By former Gov. Dan Evans
It's time for Gov. Jay Inslee, together with Republicans and Democrats in both houses of the Legislature, to put partisanship aside and solve two pressing problems. Washington state needs a capital budget and a fix to the state Supreme Court's Hirst decision, which has impacted homebuilding in rural areas.
As construction costs rise, every day that goes by without passage of the state's capital budget means that taxpayers will pay more for building schools and other projects, and it means that needed construction is delayed.
Equally important is modification of the law in response to the Hirst decision. Hirst will shatter the American dream for some Washington state families because they may not be able to obtain water on the properties they purchased unless the Legislature enacts a solution to that decision... |
