Update: The House passed the bill Thursday night. It now goes to the governor to sign. You can read the entire bill here (.pdf). Phinney Neighborhood Association Executive Director Lee Harper tells me the bill will save the PNA about $30,000 a year.

Earlier: The Washington State Senate has approved a bill, co-sponsored by 36th District senator Jeanne Kohls-Wells (D-Seattle), that would give some tax relief to centers that operate out of former school facilities, like the Phinney Neighborhood Association and Crown Hill Small Faces Child Care Center.

According to a release sent out by the Washington State Democrats, “Senate Bill 6855 provides a property tax exemption to neighborhood community centers that are housed in a building that was determined to be no longer needed by school districts and now owned by nonprofit organizations and used to deliver coordinated services for community members. The measure also applies the leasehold excise tax to the rental property within these community centers, making the measure revenue positive.”

“Our focus this session has been on plugging our budget hole in a way that least harms our communities and our families. This measure helps organizations, such as Crown Hill Small Faces Child Care Center and Phinney Neighborhood Center, providing vital services and relief to our neighbors with only positive results to the state’s coffers,” said Sen. Kohl-Welles. The bill is currently being discussed by the House Finance Committee.

Both 36th District Representatives Mary Lou Dickerson (D-Seattle) and Reuven Carlyle (D-Seattle) have seen success for bills that they’re sponsoring during this legislative session.

Rep. Dickerson has been working to ban the toxic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) from baby bottles, sippy cups and other food and beverage containers used by children under the age of three and on Wednesday, that ban moved one step closer. The House voted 96-1 on Wednesday to approve SB 6248 with an amendment that adds the ban of BPA on sports water bottles, which pregnant women use. “This is a huge victory for children’s health and for parents. Dangerous chemicals like BPA have no place in baby bottles, sippy cups or any product children put in their mouths,” said State Rep. Dickerson, the prime sponsor of the house version of the legislation. “Parents can soon go to the store with confidence and buy a bottle for their baby that won’t contain BPA.”

Rep. Carlyle has been advocating for tougher laws for drivers using cell phones. On Wednesday, the House passed a bill which would make it a primary offense to text and drive. It also prohibits teenagers from using a cell phone when behind the wheel. “I’m disappointed we had to accept a Republican amendment to take out the provision making speaking without a headset a primary offense. We just did not have the votes to push it through without any of their votes. Still, I’m pleased that we moved forward,” Rep. Carlyle wrote on his blog.

Both bills must pass the Senate with the same wording the House passed before moving to Governor Gregoire’s desk.

Don’t forget that today is Election Day, so all ballots must be postmarked by today. King County has removed all but two drop-off ballot boxes that many people relied on in the past, since the drop boxes accepted ballots until 8 p.m.

So if you haven’t mailed you ballot yet, get to the post office before they close tonight.

Next Tuesday, Feb. 9, when ballots are due for the special election, don’t head down to the Ballard Neighborhood Service Center (5604 22nd Ave NW) to drop off your ballot like in the past (shown below). There will be no drop box.

Because of the tight budget, drop boxes in all but two locations have been eliminated. “King County had to make some hard choices to balance the 2010 operating budget,” King County Elections Director Sherril Huff said. “This included cuts to all departments in services that citizens want and depend on. As a cost savings measure, Elections was asked to reduce the number of ballot drop boxes as well as the operational hours of accessible voting centers.”

If you want to drop your ballot off in person, you’ll need to go to the King County Administration Office at 500 4th Ave (shown above) or the King County Elections headquarters at 9010 East Marginal Way S, Tukwila. King County also has three accessible voting locations, one at Union Station (401 S. Jackson St) which will be open Monday, Feb. 8: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Tuesday, Feb. 9: 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.

A first class stamp will allow you to mail your ballot in, but don’t forget to have it postmarked by Feb. 9 to count. (Here’s the voters’ guide in case you’ve misplaced yours .pdf)

36th District Representative Mary Lou Dickerson (D) is the primary sponsor of a bill which calls to ban the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) from bottles, cups and other containers that young children drink from. It also calls for a ban of BPA from sports bottles, which pregnant women use. (Bill text here. pdf)

The state house vote was nearly-unanimous yesterday to ban the chemical, moving the bill on to the State Senate. “I’m proud we united 95 to 1 to protect babies and young children from BPA-laced food containers,” said Dickerson (D-Seattle). “The strong support for this bill reflects the overwhelming evidence that kids need to be protected against this very toxic substance.” Representative Bruce Chandler (R-Granger) was the lone nay in the House. Two representatives were excused from the vote.

