Look for a focused legislative session

The opening gavel on the 60th legislative session falls at noon Monday in what promises to be a quick session with a limited agenda.

Lawmakers, many of whom face re-election this year, will tweak the $33 billion operating budget, adjust health care and environmental policies and address emerging transportation concerns quickly, with hopes of getting out of town and onto the campaign trail by March 13.

For this 60-day session, Democrats enjoy lopsided majorities in both legislative chamber — 32-17 in the Senate and 63-35 in the House — giving them the green light to essentially ignore minority Republicans. The best the Republicans can hope for is to lay the groundwork for this fall’s general election by drawing distinctions between themselves and majority Democrats.

Already leaders of the two parties are contrasting their views on taxation and spending, on how much supervision to insist upon for sex offenders and whether to make further adjustments in state high school graduation requirements.

One bit of important business remains from the 2007 session when lawmakers approved a paid family leave program scheduled to begin in 2009. Lawmakers left town last spring without deciding how to pay for the program, leaving that dirty work to an interim committee. Among suggestions are a proposed 1-cent or 2-cent hourly payroll tax on workers. It’s clear, if lawmakers are unable to agree on a source of funds to pay for family leave benefits, the Legislature will be forced to delay the program beyond next year. And Gov. Chris Gregoire has said she wants a public vote if a payroll tax is the Legislature’s solution.

Supplemental budget

The supplemental budget is not expected to be much of a battle. Last year, Democrats increased spending $4 billion over the previous biennium, but also left a healthy $1.4 billion budget surplus. Gregoire is proposing a modest $144 million adjustment to the operating budget this year — some of it to provide relief from the December floods.

Do not look for Democrats to steer far from their funding priorities, which have been K-12 and higher education, Puget Sound cleanup, and compensation for teachers and state employees.

Do look for Republicans to raise a ruckus over the budget surplus. GOP lawmakers say unless more money is put in the bank, lawmakers will face a $621 million shortfall when it comes time to write the 2009-11 budget.

Housing legislation

One sleeper issue may be housing. The governor has proposed adding $50 million to a housing trust fund for low- income housing assistance, earmarking some for flood victims. Meanwhile, House Speaker Frank Chopp wants to use public financing to help spur non-profits’ development of housing projects that reduce rents and stabilize prices for homes and apartments.

Realtors want more attention given to land-use decisions to allow adequate numbers of housing units. And some lawmakers have pressed for builders to offer construction guarantees so homeowners won’t be left holding the bag when their home falls apart. Builders warn that guarantees would drive up home prices, putting the American dream of home ownership beyond the reach of more families.

There’s ample opportunity for conflict.

The environment

Also look for the environmental lobby to press for new laws in four areas:

• Local farms, healthy kids: Through changes in state procurement laws and establishment of pilot projects, environmentalists hope to create an opportunity for local farmers to sell their healthy produce directly to school districts.

• Evergreen cities: This legislative proposal is an effort to get more trees into cities — in parks, developments, open spaces and along city streets.

• Local solutions to global warming: This environmental priority would create a 15th goal when government entities rewrite their comprehensive plans. As part of their land use planning, cities with 30,000 or more residents and counties with more than 50,000 people would be required to establish plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

• Washington climate action: The fourth, environmental proposal creates a structure and time line for achieving Washington’s global warming pollution reduction goals. The bill also begins a program to prepare Washington workers for jobs in a clean-energy economy.

With a modest agenda, all legislative eyes will be on the calendar as lawmakers hustle to get the essential bills passed so they can leave Olympia and hit the campaign trail by mid-March.