Washington State Senate Democrats: Paull Shin

A session review from Olympia

Senate Democrats — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:20:30 GMT

Dear Friends and neighbors,

First of all, I want to thank you for subscribing to my newsletter. These mailings allow me keep the people of the 21^st district informed on key happenings in Olympia.

On April 11^th, the Legislature adjourned what was without doubt one of the most trying sessions in memory. While many critical pieces of legislation were passed with support from both sides of the aisle, the last weeks of the session saw the Senate explore both the highs and lows of partisanship. The actions of Senate Republicans and three Democrats in the 9^th Order coup raised the level of political divisiveness in Washington to heights unseen. As I said on the night of March 2^nd, “I am saddened that our great legislative process has succumbed to partisan game playing at the expense of people’s lives and livelihoods.” Ultimately, the Senate was able to fight through the aftermath of this political stunt and pass a budget with an overwhelmingly bipartisan 44-2 vote. For the first time in four years, the budget made no cuts to education and, combined with a jobs bill that will create 18,000 jobs in our state, will help Washington continue its economic recovery and fight back from the effects of the great recession.

In addition to my votes in support of this historic budget and valuable jobs bill, I was also proud to see the governor sign three bills I sponsored into law:

Senate Bill 5217

This bill will give gives community and technical colleges the option of appointing a student to the school's board of trustees. Students often have a better idea of what is important to the student body and their involvement with the board will allow those ideas to be heard.

Senate Bill 6371

This bill will continue a program that provides training benefits to companies locating or expanding in Washington state. The Washington Customized Employment Workforce Training Program was created in 2006. As a response to the outsourcing of jobs that occurred in the 1990s and early 2000s, the training program pays for the training of new employees at the relocating companies.

Senate Bill 6030

This bill would require that if, due to a clerical or court error, a notice to the Department of Licensing ordering that a person’s driver’s license be suspended for an offense has been delayed for three years or more, the court may order that the person's license not be revoked, suspended, or denied for that offense.

I would like to thank you for the honor of representing you in Olympia. As always, should you have any concerns or questions, I encourage you to contact my office and look forward to continuing my service to the 21^st District.

Please read below for further information.

Sincerely,

Paull Shin

State Senator, 21^st Legislative District

Governor signs balanced budget

This week the governor signed the first state budget in four years that makes no cuts to K-12 or higher education, reflecting the priorities of Senate Democrats, who drew a line in the sand and refused to cut education this year during intense and protracted budget negotiations.

From the time the last budget was approved in 2011 to the start of a special legislative session in November, revenue forecasts had dropped by $1.7 billion. The solution to that challenge included the nearly half-billion-dollar early action package passed in December, improving caseload and revenue outlooks for the state, reductions to some state services, fund transfers and accounting changes, and some targeted revenue, such as equalizing taxes on roll-your-own cigarettes.

After the governor vetoed specific provisions of the budget, the state has a projected reserve of $311 million.

The budget was carried in HB 2127. You can find more information here.

Jobs package signed into law

The state construction budget signed into law this week by the governor will fund local workforce development and infrastructure projects while creating an estimated 18,000 jobs statewide.

In addition to getting people on the job this year, the bipartisan capital budget supports investments that will drive long-term economic growth. For example, the largest part of the package focuses on workforce training, investing $320 million in higher education facilities that will help Washingtonians qualify for high-demand careers.

The bipartisan jobs package also focused on infrastructure that will drive private-sector job growth, investing in export-related projects, industrial site cleanup and preparation, economic development infrastructure such as water systems, and investments in Main Street downtown revitalization efforts.

The capital budget was tightly linked to a proposed amendment to the State Constitution that would gradually lower the state’s debt limit. The amendment is based on the work of the Commission on State Debt.

The capital budget was included in two bills signed by the governor Monday, Senate Bill 5127 and Senate Bill 6074. The proposed amendment to the State Constitution is Senate Joint Resolution 8221. All three measures passed the Legislature with broad bipartisan support.

Majority Leader Brown will be missed

Majority Leader Lisa Brown’s decision this week not to seek re-election to the Senate will fundamentally change the complexion and dynamics of our caucus.

Sen. Brown led our caucus with insight, intelligence and courage for eight years; replacing what she brings to the legislative body will be no small feat. The first woman ever to serve as the Democrats’ majority leader, she has steered us through difficult sessions and guided us as we faced sobering challenges — none more daunting than these last few years as we have navigated the worst recession of our lifetimes.