After the first reading in the State Senate today, the bill has been referred to Health & Long-Term Care. If this bill passes, Washington state will be the third state to ban BPA, following Minnesota and Connecticut.

State representatives Mary Lou Dickerson and Reuven Carlyle (both D-36th District) held a “telephone town hall” Tuesday evening Jan. 19 to discuss the important issues facing Olympia this legislative session. About 30,000 constituents district-wide were called to enter into the conversation, although the exact number who made it on the line is not known. Questions ranged from Dickerson’s controversial legalization of marijuana bill to broader issues including education, taxes and transportation.

The town hall worked as a sort of large conference call. Everyone on the call could hear the questions and answers, and if so inclined, could enter into a queue to ask questions themselves.

While the focus of most questions was the economy, Dickerson’s bill (HB 2401) to legalize marijuana for those who are 21 and older may prove to be the most contentious issue facing the Legislature. On Wednesday, Jan. 20th, an executive session was scheduled, but no action was taken in the House Committee on Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness. The importance of this bill to Dickerson was expressed clearly in her opening remarks.

“The bill itself will generate $300 million worth of income that will go to pay for drug and alcohol treatment prevention services,” Dickerson said.

Carlyle, who stated that he supports some form of marijuana decriminalization, focused on the hot topic of cell phone use while driving a car. This would become a primary offense with the passage of a bill that Carlyle is sponsoring. The bill would make the use of a cell phone that is not hands-free, as well as texting or emailing, a primary offense.

The overwhelming theme of the meeting, however, was the budget: how to fix it and how it would affect other government services. With a projected $2.6 billion deficit facing the state, Carlyle spoke on the biggest problem at hand.

“Once again, we’re faced with some very serious questions about not only how to balance [the budget], but what’s the right thing from an equity, fairness and really a progressive approach to how we look at our funding in this state,” Carlyle said.

A couple questions from callers dealt with the potential for an income tax. Despite both representatives noting that an income tax has never received much support outside of Seattle, they talked about their belief in some sort of progressive tax, but with different approaches.

Carlyle made it clear that while he favors an income tax, his support is contingent on the lowering of other taxes such as sales and property. Dickerson, on the other hand, focused on a specific type of income tax known as the “millionaire’s tax.”

“It is a tax on high income earners,” Dickerson explained. “I have heard different scenarios on this, but it could raise hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars that we could use for education and basic health and human services.”

Education was also a big issue, with concerns about special-needs students attending colleges and universities, as well as how to make in-state universities more accessible to students graduating from in-state high schools. Serving on the committee of higher education, Carlyle addressed these questions and talked about a big priority in the Legislature known as “Reach to the Top.”

“The Obama administration has been very aggressive about setting the stage for education reform and Reach to the Top is how that’s playing out,” Carlyle clarified. “Reach to the top is a K-12 funding effort to have states compete for dollars.”

The other big issue of the evening was funding for transportation. Both reps talked about their desire to improve connections between downtown Seattle and Ballard, as well as work on linking transportation between the bus system, light rail and passenger cars.

Those who were unable to get on the call for the town hall, or have follow-up questions, may phone or email these representatives: Carlyle, (360) 786-7814, carlyle.reuven@leg.wa.gov; Dickerson, (360) 786-7860, Dickerson.marylou@leg.wa.gov.

(Contributor Scott Eisen is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.)

Just a reminder that your phone might ring tonight just before 6:30, as State Reps. Mary Lou Dickerson and Reuven Carlyle host a telephone-town hall. Nearly 30,000 homes in the district will be called, inviting residents to stay on the line and participate. Carlyle and Dickerson will be giving opening thoughts, while the majority of the tele-town hall will be allocated to taking questions from constituents. If you don’t receive a call, you may dial-in directly by calling 877-229-8493 and entering the code 15354. Once on the line, participants can ask a question by hitting *3. (Disclosure: Rep. Reuven Carlyle is a sponsor of PhinneyWood.)

State Reps. Mary Lou Dickerson and Reuven Carlyle are holding an unusual town hall – by telephone. The tele-town hall is at 6:30 p.m. next Tuesday, Jan. 19. Nearly 30,000 homes in the district will be called, inviting residents to stay on the line and participate. Carlyle and Dickerson will give their opening thoughts, then the rest of the time is allocated to taking questions from constituents.

If you don’t receive a call, you can dial-in directly by calling 877-229-8493 and entering the code 15354. Once on the line, participants may ask a question by hitting *3. (Disclosure: Rep. Reuven Carlyle is a PhinneyWood sponsor.)

