

A: No. We are definitely in the midst of very challenging times. But I was in a forum the other month with Gov. Evans, Gov. Spellman and Gov. Gardner. And Gov. Evans and Gov. Spellman were indicating that when they were in office they had much higher unemployment rates than we do now. Much higher. In fact it was interesting to hear Govs. Spellman and Evans duel over who had the highest unemploy-ment at one time. Gov. Evans had the Boeing bust in the early '70s and Gov. Spellman had the incredible recession in the early '80s in which interest rates were -- what -- 16, 17 percent, and unemployment was almost 10 percent. I'm an optimist over the future of our state. But what we do in Olympia can greatly influence the speed and direction of our economy. We are providing the foundation for the eventual rebound.

Q: Where Gov. Spellman and Gov. Evans can look back on the good times and bad times, what do you think you and others will say 20 years from now about Gary Locke?

A:The chapter or story hasn't finished yet. Who knows what will come six months from now or a year from now. Will we have another drought? It's just too early to tell. I don't dwell on that type of thinking. This last year has been just one thing after another, from drought to energy crisis to earthquake and now Sept. 11 and the aftermath.

Q: Do you ever wonder if people looking back in the future will remember this era and rather than point to people like yourself who spent so many years in the trenches trying to reconcile the voters' conflicting wishes, that maybe the most memorable person from the era will be someone like Tim Eyman who has so doggedly refused to work within the system?

A:It could be.

Q: Do you feel eclipsed by him?

A: No, I very much believe in the initiative process. I'll defend and uphold that initiative process and referendum process, but I've got to do my job. I just don't worry about other people. Those are things beyond my control. I've just got to focus on the mission at hand.

Q: We realize you're very dedicated to what's going on in the state of Washington today, but do you aspire to another political office, like the U.S. Senate or national stage down the road?

A:I really don't plot or plan a political career. When I was in the Legislature, I told myself I was willing to serve one more year in Olympia and if nothing came along that interested me I was going to walk away from politics altogether. When I was at the county level, I never imagined that Gov. Lowry was not going to run for re-election. And I was believing that Gov. Lowry would serve two terms and that the next political rising star would be someone else, and whether Christine Gregoire or someone (else) who would run for governor. Very honestly -- I mean, put me on a lie detector test -- I do not think about or envision higher office. I take it a day at a time.

Q: The door is open, though? The door isn't shut?

A: Let me put it this way, people who know me know that I am not a fan of flying. And when you run for U.S. Senate or Congress or whatever, you are constantly going back and forth; whether you talk to Jay Inslee or Patty Murray, they are on the airplane virtually every week or every other week. And that is not a life that -- especially, we've got a young family. That is No. 1. Even taking a position in Washington, D.C., under any administration, you're constantly on the road and not spending time with your family.

Q: Do you ever feel like you are missing out on important parts of life because of the demands of a job like yours?

A: We consciously try to carve out time for family. We really try to protect our weekends and limit the number of times I'm away from the family on weekends. We have rigid rules, parameters, for time I spend away from the family on weekends or during the weekday. So we guard our family time very jealously.

Q: Some say you may run for a third time.

A: Truly no decision there. ... We have a lot of things that we need to accomplish over the next few years. We'll just see how much we're able to do.

This week in the Legislature

The 57th Legislature of the state of Washington returns for its shorter, 60-day session today. The schedule of events the first week, which is subject to change, is as follows:

Today

- Noon: The Senate and House convene for opening ceremonies, oath of office for new members, and opening resolutions. Opening House ceremonies will include the election of Speaker Frank Chopp, Speaker Pro Tempore Val Ogden and Chief Clerk Cindy Zehnder.

- Prior to the opening in the House, House Democratic members will meet in caucus at 10 a.m., and Republicans will meet in caucus at 11 a.m.

Tuesday

- 9:55 a.m.: The House will have a pro forma session for the purposes of bill introduction.

- 3:30 p.m.: The Senate and House convene, with senators proceeding to the House of Representatives for a joint session at 3:45 to receive the governor's state of the state.

- 4 p.m.: Gov. Gary Locke delivers address. Tickets are not required for admission to the galleries, but the north gallery will be reserved for the governor.

Wednesday

- 10 a.m.: Senate convenes for session, caucus or both until noon.

- 10 a.m.: House meets for session, caucus or both.

Thursday

- 9:55 a.m.: House has pro forma session for the purposes of bill introduction.

- Noon: Senate has pro forma session.

Friday

- 10 a.m.: Senate convenes for session, caucus or both until noon.

- 10 a.m.: House meets for session, caucus or both.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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