Moderator: Welcome to Capitol Chat. I'm your moderator, Statehouse Reporter Adam Wilson. Today's guest is Rep. Sam Hunt, a Democrat who represents Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater in the 22nd Legislative District. He just began his third two-year term in the House and holds the position of Democratic floor leader, which means he plays a key role in organizing floor votes and debates. Hunt also is a former Thurston County Democratic Party chairman and a former North Thurston School Board member.

Moderator: Tell us briefly about your own local proposals that you think might pass, specifically House Bill 1583.

Rep. Sam Hunt: 1583 is one that Sandra Romero sponsored the last couple years, and at her request I'm trying to get this bill passed that protects people from slum landlords. This bill would provide some good basic protections for residents who are mistreated.

Stan, Blue River, Ore.: It is great you have placed the creation of Heritage Park high on your priorities. Will the plans to eliminate Capitol Lake help or hurt those plans?

Hunt: Former mayor of Olympia writes in, I know that name. Two different parts: 1. Completing Heritage Park -- it's actually state land and part of the Capitol campus, and we want it finished and as close as possible to what original designers had in mind. 2. I think Capitol Lake is much more open to discussion because it's open to unknowns like what the Corp of Engineers will do, like future dredging. We have tribes and cities working on what they see as best.

I think it's a two stage thing, one, what we do with the park and two, what we do with the lake. My preference would be to keep the lake as it is, however, if not, we need to make some sort of estuary that keeps the beauty of the lake that lets us do whatever we can there, recreationally. We have a number of options, but we're not close to a conclusion yet.

Mike, Lacey: Prior to the 2004 elections you were recorded as opposed to pastors endorsing political issues from pulpit. Can you explain?

Hunt: Churches are tax-exempt entities and as such are not supposed to endanger that status by participating in partisan events unless the church wants to give up that tax-exempt status. What a minister does on their own time is fine. Are you doing it as an individual or as a church, that's what I base this on, not on freedom of speech.

Robert, Olympia: Do you or other legislators take a per diem during session even though you can live at home?

Hunt: Yes. There are a number of legislators that live at home and take a per diem. There are enough expenses associated with being a legislator that it's not like anyone is getting rich. I think it's $82 per day during session.

Albert, Olympia: How come State Patrol officers are not accountable for an accident deemed their fault? And how come when a request for pay raises for state workers is put in, the answer is "no funding," but there always seems to be funding for elected officials pay raises?

Hunt: Well as far as I know they are accountable. Frankly I didn't know that, and I can't respond to it because I'm not aware of the whole issue.

Hunt: As for the second question, first of all that's one reason why in dealing with state employees' salaries I supported collective bargaining. I think it's unfair that state employees and teachers have gone three years without a pay raise. Second, the voters of Washington approved a constitutional amendment creating a salary commission that establishes the increases and mandates they be paid. The Legislature cannot approve or veto those actions.

Mike, Tumwater: Will you vote to ban cell phone use in cars?

Hunt: I'd have to look at the bill, but I would tend to favor restrictions on cell phone use in cars. Some of the new models are hands-free, and I've done it, one hand on cell phone one on wheel, I don't like doing it and we all know it's not the safest and we all know we shouldn't do it, probably?

Bob, Port Orchard: Two bills were introduced during this legislative session that would authorize the Secretary of State to canvass the counties' election returns and certify the results in a gubernatorial election. Do you think it is constitutional to use a statute rather than a constitutional amendment to remove from the Legislature the authority to declare who was elected as Governor? Do you think it is a good idea to have the Secretary of State assume the responsibility of deciding who was duly elected as governor?

Hunt: The way I view it is the Legislature did not have the authority to void or change the election -- we just voted to accept the certification from the Secretary of State. The state Constitution says the governor shall be elected every four years, and there is not a provision for doing otherwise.

Joe, Olympia: How many special tax exemptions exist? What is their monetary total? And how would you address them?

Hunt: There are hundreds of tax exemptions. The Department of Revenue every two or four years publishes a list. They go from exempting newspapers from sales tax to groceries from sales tax to exempting bull semen from taxation. The first step this year was when we passed a bill requiring performance audits on tax exemptions to see which ones need to be discontinued, changed or improved.

Liz, Colville: Do you favor requiring non-union state employees to pay representation fees, and do you feel they were properly notified of their right to vote on contracts?

Hunt: I think if state employees want the raises and benefits, then they have to pay the union dues. Maybe if they don't want the union fees, they also shouldn't get the raises and benefits. Most people say the notification was proper. My wife works for the state, and she received notices as well as phone calls at home reminding her to vote.

Jim, Olympia: What has been your role in the changes to the primary election, and why does the Legislature continue to pass election reform that cannot stand up to lawsuits by the parties?

Hunt: My role is I serve as member of the State Government and Accountability Committee, which deals with all of the election proposals. And in the second part, I'm not sure what he's talking about. The blanket primary was adopted by an initiative of the people, not by the Legislature, a number of years ago. The law we passed for a Montana-style primary was not thrown out by courts, but by an initiative by the people to go to a top-two system.

Moderator: Last question.

John, Olympia: Why does the viaduct in Seattle need to be replaced, and why does the state as a whole need to pay for it?

Hunt: The viaduct in Seattle needs to be replaced because it's old and it's not safe in a major earthquake, and the traffic use on it far exceeds what it was designed for. We have a long policy of the state paying for transportation needs. For every dollar of gas tax paid in Seattle, the people get 67 cents back. In Olympia, for every dollar we get $1.01 or $1.02 back. In eastern Washington counties get substantially more back because the big counties are all contributors to transportation in the rest of the state.

Steve, Olympia: Shouldn't military recruiters be barred from approaching our children and be prohibited from campuses?

Hunt: It's a federal issue The feds have passed laws that certain info be available for military recruiters and there's very little the state's can do about it. That's an issue for Congress.

Moderator: Finally, what Legislation do you believe is likely to pass this year that was blocked in the divided Legislature of the past two years?

Hunt: Obviously our priorities will be education, health care and jobs, but one of my priorities is to work hard for the salary increases for state employees and teachers, which they have going too long without.

Moderator: All right, well thank you very much for your time, Rep. Hunt.

Hunt: Sorry for the delay, and thanks to all the people who sent in questions.