Don’t forget that State Rep. Reuven Carlyle is inviting constituents to join him for a cup of coffee at one of four locations this Saturday, including our neighborhood. Let him know your concerns and priorities for the state.

Crown Hill – Café Fiore, 3125 W. 85th St. – 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Phinney Ridge/Greenwood – Herkimer, 7320 Greenwood Ave. N. – 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Magnolia – Serendipity, 3222 W. McGraw St. – 1-2 p.m.

Queen Anne – Café Fiore, 224 W. Galer St. – 2:30-3:30 p.m.

The 2010 legislative session is a short one, beginning Jan. 11 and running for 60 days.

Greenwood resident and Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn will give his inaugural address Saturday at City Hall, 600 5th Ave., in downtown Seattle. The day’s events include a City Hall Open House, a number of different musical acts and a circus arts performance, followed by an Inaugural Music Festival at the Showbox SODO.

Here’s Saturday’s schedule:

Main Lobby:

• 1 p.m. Victor Noriega Trio, jazz piano inspired by Filipino folk music
• 2 p.m. Recess Monkey, kiddie-pop rock for the young and young at heart
• 3 p.m. Mayor McGinn’s inaugural address
• 3:30 p.m. Seattle Symphony Brass Quintet, top brass perform classical and pops
• 4:30 p.m. Quinton Morris, classical violinist with pianist Kevin Kaukl

Mayor’s Office, 7th Floor Lobby:

• 1 p.m. Warren Chang, world-renowned master of the erhu (Chinese two-string fiddle)
• 2 p.m. Quichua Mashis, Andean music performed by Quichua Indians of northern Ecuador
• 3 p.m. Mayor McGinn’s inaugural address
• 3:30 p.m. Northwest Tap Connection, modern and tap dance from Seattle’s brightest young artists

City Hall, 2nd Floor

• 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Councilmembers’ offices will be open to the public

City Hall

• 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Circus arts – acrobatics, juggling and stilt walking by performers from the former ensemble Circus Contraption

Public Art Tours of City Hall – Tours begin at 1:50 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the lobby’s fireplace behind the amber glass wall.

The Inaugural Music Festival, a free, all-ages event featuring Wheedle’s Groove, Hey Marseilles, Gabriel Teodros and headliners The Maldives, is at 8 p.m. at the Showbox SODO, 1700 1st Ave. S. A number of popular local food vendors will be parked outside.

State Rep. Reuven Carlyle is inviting constituents to join him for a cup of coffee at one of four locations this Saturday, including our neighborhood.

“The Legislature convenes on January 11 and we’re again facing a massive deficit of nearly $3 billion,” Carlyle said in a press release. “It’s critical that I hear from our community directly about your views, issues, concerns and thoughts on the budget, taxes, education and other important issues. I’m asking people to reach out and share your views so I can better represent you in Olympia during these difficult times.”

Here’s the caffeinated schedule for Saturday, Jan. 9:

Crown Hill – Café Fiore, 3125 W. 85th St. – 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Phinney Ridge/Greenwood – Herkimer, 7320 Greenwood Ave. N. – 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Magnolia – Serendipity, 3222 W. McGraw St. – 1-2 p.m.

Queen Anne – Café Fiore, 224 W. Galer St. – 2:30-3:30 p.m.

The 2010 legislative session is a short one, beginning Jan. 11 and running for 60 days.

Rep. Carlyle is also the guest speaker at this Friday’s Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce meeting at the Phinney Neighborhood Association, 6532 Phinney Ave. N. The meeting starts at 7:30 a.m. with coffee and muffins; the main meeting gets underway at 8 a.m. It’s free for Chamber members; $5 for non-members.

Representative Reuven Carlyle is entering his second year as a 36th District Representative to the state legislature. Before the session starts next week, Carlyle wants to know what’s important to you and give you an idea of what he’s planning for the session.

The following is written by Rep. Carlyle:

The bang of the gavel opens the 2010 session of the Legislature on January 11, and the depth of the challenges we face in the 60-day sprint reflect the seriousness that people are feeling in their daily lives.

Before I put my life as a husband, father and entrepreneur on hold to serve in Olympia as your citizen legislator, I wanted to reach out and connect about the pressing issues facing our state as we enter the legislative session.

What are the policy issues that inspire you to act, and what can state government do to be more responsive to your values and interests? Please make suggestions in the thread, spend some time on my active blog at www.reuvencarlyle36.com or email me anytime at carlyle.reuven@leg.wa.gov. Friend me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter where I’m working to keep you informed from inside your government. My goal is to be the first ‘paperless’ legislative office.

