A session of missed opportunities

As we near the end of the 2021 legislative session, there are a few critical policy areas that the Legislature has failed to address. While we have had bipartisan agreement on a great number of bills, these missed opportunities are worth discussing. I think that they are policies that transcend party and get to the heart of ensuring an accountable and efficient government.

I wrote in my last column about the path toward an income tax and touched briefly on the state’s budget. Since then, the Senate approved its version of the two-year spending proposal, Senate Bill 5092. It is incredible to think that the state’s budget is growing from $52 billion to near $60 billion during a pandemic. It boosts state spending by $7 billion, paid for with new and higher taxes, including that form of income tax I mentioned, carbon taxes and a cap and tax scheme. I am supporting the Working Families Tax Credit but worry that some of the policy choices made in Olympia will end up hurting the families we are trying to help.

We must start looking at how we got here and provide an honest accounting to the citizens of our state about where their money is going. I am fighting for more accountability to ensure that agencies charged with helping people respond to the needs of the people.

The Legislature had an opportunity to stand up for the people and accountability by limiting the governor’s emergency powers.

It should not be a partisan issue to ensure that citizens’ voices through their elected representatives are heard.

Senate Bill 5039 would have required legislative approval of the governor’s emergency orders after thirty days.

While the measure had bipartisan sponsorship, it never even received a public hearing.

I do not disagree with all the actions the governor took in response to COVID-19.

Making government more flexible, removing barriers and reducing penalties and fees are a good thing, maybe policies we should make law.

However, cutting out the Legislature and eliminating the representation of the people sets a dangerous precedent for future crises.

Finally, I applaud the governor for pushing to safely reopen our state’s schools. That is something my colleagues and I have been fighting for early on when federal partners indicated it was safe to do so. Unfortunately, many districts have been too slow to respond and, in some cases, outright refusing. This lost year of learning and the lack of access to education for vulnerable communities is the equity issue of our time. The science is clear and the safety and mental health of our students has to come first. Local school leaders must have the political courage to get students safely back in the classroom.

We can and should rise above partisanship. My seatmates and I made that pledge at the outset of the legislative session. There is always room to make government work smarter, not harder. Instead of partisan proposals that cater to special interests, we should focus on impactful areas where we can find strong agreement. Making that determination should be simple and grounded in accountability. The people deserve a transparent, effective and responsive state government. This past year has shown we need to vastly improve in all of those areas. We cannot afford anymore missed opportunities.

Ron Muzzall, Senator