Published November 2003

Competitiveness Council goes back to work

Our state’s ability to compete in the global economy took another step forward in October with the reconvening of the Washington Competitiveness Council.

The advisory body, which Gov. Gary Locke first convened in 2001, met Oct. 7 at Seattle Central Community College to continue the work it started two years ago, that of examining the state’s business climate and recommending solutions to business barriers.

The October meeting was the first of three scheduled to take place in time for the 2004 state legislative session, before which the group of business, labor, education and government leaders hope to issue a list of specific recommendations to both the governor and the Legislature. The WCC also is expected to meet throughout the legislative session to review progress on its agenda.

During the WCC’s first round of meetings in 2001, the result was a final report with 99 separate recommendations, including simplifying the municipal tax system, creating a pilot program for permit streamlining, providing greater flexibility in tuition setting for universities and passing a comprehensive transportation solution.

In the 2003 legislative session alone, 32 bills advancing the WCC’s agenda were signed into law, including those for a $4.2 billion transportation package, consolidation of the permit appeals process for complex projects, simplified municipal B&O taxation and greater tuition-setting authority for universities.

But there’s still room for improvement, as the governor acknowledged in reconvening the WCC.

“We’ve made great progress in making our state more competitive, but we can’t rest on our laurels,” Locke said in announcing the new round of meetings. “We must continue to push for implementation of the Competitiveness Council’s agenda. And we also must harness higher education to help drive economic growth.”

And the WCC’s focus on higher education will be intensified with this new round of meetings, according to the governor, who noted that the economy is becoming ever more dependent on the intellectual and creative capacity of the work force.

In this, the WCC’s second phase, four issue committees have been developed:

• Research, development and commercialization, chaired by new council member Steve Davis, chief executive officer of Seattle-based Corbis Inc.
• Higher-education access and funding, chaired by Snohomish County Executive Bob Drewel, a returning council member.
• Work-force training for high-demand fields, co-chaired by new council member Charlie Earl, president of Everett Community College, and returning council member Sally Jewel, chief operating officer of Seattle-based REI.
• Taxes, regulations and infrastructure, chaired by returning council member Judith Runstad of Seattle-based Foster Pepper & Shefelman PLLC.

Following the Oct. 7 meeting, Earl’s outlook was upbeat.

“Working through issues with these competent, positive people — and the force that is Sally Jewel — we are off to a good start identifying key problems that need to be addressed,” he said.

And that’s another step in the right direction.

— Kimberly Hilden, SCBJ Assistant Editor

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