Monroe lawmaker shares Senate successes with council

Washington state Sen. Kirk Pearson presented in Monroe during the regular business meeting of the Monroe City Council on Tuesday, Aug. 18. Pearson represents the 39th Legislative District, which includes most of Snohomish and Skagit counties, along with portion of King County.

Pearson, who got his start in politics serving on the Monroe Planning Commission, is in his 15th year serving in the Washington Legislature.-á First elected to the House of Representatives in 2000, the longtime Monroe native served six terms before being elected to the Senate in 2012.

When Pearson left for Olympia in January, he had a packed agenda that included bills on disaster mobilization, environmental hazard mitigation and domestic violence. He said while the 176-day session was indeed the longest session in state history, the extra time enabled him to see certain bills through the process that might not have made it otherwise.

One of his successes was Senate Bill 5070, which will bolster penalties for first-time domestic violence offenders by mandating that they are placed on community supervision upon their release from prison.-á

"I've done a lot of legislation on domestic violence, and this bill meant a lot because I worked on it with a victim of domestic violence,GÇ¥ Pearson said. "This person was nearly murdered by her estranged boyfriend.GÇ¥

Pearson's hope is that the law will serve to increase offender accountability. When an offender is placed on community corrections, regular check-ins with a probation officer are typically mandatory. Offenders may be ordered to follow orders like drug and alcohol counseling, urinalysis testing and domestic violence treatment.

"From now on, first-time domestic violence offenders will be under supervision when they get out of prison,GÇ¥ Pearson said. "I think that has the potential to save lives.GÇ¥

Another success for Pearson was Senate Bill 5881, which gives at-risk youth increased access to outdoor recreational activities like fishing, by allowing nonprofits and service agencies to obtain group fishing permits.

Sultan resident Bob Klement came up with the idea, wanting to streamline the licensing process and make it less cost-prohibitive. As a result of the bill's successful passage, agencies such as the Volunteers of America are now able to obtain group fishing permits.

"It was just a perfect bill,GÇ¥ Pearson said. "I was very excited to get that through.GÇ¥

During the bill-signing ceremony in Olympia on Friday, April 24, legislators told Klement that having a bill become a law so soon after being introduced is a significant accomplishment. In odd-numbered years, an average of 2,442 bills are introduced during the 105-day session, many of which die before ever reaching the floor for a vote.

Pearson plans to work with co-sponsor Sen. Bob Hasegawa to promote the bill's implementation.

"I care for troubled youth and there's a lot of kids that do not have that opportunity to get out and enjoy our natural resources in the state of Washington,GÇ¥ Pearson said. "With that passing, there will be an opportunity for YMCAs, Boys & Girls Clubs and others to get group fishing permits.GÇ¥

Pearson touched on education briefly, stating that he was concerned about a recent order from the Washington State Supreme Court, which imposes a fine of $100,000 per day until a plan to fully fund K-12 education is issued.

"The supreme court stating that we're not on track to properly fund education and threatening the Legislature, to me, is totally offensive,GÇ¥ Pearson said. "It has the potential to create a constitutional crisis.GÇ¥

Pearson, a father of five, said that he understands the importance of fully funding K-12 education, about which the Washington State Constitution states "it is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste or sex.GÇ¥

All five of Pearson's sons attended school in Monroe public schools, as did his parents and grandparents.

The conversation about school funding has been at the forefront since the recent McCleary decision, in which a judge ruled that the state was not properly funding public education. This has been an ongoing issue in Washington dating back to 1977, which was the first time a judge ruled that the state was in violation of its constitutional obligation and that school districts were relying too heavily on levies.

A group of 19 senators, including Pearson, recently penned a formal response to the contempt sanctions, addressed to House Speaker Frank Chopp, Minority Leader Dan Kristiansen and Sen.Sharon Nelson. The letter calls for a proportional legislative response.

"The constitutional crisis that we and the court were warned about is here. We have all taken oaths to uphold the state constitution. We owe to our constituents and their children not only amply-funded schools but a functioning republic in this state,GÇ¥ stated the Aug. 21 letter.

Pearson told councilmembers that K-12 education accounts for 47 percent of the operating budget, which he feels puts them on track to meet the court's mandate of fully funding education by 2018. Funding for all-day kindergarten, teacher pay increases and K-3 class size reductions were all included in the 2015-17 biennium budget.

"We're working hard to get there and we understand the McCleary decision, but we can't do it all at once,GÇ¥ Pearson said. "We're very proud of the progress we're making.GÇ¥