COMMENTS

BECKER ASKS FOR YOUR HELP

By: Randi Becker January 24, 2010

It is the third week of our short session and already things are ramping up! I want to speak to you a little about what I have been up to while I have been here.

I spend a minimum of six hours in committee a day. This takes up most of my schedule but it is the place where we have important dialogue with my fellow legislators, citizens and professionals about issues important to the state.

In the Higher Education committee, we have been hearing a lot of tuition cost-related bills. There are many different points of view to consider. I understand that universities and colleges are struggling with their budget cuts, but I also know that families are struggling just to make ends meet -- let alone send a son or daughter to college. My focus while hearing all these bills is always to protect middle-income families from exorbitant tuition-rate increases.

In the Agriculture committee, it appears as though our focus this session will be improving ways to get Washington-grown food to people in the state and beyond. This is not only good for us as consumers, but small farms in our area will also benefit as we work to make these distribution systems function better. I know in my district there are many farmers who have invaluable knowledge about how to better improve this system. I want to hear from you! Please call or email me your ideas.

I am also excited about a bill I introduced just last week. The bill would help cities better plan their budgets by setting a deadline for the state Department of Labor and Industries to give notice of proposed increases in workers’ compensations costs. This way, cities are not having to draft one budget before hearing annual rate increases, and then having to draft another budget with these increases taken into consideration.

It was a bill brought to me by people in our district who saw a need to improve the system, and I am excited to put it into the legislative process.

As always, I sincerely hope that you do contact me with any ideas you may have that I could bring to my colleagues. My number-one priority is to act on your behalf and represent you to the best of my ability in the Legislature. This is your government, so please let me know how you feel about these issues or any others. I can be reached at becker.randi@leg.wa.gov, or you can phone me at 360-786-7602.