Results Achieved in the 2002 Session

Toby Nixon has been working hard for us since 2002. Here are just some of the important results achieved and issues he worked on during the 2002 session as our state representative.

Working to Keep Your Taxes From Increasing

• Insured that any transportation tax increases would require a vote of the people
• Protected our homes by preserving the supermajority vote required to increase property taxes beyond the constitutional limit
• Opposed gutting of our I-601 state spending limits: supported maintaining a 2/3 vote to increase taxes over limits and to draw funds from the emergency reserve fund
• Opposed mortgaging the tobacco settlement, which was supposed to be for smoking cessation programs and health care costs instead of spending on current expenses
• Eliminated additional local motor vehicle excise taxes, and worked to reduce license tabs to the voter mandated $30
• Fought to eliminate the state death tax
• Opposed allowing counties to impose a utility tax
• Opposed increases in dozens of transportation-related fees

Making State Government More Accountable

• Fought to keep control of the state budget in the hands of legislators (the representatives of the people) and not hand it over to union leaders negotiating with the governor behind closed doors
• Opposed expanding the state debt limit
• Sponsored legislation to allow contracting out of DSHS case management and operation of highway rest areas
• Expanded ability of government to use private sector services for highway information signs, interpreters, and prison health care
• Supported requiring every government program to periodically justify its existence (zero-based budgeting)
• Allowed local governments to jointly operate regional jails, and to contract with jails in other counties if they need space

Relieving Traffic Congestion

• Supported increased efficiencies in transportation projects to save money by reforming prevailing wage laws and contracting out more work on roads
• Supported an alternative statewide transportation funding package that did not increase sales taxes on vehicles
• Fought to allow the Puget Sound region to vote to improve roads in our area
• Required transportation planning to be integrated into land use planning

Protecting and Supporting Our Kids and Families

• Worked to increase the number of fields for our kids to play soccer and other active sports
• Opposed allowing the state to house violent sex predators in our neighborhoods
• Required schools to keep all our kids safe from harassment and intimidation, and to inform teachers and staff when a student has a history of violence
• Toughened sex offender registration requirements, and created a statewide sex offender web site
• Increased penalties for motor vehicle theft and eluding a police vehicle, and sponsored legislation to revoke the driver licenses of juvenile car thieves
• Increased penalties on shoplifting gangs and bank robbers
• Protected children from exploitation in sexually-explicit digital images
• Stopped those convicted of crimes against children from working on crews near schools
• Made it a crime to knowingly leave a child with a registered sex offender
• Expanded the number of convicted felons who must provide DNA samples, to help solve future crimes
• Helped rape victims by providing emergency contraception on request
• Allowed distraught mothers of newborns to bring them to hospitals or fire stations instead of abandoning them in dumpsters
• Opposed expansion of gambling such as the "Big Game" lottery
• Required DSHS to keep siblings who are in foster care together in the same home whenever possible
• Fought to protect important long-term and health care safety-net programs for our most vulnerable citizens

Protecting Jobs by Improving the Business Climate

• Improved operation of the permit assistance center, and supported the Permitting Bill of Rights
• Supported delay or elimination of new ergonomics rules that could cost jobs
• Supported a requirement for explicit legislative authority before agencies can adopt rules
• Supported requiring the governor to personally sign all new agency rules
• Supported requiring agencies to notify anyone who would be affected by new rules before the rules take effect

Protecting our Environment and Quality of Life

• Created an information clearinghouse on clean energy technology and green building standards
• Required the state to consolidate purchasing of clean technologies such as alternative fuel vehicles to save money
• Allowed utilities to help finance energy conservation projects for their customers
• Required parks and recreation facilities to be included in growth management plans
• Extended tax credits to encourage carpooling and other transportation alternatives
• Allowed donation of conservation easements to protect sensitive areas
• Protected our waterways from importation of invasive species

Protecting Our Privacy

• Sponsored legislation to protect the privacy of drivers using automated toll collection systems
• Prohibited posting of personal information about law enforcement personnel on the Internet
• Increased penalties on companies that fail to protect personal information when disposing of financial and health records
• Protected veteran's records that are filed with county auditors, and federal tax information filed to qualify for senior citizen low income property tax exemptions
• Supported protection of social security numbers on death certificates
• Limited the types of credit information insurance companies can use to set insurance rates
• Extended protection of health care information to include DNA records
• Supported limitations on telemarketers