While the loss of Sen. Brown’s leadership and effectiveness will mark a serious loss for the Legislature, I have nothing but respect for her decision to set out on a fresh path. When she announced her decision, she said, “I am ready for new challenges.” I have no doubt that she will be up to them and wish her nothing but continued success in the days to come.

Follow the SDC on Twitter

Remember to check out the Senate Democrats on twitter @WASenDemocrats. A tip for twitter users: follow #waleg to see what other people are saying about the Washington State Legislature.

Governor signs Shin bill allowing student college trustees

Senate Democrats — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:19:00 GMT

OLYMPIA - Students at Washington's community and technical colleges may gain additional input on the actions of their schools' boards of trustees under a bill signed today by Gov. Chris Gregoire.

Senate Bill 5217, sponsored by Sen. Paull Shin, gives community and technical colleges the option of appointing a student to the school's board of trustees.

“This bill will allow students to have better representation in the operations of their colleges,” said Shin. “Students often have a better idea of what is important to the student body and their involvement with the board will allow those ideas to be heard.”

Under the new law, the governor would then make the appointment from a list of students submitted by the school’s student government. In order to remain on the board, the student would have to be enrolled at the college and be in good academic standing. The student member would not be involved in decisions involving discipline or tenure of school personnel.

# # #

For more information: Ian Cope, Senate Democratic Caucus, 360-786-7535

For interviews: Sen. Paull Shin, 360-786-7640

Sen. Shin releases statement on Senate Ninth Order

Senate Democrats — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:04:00 GMT

OLYMPIA – On Friday, Sen. Shin released the following statement on the actions of Senate Republicans and three Democrats:

“I am a strong believer that differences and impasses can be addressed peacefully and that the best methods are through discussion and compromise. The actions taken by Senate Republicans and three Democrats are not in keeping with my beliefs. I am saddened that our great legislative process has succumbed to partisan game playing at the expense of people’s lives and livelihoods.”

Sen. Shin honors State Trooper Tony Radulescu

Senate Democrats — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 03:40:00 GMT

A Mid-Session Update from Olympia

Senate Democrats — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:43:37 GMT

Dear Friends and neighbors,

First of all I wanted to let you know about the February 25 District Town Hall I am hosting with my seatmates, Rep. Liias and Rep. Roberts.

The meeting will be split into two locations to allow for the easiest access for all constituents.

@ Mukilteo Library, 10:30 AM:

4675 Harbour Pointe Blvd.

Mukilteo, WA 98275

@ Edmonds City Council Chambers, 1:30 PM:

250 5th Ave N

Edmonds, WA 98020

I invite you to attend so we can have a discussion about the state budget and other important issues affecting our community.

Additional updates in today’s e-newsletter include:

Statewide unemployment drops in December
Increased concern over the state’s transportation system
A helping hand to students seeking financial aid
Two bills providing assistance to students with disabilities

My colleagues and I continue to scour our state government for potential savings that may deliver us from the budget shortfall that plagues the 2011-13 biennial budget. We are facing unprecedented struggles, but I believe that if we endure together, we will emerge on the other side of this recession a stronger state, ready to move forward to better times.

Please read below for further information.

Sincerely,

Paul Shin

State Senator, 21^st Legislative District

Bills to encourage business, benefit community college students, pass Senate

It is with great pride that I tell you of two of my bills which received the approval of my colleagues in the Senate.

Senate Bill 6371 will provide five more years of funding for the Washington Customized Employment Workforce Training Program, a business investment tool created in 2006. As a response to the outsourcing of jobs that occurred in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, the training program pays for the training of new employees at the relocating companies. The company then repays the costs of the training over an 18 month period. Since its creation, over 30 companies and 900 trainees have benefited from the training. A sunset clause would have ended the Workforce Training Program in 2012. This bill will allow it to continue until 2017

Senate Bill 5217 would allow community and technical colleges the option of appointing a student to the board of trustees. The student would be selected by the governor from a list submitted by the student government. Often times, students have a better understanding of the everyday actions that occur on a college campus. This will allow them to have better representation in the operations of their colleges. The bill will not require the colleges to place a student on the board of trustees, but does provide that option. In order to remain on the board, the student would have to be enrolled at the college and be a student in good academic standing. The student member would be required to excuse him or herself from voting on matters related to the hiring, discipline or tenure of faculty members and personnel.

