It’s no shock Democrat Janice Zahn’s first few months within the Legislature concerned tinkering to enhance the state’s contracting processes to assemble bridges, ferries and different essential transportation initiatives. Because the Port of Seattle’s chief engineer, she excels in such unsexy however essential work.
In an period when infrastructure initiatives are too-often delayed and over funds, Zahn can carry a uncommon ability set and a penchant for problem-solving to the Legislature. Voters from the forty first Legislative District, together with Mercer Island, south Bellevue, Newcastle and Sammamish, ought to ship her again to Olympia.
The previous Bellevue Metropolis Council member was appointed to the Legislature by the King County Council to switch Tana Senn, who was added to Gov. Bob Ferguson’s cupboard as head of the Division of Youngsters, Youth and Households. In a 12 months that lawmakers needed to resist years of irresponsible overspending by the earlier governor and legislatures, it was a trial by hearth for Zahn.
She instantly noticed alternatives for bettering the way in which the state does enterprise. She took on a bill to make it simpler for the state’s transportation division to make use of totally different bidding processes to assist comprise the skyrocketing prices of initiatives. She additionally sponsored House Bill 1967, which eliminated pointless bonding necessities from state transportation initiatives, a transfer that’s positive to economize. Each had been signed into regulation.
She sees authorities course of overkill as an albatross to getting initiatives accomplished and vows to proceed eliminating such waste.
“How way more price and danger are we incurring by including layers of course of that (don’t) truly carry us extra worth?” she advised The Occasions editorial board.
The board does have its criticisms of Zahn, who appeared to deviate little from ruling Democrats as they pushed via a report quantity of taxes that can profoundly influence the price of residing within the state. If elected, she ought to present extra of a spine when vetting future tax proposals and concentrate on her strengths — the betterment of processes inside authorities that make it more practical.
Zahn faces a reputable if politically inexperienced challenger in Republican John Whitney, a Bellevue constructing contractor. Whereas Whitney shared a imaginative and prescient of decrease taxes and deregulation, his positions had been unrefined. That, mixed with Zahn’s engineering acumen and coverage chops, offers her the sting within the race.
Each candidates mentioned they’d signal a pledge by no means to invoke legislative privilege, a questionable authorized idea that offers state lawmakers the power to cover their communications from the general public. However Zahn is finest to enhance the methods of presidency and assist ship well timed and on-budget initiatives lawmakers have promised.
