Published December 2005

Chambers present
2006 Legislative Agenda

By Louise Stanton-Masten
Guest Editorial

Joining together to present a strong voice on behalf of the businesses of Snohomish County is the mission of the Joint Government Affairs Committee of the Everett Area, South Snohomish County and Monroe chambers of commerce.  

Each year, the committee proposes a legislative agenda that represents members’ business, job creation and retention, and economic development goals. The agenda is approved by the respective chambers’ board of directors and presented to Snohomish County legislators.

Throughout the legislative session, the committee advocates on behalf of legislation it believes is important for business, with the legislative agenda serving as the framework to determine which bills it will support or oppose. At the session’s conclusion, we track how legislators voted on those bills and recognize those legislators who consistently voted with our positions.

The 2006 Legislative Agenda identifies these key areas of focus in the coming session: taxes and fees, transportation, liability reform, health care, education, regulations and permitting, economic development and competitiveness, and energy.

In support of the agenda, the committee, on behalf of the chambers’ members, will:

• Advocate on behalf of tax policies that balance the need to provide essential services and the need to reduce the relative tax burden on business.
• Work to ensure sufficient investment and long-term funding for the basic support structure essential for a functioning economy, transportation, utilities and telecommunications.
• Support transportation projects, services and funding that improve the mobility of people and goods.
• Support liability and tort reform, including medical malpractice and construction defect litigation.
• Urge legislative revisions that reduce unnecessary regulation, most particularly mandated benefits, allowing insurers to offer affordable basic health-care plans for both individuals and small businesses.
• Encourage educational reforms in the PK-12 education system that ensure students are adequately prepared to meet the challenges of the future workplace by enacting higher academic standards, effective assessment of student knowledge and school system accountability.
• Work to expand the scope and quality of Washington state’s higher education system in order to meet businesses’ need for educated and skilled workers.
• Encourage a culture change within state regulatory agencies that recognizes the necessary teamwork of regulators, businesses and environmental concerns in order to promote economic development while protecting the resources of the state.
• Expand economic development and competitiveness tools such as tax increment financing and tax incentives for all aerospace-related industries as well as support for the development of entrepreneurship through legislation, reduction of regulatory compliance burdens on small business and promotion of entrepreneurial training at community colleges.
• Encourage legislators and elected officials to preserve an essential component of a vibrant economy: reliable, low-cost power.

Each area of emphasis is backed by a full slate of specific recommendations. A complete copy of the 2006 Legislative Agenda is available at www.everettchamber.com and www.s2c3.org.

The 2006 legislative session will be an important one for business issues, as many of the same bills that were narrowly defeated last session will be up for discussion again this year.

With Washington state and our region in economic recovery, it is critical to our economic future that we continue to address business challenges that obstruct our ability to fairly compete nationally and internationally. By actively working with our legislators, the chambers’ Joint Government Affairs Committee hopes to be a positive catalyst for change — change that helps ensure a more stable economic future for our entire county and state.

Louise Stanton-Masten is president and chief executive officer of the Everett Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information about the chamber, go online to www.everettchamber.com.

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