The half time report

Yesterday was cutoff. Here's a brief recap of what we've done so far this session:

Balancing the budget
The Governor has already signed three measures we passed to reduce spending in this biennial budget:
HB 2921 orders reductions in agency spending.
HB 2998 suspends performance bonuses and salary increases for many state employees.
SB 6382 extends the ban on hiring, travel, contracting, and purchases.

Putting Washington back to work
The JOBS Act of 2010 will, if approved by voters, create at least 38,000 jobs around the state while making our public schools safer, healthier, and more energy efficient.

Washington Works Housing Act will put an additional 10,000 construction workers back to work building affordable housing so people like nurses, police officers, and teachers can live closer to their jobs.

Educating our kids
We began implementing the recommendations of the Quality Education Council for school funding, including the phase-in of 15-student sized classes for kindergarten through 3rd grade and increasing the state funding of maintenance and operations costs. (HB 2776)

We gave individual school districts the flexibility to ask their voters for more levy money, and we allocated an additional $51 million in levy equalization to property-poor districts. (HB 2893 & 2670)

Community safety
We toughened bail procedures in our state, making sure all suspects must appear before a judge before being released on bond, and giving judges the discretion to deny bail in certain cases. (HB 2625 and HJR 4220)

Very few people with mental illness are dangerous to themselves or others, but we must have earlier interventions under the Involuntary Treatment Act for those who are. (HB 3076)

We authorized $25 million to speed the maintenance and repair of levees critical to protecting the citizens and businesses that reside in the Green River Valley. (HB 2787)

Reforming government
The Security Lifeline reforms the way safety net services are delivered by stressing quicker transitions to self-sufficiency and better utilizations of state and federal dollars. (HB 2782)

We are also redesigning the delivery of temporary assistance to needy families in a manner that makes optimum use of all funds available to promote more families moving more quickly to self-sufficiency. (HB 3141)

Numerous boards, commissions, and agency functions are eliminated, consolidated, and/or streamlined. (HB 3132, 3023, 2969, 2957, 2935, 2902, 2704, 2863)