Moeller resumes mission for consumers, honest tradespeople

Everyone’s heard the old proverb “You get what you pay for.” And no doubt everyone’s also very familiar with the trusty maxim “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” State Rep. Jim Moeller is determined to employ those two good bits of advice in putting the kibosh on bogus electricians, plumbers and other unqualified tradespeople.

His goal is to secure stronger protection both for consumers who want to hire qualified workers and for aboveboard contractors who don’t want to hire unqualified workers.

Since Moeller’s proposal hasn’t cleared legislative hurdles in the past few years, the Vancouver Democrat vows to restart his work in the upcoming session. His measure, House Bill 1055, would write state law requiring that tradespeople keep their licenses and certificates with them whenever they’re on the job. These subcontractors would need to show their paperwork if a homeowner asks to see it.

As it stands now, state law requires subcontractors in the building trades to obtain the appropriate licenses and certificates of competency and qualification. People who ignore the current law, as well as contractors and others who hire them, can face civil penalties. You might want to check this state Department of Labor & Industries Web site for information about hiring a contractor.

“The goal in this new law is simply to stop the dishonest, dangerous underground construction industry – particularly the deceitful hiring of unlicensed and uncertified tradespeople,” Moeller explained. “All we want is for these folks to possess evidence that they do indeed hold the right credentials and the right certification for the job.”

All too often, unlicensed and uncertified subs are hired to do some part of a project for less money. So then a consumer might think to himself or herself, ‘Oh, lucky me – this job isn’t costing as much as I thought it would!’ But remember that old proverb and that trusty maxim: There’s probably a very unfortunate reason the job’s costing less money. Moeller noted that folks “generally do get exactly what they pay for. And if they have safety or other problems later on, they’ll certainly wish they’d known more about the honor and professionalism of their contractors and subcontractors.”

Moeller also pointed out that underground contracting isn’t just a threat to consumer safety and peace of mind. It also gives bad-apple contractors an unfair business advantage over contractors who conduct their operations the right way.

Stay tuned. We’ll keep you posted as this tradespeople-licensure legislation makes its way through the process in this year’s session.

In memory of Rep. Bill Grant

The House Democratic Caucus mourns the loss of our colleague and Caucus Chair, Rep. Bill Grant, who passed away on January 4, 2009. The following is his obituary, courtesy of his family.

Bill Grant, husband, father, dedicated family man and community leader, passed away Sunday, January 4, 2009 in a Walla Walla hospital with his family at his side.

Bill was born Sept. 20, 1937 to Sam and Irene Grant of Prescott, Washington. He attended Prescott Grade School and graduated from Prescott High School in 1955. He attended Whitman College where he lettered in football, basketball and track. Graduating in 1959 with a degree in Physical Education, Bill taught sixth grade the following year and coached all high school sports for the Prescott school district.

In 1960, he accepted an offer from his father to join the Grant family farm as a fourth generation wheat farmer. He remained active in all aspects of the farm until his death. His fervent desire to preserve the family farm was instilled by his father, his grandfather, Oscar Grant, and his great-grandfather, Jonathan Pettyjohn. Those closest to Bill knew he enjoyed the simple pleasures of farm life. Working in his beloved wheat fields, feeding cattle, watering his garden, or monitoring the weather gave him his greatest joy and satisfaction.

Besides being a man of the land, Bill was committed to serving our communities. First elected in 1986, Bill served twenty-two years as a state legislator of the 16^th district. Upon his death, Bill was the longest-serving representative in the Washington State Legislature. He served twenty years on the powerful Appropriations Committee and since 1993 he has held the position of Democratic Caucus Chair. Bill was known as a man of his word, both honest and generous.

Some of Bill’s proudest political accomplishments in representing the 16^th district included legislation benefiting Walla Walla Community College, economic development and W.S.U Tri Cities. As a champion of farming, agriculture was always on the forefront of Bill’s legislative agenda.

Bill was a member of many local and statewide organizations. He received numerous awards in recognition of his achievements.

Bill is survived by his wife of fifty years, Nancy, and four children: Gina Bull (Ron), Oak Harbor, WA.; Laura Grant-Herriot, Walla Walla; Amy Hartford (Jerry), Prescott, WA; Jonathan Grant (Fahima), Los Angeles, CA; eight grandchildren: Lindsay Braun (Jeffrey), Tacoma, WA.; Molly Schotzko (Tim), Pullman, WA.; Grant Bull (Erin), Oak Harbor, WA.; Lauren Hanson and Kathryn Hanson, Prescott, WA.; Samantha Grant-Herriot, Hope Grant-Herriot, and Marguerite Grant-Herriot, Walla Walla. Bill is also survived by his siblings Sam Grant, Jr. (Georgene), Mary Grant Tompkins (Lynn), John Grant (Patti),and Joe Grant, and by numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and a nephew, Frank Tompkins.

A funeral Mass will be held at noon, Saturday, January 10, 2009 at St. Patrick’s church in Walla Walla. A reception will follow at the William A. Grant Water and Environmental Center on the Walla Walla Community College campus.

