Pettigrew Poised To Advocate For children, Families, and Economic Development

Seattle lawmaker will help lead work of Economic Development panel OLYMPIA – State Rep. Eric Pettigrew (D – 37th Dist.) will be at the forefront of work for children and family issues – as well as economic-development concerns – when Washington lawmakers begin their legislative session early next month. Pettigrew has been selected to serve on the House Children & Family Services Committee and the House Housing Committee. He was also appointed vice chair of the House Economic Development, Agriculture & Trade Committee. “These committees discuss topics that involve every Washington family,” said Pettigrew. “Family issues and issues that involve our business and job climate hit home wherever you live – whether you make your home in my own city’s neighborhoods, or in the suburban communities, or in the rural and smaller-town parts of our state.” Pettigrew, who was elected last month to his second term in the House of Representatives, will join other lawmakers when the Legislature starts its 105-day session on Monday, Jan. 10. He noted that the state’s $1.8 billion revenue-deficit “will probably take up most of the space in the media.” Economists expect the state will fall about that much short in terms of tax-money needed to pay for basic programs and services funded in the current biennial (two-year) budget. “We have a new state-budget to write. And in it, we have to find a balance – a way to fund essential services without breaking the backs of taxpayersm,” he said. Pettigrew noted that the revenue-deficit is due mostly to the sluggish economy – and to other factors such as higher-than-expected demands on public schools, on public health care, and on other public programs and services. “In the last several years, the Legislature has made deep cuts in spending to resolve previous budget problems,” he said. “This coming session, we’ve got to examine diverse strategies to fix the current budget problem.” Pettigrew said that education, health care, and economic development are the top three issues facing the Legislature – “and these are the very issues that made me want to run for a seat in the Legislature in the first place.”