July 20, 2010                      

Dear Neighbors and Fellow Citizens,

Thank you for visiting my website.  I have tried to provide you with information about my background, my accomplishments and my perspective on issues facing the residents of the 32nd District and the State of Washington.  I welcome your feedback, questions and comments.

As everyone is aware, in April we concluded the most challenging legislative session in decades.  The economic downturn that started on Wall Street htas affected the lives of families, friends, neighbors and businesses—as well as state and local governments.

Two years of deep budget deficits have taken a toll on state services just as the need for them has dramatically increased.  Unemployed individuals and families are reaching the end of their resources, and are turning to their communities and their local and state governments for assistance with seeking employment, food, keeping or finding affordable housing, counseling – and education.  Enrollments in our K-12 schools, community colleges and universities have increased dramatically during the great recession, making further demands on state revenues.

The quality of our education systems, from pre-k through higher education, continues to be a high priority for most citizens and for legislators.  Even with reduced funding, we are moving forward with education reform and are committed to providing full funding for K-12 as our revenues improve.

As chair of the Early Learning and Children’s Services Committee, I remain committed to the protection, care and education of our youngest citizens.  Finding ways to support families and maintain critical services for children’s health and education will continue to be my focus in the coming session.

Finally, I am committed to state government reform and have a track record of success in this area.  Bills I have sponsored and passed include:

• In 2002,  a drug sentencing reform bill that lowered sentences for non-violent drug offenders and invested the savings in community drug courts that treat drug offenders in their community, and hold them accountable for their recovery.  The number of non-violent drug offenders in prison has dropped from 20% to less than 14%, saving the state tens of millions of dollars and helping hundreds of individuals reclaim their lives.
  

• In 2006, I sponsored the bill creating the Department of Early Learning, which brought together child care and pre-school programs and policies fragmented across four different state agencies and created a public-private partnership, Thrive by Five, which brings private and public funding and commitment to improving the quality of early learning across the state.
  
  
• Highway safety has been a critically important issue to me. In response to a tragic logging truck accident that killed a good friend, I worked with the State Patrol, the Truckers’ Association, the Department of Licensing and the family to develop and pass a truck safety bill for trucks operating inside Washington’s boundaries.  Modeled after the federal truck safety laws, the bill focuses on safety compliance and monitoring, getting the bad actors off the road.  I also sponsored the Maria Federici bill that requires drivers to secure their loads.
  
  
• In 2009, I sponsored a child welfare reform bill that requires the Children’s Administration to implement performance based contracts.  I believe that state government must deliver services that are measureable and accountable in a manner that enables the legislature and the public to determine if they are being delivered effectively.
  

We face serious challenges and another looming budget crisis as our economy continues to struggle.  I hope that my experience and track record will give you confidence in my ability to meet those challenges.  If you have questions or would like to discuss any issue, you can email me at kagi@seanet.com or call my home phone at (206) 365-1137.

Serving the residents of the 32nd District in the legislature is a tremendous honor.  Thank you for the opportunity to do so.

Best regards,

Ruth Kagi