(Sen. Joe McDermott at left, Rep. Eileen Cody at right)
By Kathy Mulady
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

After a particularly brutal legislative session, lawmakers meeting with a friendly and appreciative audience at Jim Wiley Community Center in White Center said this morning they were really happy to be home from Olympia.

Lawmakers from the 34th District — Sen. Joe McDermott (D-West Seattle), Rep. Eileen Cody (D-West Seattle) and Rep. Sharon Nelson (D-Maury Island) — invited their constituents to a Town Hall meeting to review the wins and losses of the session, some of which they had also discussed at the 34th District Democrats‘ meeting last Wednesday (WSB coverage here).

While budget cuts were the theme for most of the session, there were some wins, including $1.4 million for the Greenbridge Early Learning Center project, and $2 million for the High Point Neighborhood Center.

(center of photo: Rep. Sharon Nelson at left, Rep. Eileen Cody at right)
Nelson was glowing with success over more controls on payday lenders whose borrowers have found themselves in bankruptcy with high interest rates, fees, and short lending periods.

One man who testified for her committee said he was $33,000 in debt after borrowing hundreds of dollars he couldn’t pay back fast enough.

Nelson said the national lending companies have money to fight legislators, and because of community giving, strong backing from business associations, making them a tough opponent.

Next, Nelson said she wants to pursue an income tax on some of the state’s wealthier residents. Citizens have little appetite for more sales tax increases, she said, so she believes it is time to look at other options. Nelson said she’s like to start with an income tax on workers making more than $250,000 a year.

Cody was cheered for her news that 97 percent of children in the state will have health care with new legislation. “Washington is doing well for the kids,” she said. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for adults — 40,000 will lose health care funding because of cuts.

Cody talked about trends in getting medical advice by telephone or e-mail, making sure costs are covered by insurers.

Also this session, the state also hiked the tax on liquor sold in the state, prompting some at the morning gathering to ask if it is time for the state to get out of the liquor-store business altogether and leave it up to private businesses.

The district lawmakers said studies show that state control of sales is key to reducing drunk driving and highway accidents along with other alcohol-related problems. “And we make money off of it,” noted Cody.

Bringing up one of White Center’s hottest topics right now, one woman in the audience told the legislators that Evergreen Pool supporters will be trying to raise $350,000 privately to keep the pool open. It faces shutdown because of county budget cuts.

After the meeting, the lawmakers planned to pitch in with today’s White Center Cleanup (see coverage here) and meet neighbors at a barbecue in the community center’s back plaza: