Summary

In Olympia today to hear the Governor's "State of the State" address, King County Executive Dow Constantine had these comments following her speech:

Story

In Olympia today to hear the Governor's "State of the State" address, King County Executive Dow Constantine had these comments following her speech:

I applaud the Governor's efforts to restore some of the critical programs previously proposed to be cut that support the health of King County residents. Today, the Governor expressed her commitment to maternity support services, the Basic Health Plan, Apple Health, and HIV/AIDS programs. I look forward to working with our King County legislators to maintain such programs.

In addition, the small business hiring incentives, clean energy programs, and energy efficiency measures are a good start on the road to rebuilding our economic prosperity. In fact, the Governor's proposal on extending unused construction permits is one that County Councilmember Reagan Dunn and I championed together last year for King County.

The state's budget crisis will have ripple effects for county governments. As political subdivisions of the state, counties need flexibility and new tools to fund our top local priorities and to continue delivering services to our citizens and customers. I will work with our state leaders to achieve the best outcome possible for our citizens during these challenging times.