"D" for budgeting, "A" for transportation

State lawmakers were putting finishing touches on a lackluster session that spent too much on government operations and failed to move the primary election date, when a bout of leadership broke out on transportation.

Late on the session's last day, Gov. Christine Gregoire ended a logjam in the House, which then approved a bold 9.5-cent gas-tax increase to shore up roads and bridges. It was the most impressive moment of the four-month gathering. The gas-tax increase will improve the safety and economy of the Puget Sound region. In a tax-averse state, Republicans offered 11 votes and Democrats provided the rest for a 54-43 decision to fund key transportation projects already approved by the Senate.

Gregoire earns plaudits for applying the right pressure at the right moment. She threatened a special session if lawmakers didn't pass a transportation budget to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct. The legitimate fear is the viaduct will come down, harming motorists and the economy.

The transportation plan directs $2 billion to the viaduct, nearly $1 billion to crunch points on Interstate 405 and $500 million toward replacing the Highway 520 bridge, also in danger of failure.

Work on transportation has been under way for months. Kudos go to state transportation leaders, Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, and state Rep. Ed Murray, D-Seattle — as well as Rep. Bev Woods, R-Kingston, and Sen. Dan Swecker, R-Rochester.

Remember, it took three legislative sessions to raise the gas tax a nickel last time.

Congratulations also are due Rep. Jim Clements, R-Selah, who took a courageous vote benefiting the whole state.

The biggest disappointment was the operating budget, which raises taxes to pay for more goodies than the state can afford. Lawmakers raised spending 12 percent this biennium, compared with 4 percent the previous two years.

Lawmakers boosted cigarette taxes and created a new estate tax to fulfill too many promises, such as state employee raises and increased spending to reduce public-school class sizes.

Legislators should have tried harder to live within their means, especially after a $700 million windfall from a rosier-than-expected economic forecast. The Legislature unwisely changed the unemployment-compensation program by making it easier for seasonal workers to qualify for benefits.

The other glaring misstep is the failure to move the primary to August or June. Lawmakers were given plenty of warning — see the 2004 governor's race — that seven weeks between a primary and general election are insufficient to process an election. This mistake could come back to haunt.

Lawmakers approved Gregoire's proposed Life Sciences Discovery Fund that directs $350 million to biomedical research and facilities and creates thousands of new jobs. But the plan still includes disturbing exemptions from state access laws. This level of investment requires the sunshine of public disclosure. Lawmakers too glibly overlooked a key concern.