Opinion
PubliCola's 2011 Legislative Awards: Best Legislation
Now that the session is finally over, PubliCola is rolling out our 2011 Legislative Session Awards. On Friday, we handed out this session’s MVPs; on Monday we announced our award for best committee chairs
; and yesterday we named the best lobbyist. Stay tuned, of course, for our annual Eve Harrington Award.
Today ... the session's Best Legislation.
For a longer list of important policy legislation that passed this year, you can read Andrew's roundup here. However, there's one piece of legislation that deserves a post of its own: State Rep. Christine Rolfes' (D-23, Bainbridge Island) oil spill bill, which passed the house 62-34 and passed the senate, with heavy bipartisan support, 47-2.
Rep. Christine Rolfes
The bill requires oil companies to upgrade their contingency plans for oil spills with up-to-date gear such as aerial surveillance equipment. It also raises the fees on gallons spilled, and expands liability (in a lesson from the Gulf Oil spill) to include damage that occurs as a result of chemicals used during cleanup. That last provision came from a separate senate bill sponsored by Sen. Kevin Ranker (D-40, San Juan Island).
The bill was signed into law, symbolically enough, on April 20, the anniversary of the BP oil spill.
Though we're as freaked out by the BP spill as anyone, it's not the specific policy provisions of the bill that elevate the Rolfes bill to award-winning status. It's the conceit of the bill: Government regulations. There we said it. [pullquote]The legislature just did its damn job. They wrote a law. And now the companies have to pay for safety. No excuses.[/pullquote]
In this Tea Party era, when everyone is backing away from the important role government is supposed to play making sure companies are accountable (did we learn nothing from the Wall Street meltdown?), it's comforting to see that the Washington State legislature still gets it.
To bring that point home, just juxtapose Rolfes' successful oil industry bill against another one that failed this session: An effort by the environmental community to put a fee on oil companies to pay for stormwater cleanup. Fees, which conservatives often frame as taxes, are also radioactive in the shrink-government era—and have no chance of passing.
In that context, here's what makes the oil spill bill a standout politically. Rather than getting bogged down in the losing ideological debate over fees and taxes—which would have ultimately given the oil companies an out from these sensible regulations (taxes bad!)—the legislature just did its damn job. They wrote a law. And now the companies have to pay for safety. No excuses.
Today ... the session's Best Legislation.
For a longer list of important policy legislation that passed this year, you can read Andrew's roundup here. However, there's one piece of legislation that deserves a post of its own: State Rep. Christine Rolfes' (D-23, Bainbridge Island) oil spill bill, which passed the house 62-34 and passed the senate, with heavy bipartisan support, 47-2.
Rep. Christine Rolfes
The bill requires oil companies to upgrade their contingency plans for oil spills with up-to-date gear such as aerial surveillance equipment. It also raises the fees on gallons spilled, and expands liability (in a lesson from the Gulf Oil spill) to include damage that occurs as a result of chemicals used during cleanup. That last provision came from a separate senate bill sponsored by Sen. Kevin Ranker (D-40, San Juan Island).
The bill was signed into law, symbolically enough, on April 20, the anniversary of the BP oil spill.
Though we're as freaked out by the BP spill as anyone, it's not the specific policy provisions of the bill that elevate the Rolfes bill to award-winning status. It's the conceit of the bill: Government regulations. There we said it. [pullquote]The legislature just did its damn job. They wrote a law. And now the companies have to pay for safety. No excuses.[/pullquote]
In this Tea Party era, when everyone is backing away from the important role government is supposed to play making sure companies are accountable (did we learn nothing from the Wall Street meltdown?), it's comforting to see that the Washington State legislature still gets it.
To bring that point home, just juxtapose Rolfes' successful oil industry bill against another one that failed this session: An effort by the environmental community to put a fee on oil companies to pay for stormwater cleanup. Fees, which conservatives often frame as taxes, are also radioactive in the shrink-government era—and have no chance of passing.
In that context, here's what makes the oil spill bill a standout politically. Rather than getting bogged down in the losing ideological debate over fees and taxes—which would have ultimately given the oil companies an out from these sensible regulations (taxes bad!)—the legislature just did its damn job. They wrote a law. And now the companies have to pay for safety. No excuses.