Students with disabilities bills receive public hearings

Students with disabilities face a disproportionate number of challenges when pursuing post-secondary education. One major hurdle for students with disabilities is the inconsistency in accommodations resources available to them at the primary, secondary and post-secondary educational levels. These inconsistencies incur significant strain on students as they transition between the different components of the educational path to employment as adults. It is incumbent upon the state to address the challenges faced by students with disabilities in order to provide all students in Washington State with an equal opportunity to pursue a successful future. This session, I have proposed two bills that are intended to assist students with disabilities as they seek their degrees.

Senate Bill 6266 (17 sponsors) will establish a common database of information that will allow institutions to make more informed decisions when they purchase new resources for students with disabilities, and will therefore increase the consistency among institutions at a pace which each institution believes to be most appropriate for their students.

Senate Bill 6267 (18 sponsors) calls together a diverse group of experts from throughout the state in order to create a volunteer taskforce that will develop recommendations. These recommendations will be used to directly increase the success rate for students with disabilities who are transitioning from secondary to post-secondary education.

SB 6267 received a public hearing before the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education on Jan. 26, while SB 6266 received a public hearing before the Senate Committee on Higher Education & Workforce Development on Jan. 31st.

Dilapidated roads, ferry eliminations an increasing state concern

The state’s declining gas tax revenue will cost the state $3 billion over the next 10 years and disrupt travel across Washington; the Senate Transportation Committee was told this week by staff from the governor’s office.

Gov. Chris Gregoire has proposed a series of measures that would generate the money to close the $3 billion gap, chief among them a $1.50 per-barrel fee on oil among other proposals. You can read more about those proposals here.

If the state does not make up the $3 billion in lost revenue, impacts would range from:

Elimination of ferry service on five routes plus reductions in service on two routes;
Discontinuation of preservation to roads and other highway infrastructure;
Discontinuation of bridge preservation, compromising safety and triggering lower weight limits on freight;
Deterioration of pavement and road quality;
More snow, ice and slush on roads for longer duration;
More damage and unrepaired guard rails on roads;
Worn-out pavement markings, faded signs;
Increased roadside debris, road kill and litter;
Reduced accident response time and longer backups;
Increased traffic signal conflicts and outages; and
Increased road closures from flooding and erosion from backed-up culverts.

The loss of ferry routes would have a huge negative impact on the 21^st District. Maintaining regular and reliable service to the Olympic Peninsula and Whidbey Island is of the utmost importance to me and I pledge to fight any disruption of those routes.

Financial counseling for college students

At a time when many Washington students are plunging deeply into debt in order to earn college diplomas, legislation proposed in the Senate last week would help them avoid unmanageable debt.

Senate Bill 6121 would require colleges and universities to provide financial aid counseling curriculum to aid students who seek money to pay for their education.

Under current guidelines, some universities provide online and written information for students seeking financial aid but offer no incentive for the students to thoroughly read and research what they are signing up for. As a result, many students end up saddled with what amounts to a small mortgage upon graduation and are unprepared to pay for it.

To heighten awareness, the bill would require that colleges and universities set a curriculum to include student loan performance requirements and repayment rules, an overview of financial literacy, including basic money management skills, and perspectives from a diverse group of students who had received financial aid in the past.

Unemployment and jobs both drop in December

Labor statistics from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics paint a conflicting picture for our state for the month of December.

The bureau’s monthly survey of Washington households indicates that the unemployment rate here dropped from 8.7 percent in November to 8.5 percent in December, which is good. Unemployment hasn’t been this low in nearly three years, when it was at 8.3 percent in February 2009.

At the same time, however, the bureau’s statistics also show a loss of about 10,700 jobs from November to December.

Analysts at the state Employment Security Department warn that the federal numbers tend to be volatile and that a single month of numbers is not a reliable indicator of what’s happening in the job market. A more reliable measure is what is happening over time, and over time they say jobs are gradually increasing and the unemployment rate is dropping.

You can read the department’s full report here.

Trade agreements, partners celebrated

On Friday, British Columbia Premiere Cindy Clark visited the Senate chambers to congratulate my colleagues and I on the passage of Senate Joint Memorial 8016, a measure dedicated to improving and accelerating the border crossing and economic exchange between Washington and Canada.

This visit highlighted what has been a string of triumphs for our state’s economy, which of course thrives on exporting our products and produce to neighboring and overseas countries. Last year I was thrilled to see the approval of the Korea-US trade agreement which will improve our ability to trade our wares with the South Korea. Washington state has a geographic advantage over every other state in the continental United States for trade with Korea and the free trade agreement between the US and Korea will mean an economic boom for our state.

