190 individuals and organizations representing business, labor, the environment and local government today released a letter to Governor Jay Inslee and state lawmakers calling on them to pass a statewide transportation package this session.
Stakeholders acknowledged the competing priorities lawmakers must grapple with over the next few days. They argued, however, that the lawmakers have the ability to complete their work in many areas. "We understand the challenges surrounding the operating budget," they wrote. "We do not believe passage of a transportation package and passage of an operating budget are mutually exclusive."
Success, however, is contingent on lawmakers coming together in a spirit of cooperation: "Adoption of a transportation package should be seen as a win for everyone – the Governor, both chambers, both parties, and most of all the economy and the citizens you serve."
With just a week left before lawmakers go home for the year, stakeholders sought to convey a sense of urgency. "Each of you have the chance to do something that is truly historic for our state this session by finishing the projects that have been on the drawing board for decades, by creating thousands of jobs, by spurring our economy, and by upgrading our transportation infrastructure. This job is too important to be left undone, and failure should not be an option. Please stay at it and pass a transportation investment package."