Memorial contributions may be made to Walla Walla Community College Foundation or Prescott Ivy Cemetery.

JTC hears draft ferry plan

The Joint Transportation Committee just wrapped up a meeting focused on the future of the state ferry system. Legislators got a sneak peek into a report that Washington State Ferries is finalizing (WSF), which takes a critical look at how the ferry system can overcome some troubling shortfalls and maintain its viability into the future.

As many of us saw last year, several ferries were suddenly yanked out of service due to safety concerns, leaving many people in ferry communities in a lurch. To boot, other ferries still in service are aging (average age: 34 years) and, along with some aging terminals, are in need of capital investment. WSF was dealt a major blow several years ago with the elimination of the motor vehicle excise tax, a major source of ferry funding.

Since 2006 the Legislature has been taking a hard look at the ferry system from top to bottom. The focus is on ensuring safe, efficient service, and prioritizing new vessels over new terminals. The long-term planning report discussed today is the result of HB 2358, passed in 2007. It examines the ways the system can recapitalize itself, try to alleviate capacity issues, and meet increasing ridership demands over the next 20 years. The report essentially outlines two plans?

Plan A assumes that the State will continue in its current role as owner, operator, and principal funder of ferry services in the Puget Sound region. Current level of service remains with operational strategies implemented over time and several new vessels coming online. This plan contains a significant budget shortfall that will require new revenues.

Plan B recognizes that the State may not be able to provide new revenues to meet the evolving needs of all ferry customers and communities, and looks at marine transportation very differently. It proposes an alternative where the State takes responsibility for the core marine highway system and a locally funded entity or entities would take responsibility for a new marine transit system. This option assumes operational strategies would be implemented over time. It also contains a budget shortfall, but it is significantly smaller than Plan A.

Today’s meeting isn’t the end of the story. WSF is soliciting public comment on the draft plan until January 21. before it finalizes the plan and sends it to the Legislature for consideration. Then, as House Transportation Committee Chair Rep. Judy Clibborn (D-Mercer Island) said today, “This is just the beginning,” of the dialog over what kind of action will be taken this session.

No offense to our friend, Sam at the Bellingham Herald

But he's right, I did make sure to post our news here before he could go all Woodward & Bernstein on us...

Rep. Morris plans greater consumer protection and privacy laws for ‘09

Fresh off a legislative win last year that saw first-of-its-kind consumer protection laws enacted, State Representative Jeff Morris (D – Mount Vernon) is planning another bout against so-called “spy technology” devices.

Morris has waged a campaign against the malicious use of radio-frequency identification (RFID) microchips, which are turning up in more and more consumer products, as well as government-issued identification like driver’s licenses and passports.

Morris expects swift and fierce opposition to his proposals from corporate lobbyists and business interests that would like to see RFID chips embedded in any and all consumer products.

“The potential for marketing and convenience is great with this technology,” admits Morris. “But so is the threat to our privacy and freedom.”

To read the full text of the press release, click here.

Session theme songs

If you didn't get a chance to watch the AP Legislative Forum this morning, never fear. TVW will air it again tonight at 7 p.m.

Amidst the chatter and banter and a few slings and arrows, one interesting question posed to the Leadership panelists by the AP's Rachel LaCorte (far right) included their theme song or movie for the 2009 session. This question has become an annual tradition.

Rep. Richard DeBolt, the House Minority Leader, went first and responded that the Pursuit of Happyness reflected his philosophy that there is a path of opportunity for us, but we have to take the responsibility upon ourselves to get there.

Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown cited "Everything is Broken" by Bob Dylan. She read the ending lyrics...

Broken hands on broken ploughs / Broken treaties broken vows / Broken pipes broken tools / People bending broken rules / Hound dog howling bullfrog croaking / Everything is broken

...but then pointed out that this is our time to fix the broken pipes and keep moving forward.

Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt cited the Ohio Player's "Love Roller Coaster" apparently because it's reflective of our budget ups-and-downs.

House Speaker Frank Chopp simply pointed out his gratitude that DeBolt named Pursuit of Happyness as his session theme, not War of the Worlds.

Must-see TV - Associated Press Legislative Forum this morning

If you want a great preview of what's to come this session, tune in to TVW to watch the Associated Press Legislative Forum today at 9 a.m. TVW will also stream it live on their website.

The Associated Press hosts this forum every year and political reporters from around the state converge for a half-day of discussion with legislative leaders. Here's the schedule for today's forum:

The 9 a.m. Leadership panel will be moderated by the AP's Rachel LaCorte and features Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, House Speaker Frank Chopp, Senate Minority Leader, Mike Hewitt, and House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt.

The 10 a.m. Budget panel will be moderated by the AP's Curt Woodward and features Senator Margarita Prentice, Representative Kelli Linville, Senator Joe Zarelli, and Representative Gary Alexander.

Governor Gregoire is scheduled to speak at 11.

UPDATE: Turns out Governor Gregoire's Legislative Director, Marty Brown, will fill her 11 a.m. slot. The Gov had to cancel because she's in Iraq visiting Washington's Army National Guard troops.