Lawmakers delivered for flood victims

The 60-day legislative session was a good one for South Sound residents. Local lawmakers didn't get everything they wanted, but they pushed through most of the legislation important to the community.

The biggest win was the $50 million in bonding authority for flood relief in Thurston, Lewis and Grays Harbor counties that were devastated last December by what the Army Corps of Engineers has called a "500-year storm."

Winds peaked at 147 mph. Some places recorded 20 inches of rain in a two-day period. The Chehalis River flow at the town of Doty was 50 times the normal flow for the time of year.

South Sound residents, farmers and business owners still are digging out from under tons of mud and wood debris. But they were not forgotten by the Legislature.

Flood victim assistance

Lawmakers ponied up $50 million in bonding capacity to match federal funds for a levee project in Lewis County. There was another $11.6 million in state funds to match $31.2 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance and $2 million for business and employment assistance. Lawmakers spent $12 million for county road repairs, another $2 million to match federal funds for repairs to federal highways and came up with $10 million for housing assistance for flood victims. Combined with millions of dollars for studies and other infrastructure improvements to prevent future flooding, the 2008 Legislature deserves credit for its response to December's flooding.

The 22nd District is fortunate to have all three legislators in key budget leadership positions. Sen. Karen Fraser, D-Thurston County, writes the state's construction budget for the Senate. Rep. Sam Hunt, D-Olympia serves on the appropriations committee that writes the state's operating budget. And Rep. Brendan Williams, D-Olympia, holds a the third key position on the House Transportation Committee where road construction projects are funded. They carry considerable financial clout and delivered for South Sound.

Other funding, victories

Fraser points with pride to an additional $6 million in authorized funding for the Heritage Center which will house the archive and visitor information aspects of state government. For the first time visitors to the Capitol Campus can find a place to start their tour and get a history of the state, not just a lesson on where the marble in the Legislative Building comes from.

There's money in the budget for a new child care center for the kids of state employees. And historic Bigelow House now will be operated by the state parks department.

The one place where Fraser stumbled was on her unwillingness to deliver dollars for a water project at Woodland Creek Park that would have helped mitigate Lacey's water problems, making good use of reclaimed water. The $1 million proposal was a priority for Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater, but not a priority for Fraser. She let her constituents down on that one.

Hunt gets credit for helping to secure the flooding money and is quick to note that although his Republican colleagues in the 20th District of Thurston County — Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester, and Reps. Gary Alexander, R-Olympia, and Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis — want to take credit for the flooding dollars, all three voted against the budget that contained the money.

Williams defended numerous South Sound road improvement projects — such as funding for the sound-reducing walls on Interstate 5 near Tanglewilde and Thompson Place — and scored a major victory by forcing the State Patrol to continue investigating accidents in rural Thurston County. That saves Sheriff Dan Kimball a significant amount of manpower and money.

There's not sufficient space to list every project or budget line item benefiting South Sound residents, but suffice it to say 22nd District lawmakers delivered for their constituents.