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 vital transportation tasks. Because the Port of Seattle’s chief engineer, she excels in such unsexy however essential work.
In an period when infrastructure tasks are too-often delayed and over finances, Zahn can convey a uncommon talent 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 Kids, 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 enhancing 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 tasks. She additionally sponsored House Bill 1967, which eliminated pointless bonding necessities from state transportation tasks, a transfer that’s certain to economize. Each have been signed into legislation.
She sees authorities course of overkill as an albatross to getting tasks accomplished and vows to proceed eliminating such waste.
“How rather more price and danger are we incurring by including layers of course of that (don’t) truly convey us extra worth?” she advised The Instances editorial board.
The board does have its criticisms of Zahn, who appeared to deviate little from ruling Democrats as they pushed by a file quantity of taxes that can profoundly affect the price of residing within the state. If elected, she ought to present extra of a spine when vetting future tax proposals and deal with her strengths — the betterment of processes inside authorities that make it simpler.
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 have 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 concept 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 tasks lawmakers have promised.