This year, given the difficult economic times in which we live, there is little besides the budget on the table. But how we handle the budget is a moral question not just a financial one. The state’s $32 billion two-year budget (driven by consumer-purchasing related taxes) is staggering under the weight of the economic downturn. This year’s projected $2.6 billion budget deficit–following a projected $9 billion gap last year that we balanced–has forced the most substantive reassessment of our public priorities in generations.

At the same time, the need for essential public services has greatly expanded. Schools, universities, nursing homes, child care centers, homeless shelters, unemployment assistance, job training, mass transit, roads and much more are all struggling to function while demand increases.

Adding to the crunch, more than 60% of the state’s budget is constitutionally protected for institutions like K-12 education, or federally driven for programs like Medicaid. This means the pressure to cut those services not protected—higher education, Basic Health Plan, environment, foster youth care and other programs—is immense.

It is widely recognized that we have one the most unfair, unjust and wildly inefficient tax structure in the nation. We should dust off the Gates Commission Tax Structure Study and have a courageously honest conversation about building a modern, 21st Century structure that is more stable, efficient and equitable.

I have publicly said I will not vote for a second ‘all cuts’ budget as the basic safety net and lifeline of a moral and just society would be nearly paralyzed. But I also will not vote for a timid budget that fails to embrace the opportunity of this crisis. Yes, we need additional revenues to fund public education. But taxes alone are not a substitute for bold systems reforms in how we do business in Olympia.

I believe it is time for state government to consider outsourcing key aspects of the liquor business, for example, as well as some of its licensing, printing and technology functions. In my view, the state should reduce the number of ‘commodity’ lines of service delivery that the private sector can provide more efficiently and affordably with transparent government project management and financial oversight. And we must tackle hard questions about what level of government should provide what service.

In the months ahead, we are actively competing for hundreds of millions in federal dollars in education (Race to the Top funds continue to be one of my top priorities), clean energy (smart grid, utility infrastructure, efficiency programs), health care insurance reform support, nursing training (community colleges in cooperation with SEIU) environmental clean up priorities (Puget Sound, Hanford, parks) and much more. Securing these dollars is about more than money, it’s also about our willingness to embrace bold reforms.

My workplan this past year has been driven by an effort to introduce more discipline into the $1.2 billion a year that we spend on technology in state government. We have far too little strategic management, accountability or oversight over technology spending, and I’m working to help turn that ship.

Specifically, I’ve been locked in a battle against what I believe is technically misguided spending on a $300 million data center blocks from the Capitol building. I also have worked behind the scenes to reduce cut to higher education, basic safety net housing and food programs, natural resources, workforce development, foster care and much more.

I have been aggressively pushing the state Department of Transportation to improve their project management, financial oversight and accountability systems as they prepare for construction of the tunnel. Still, your 36th delegation of Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson and I continue to share serious concerns about tunnel access and traffic flow for Magnolia and Ballard residents.

On the legislative front, here is a look at some of the bills I will be introducing and pushing for in 2010.

This year I’m sponsoring a bill to reinforce the policy that initiative and referendum petitions are public record. Open government and full public disclosure are part of the heart, soul and
DNA of our state since the progressive era of the 1880s despite Tim Eyman’s argument to the contrary. This question may be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court soon but we have a public responsibility to act decisively here at home.

I am also lead House sponsor of a bill to make text messaging and failing to use a headset when talking on a cellular phone in the car a primary offense, as it is in most other states. Teenagers will be prohibited from using a mobile phone while driving altogether.

In addition, I am working extremely hard with House and Senate leadership to find new methods and models to fund the University of Washington, community colleges and the rest of our higher education institutions.

Other legislation that I’ll support include efforts to reduce the adverse impact of stormwater runoff, decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana, authority for King County to have more taxing flexibility for local needs and much more.

As we enter a new year and a new decade, I am excited about the possibilities of a rejuvenated, more vibrant, open and healthy relationship between Seattle, King County and the state. With Mike McGinn and Dow Constantine new to office, and a sense of resolve in Olympia to help us climb out of this Great Recession, we can together do all those things we cannot do alone.

Your partner in service,

Reuven Carlyle
State Representative
36th District
www.reuvencarlyle36.com

Carlyle will also be hosting conversations over coffee this coming Saturday January, 9th. Here is the information on time and place for each neighborhood:

(Carlyle is a sponsor of Next Door Media.)