Senate passes Shin bill allowing student CC trustees

Senate Democrats — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:57:00 GMT

OLYMPIA - Students could have a direct hand in the actions of the board of trustees of Washington community and technical colleges under a bill approved Monday by the Washington State Senate.

Senate Bill 5217, sponsored by Sen. Paull Shin, would allow community and technical colleges the option of appointing a student to the board of trustees. The student would be selected by the governor from a list submitted by the student government.

“Often times, students have a better understanding of the everyday actions that occur on a college campus. This will allow them to have better representation in the operations of their colleges,” said Shin. “Having a student serve on the board will also improve the relationship between the student body and the college’s administration.”

Shin says the bill will not require the colleges to place a student on the board of trustees, but does provide that option. In order to remain on the board, the student would have to be enrolled at the college and be a student in good academic standing. The student member would be required to excuse him or herself from voting on matters related to the hiring, discipline or tenure of faculty members and personnel.

# # #

For more information: Ian Cope, Senate Democratic Caucus, 360-786-7535

For interviews: Sen. Paull Shin, 360-786-7640

Senate approves Shin bill to continue Workforce Training Program

Senate Democrats — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:57:00 GMT

OLYMPIA - The Washington State Senate has approved a bill continuing a program that provides training benefits to companies locating or expanding in Washington state.

"We welcome and encourage businesses from around the country and around the world to come to Washington and set up locations here," said Sen. Paull Shin, the bill's sponsor.

Senate Bill 6371 will provide five more years of funding for the Washington Customized Employment Workforce Training Program, a business investment tool created in 2006. As a response to the outsourcing of jobs that occurred in the 1990s and early 2000s, the training program pays for the training of new employees at the relocating companies. The company then repays the costs of the training over an 18-month period. Since its creation, more than 30 companies and 900 trainees have benefited from the training.

A sunset clause would have ended the Workforce Training Program in 2012. Shin’s bill allows it to continue until 2017.

The bill now goes to the House of Representatives.

# # #

For more information: Ian Cope, Senate Democratic Caucus, 360-786-7535

For interviews: Sen. Paull Shin, 360-786-7640

VIDEO – Sen. Shin speaks in support of SJM 8016

Senate Democrats — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:11:00 GMT

Sen. Shin explains Marriage Equality vote

Senate Democrats — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:05:30 GMT

To my constituents,

I want to thank you for your understanding during these past weeks as I considered my vote on Senate Bill 6239 concerning marriage equality. My office has received hundreds of phone calls, emails, and letters, and I know that this is a very important issue to many of you in the 21^st district. As your senator, there is no question that you deserve to know the reasoning behind my vote on this bill.

As many of you know, I spent my childhood on the streets of Korea during the Japanese occupation and Korean War. I slept wherever there was shelter, and found food amongst the garbage. This hard life came to an end when I was taken in by a U.S. military officers’ unit as their house boy. A few years later I was adopted by one of those officers, who brought me to America where I was welcomed into his family as a son and brother. To this day there is no doubt in my mind that this act of love and kindness saved my life and made me who I am today.

My adopted family raised me as they raised their own children, with strong Christian values. To this day, I cherish those values and try to live my life in accordance with their teachings. Therefore my vote against passage of this bill was one that was deeply personal.

At the same time, I have the utmost respect for the proponents of this bill and for their right to live their lives as they see fit. I respect their right to cherish their own values and to live in accordance with the teachings of their own faith. These are our brothers and our sisters, our sons and daughters. My Christian values teach that we should love all God’s children equally.

It is in that spirit that I voted against the proposal to send this issue to the people for a vote. I believe strongly that it is far better to foster unity and compassion than to promote divisiveness and anger. Thus, it is our duty as your elected representatives to make these difficult decisions and to avoid protracted and potentially bitter campaigns. I strongly believe that sending such a divisive issue to the voters would only serve to take the burden off of us, as your legislators, at the expense of the people.

I have no doubt that my vote on Wednesday is one that will be applauded by some and abhorred by others. But as we tackle these divisive issues, nothing is more important than our mutual respect for one another, both as Americans and as Washingtonians. It is my hope that regardless of your position on this one issue, I will continue to have your respect as a legislator and your respect as a friend and neighbor.

Sincerely,

Paull Shin
State Senator
21^st Legislative District

Sen. Paull Shin Week 1 - legislative update

Senate Democrats — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:23:00 GMT