AP: ede990a1-d91a-4658-a0e7-80fb2e39d0cc
Jay Inslee, left, gives a thumbs-up after being sworn in as Washington state Governor, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013, by Washington Supreme Court Chief Justice Barbara Madsen, right, in the rotunda of the Legislative Building at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Inslee: Washington still poised to change the world

January 16, 2013 @ 4:39 pm (Updated: 6:23 am - 1/17/13 )

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Associated Press

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Gov. Jay Inslee said Wednesday that Washington state is poised to develop the next wave of innovations that will change the world, imploring state leaders to act swiftly in order to remain competitive in the global economy.

Inslee cited the state's history of development in aerospace and software during his inaugural speech, and he declared that Washington isn't done with that work. He said the state can harness its unique blend of values and talents to help bring fresh job growth, but he cautioned that "the world will not wait."

"Leading this next wave of growth is our opportunity, not our entitlement," Inslee said during the speech before a joint session of the House and Senate after he was sworn in as the state's 23rd governor. "We must move, swiftly and boldly, to put this recession behind us, and bring forward a unique economic strategy that brings the best of Washington state to the world."

Inslee's first talk took an international focus, noting that the world economy is changing as it emerges from the recession. The Democrat has focused his policies on research and development, hoping to help spur growth in areas such as clean energy and life sciences.

At age 61, Inslee takes office in a state that has an unemployment rate of 7.6 percent, though that number has been falling from a high of about 10 percent in 2010. He wants to pursue a research and development tax credit to aid his jobs agenda, though his first major task in office will be balancing a state budget while also finding a large chunk of new money for education.

Inslee has said taxes are off the table and that he wants to focus on making government more efficient to get more results out of the state's current resources. Gov. Chris Gregoire gave her final State of the State address Tuesday, saying the state wouldn't be able to simply cut its way out of the budget challenges.

Inslee also said that he would work with the Legislature on a bipartisan transportation plan.

"We need ways to free capacity for freight and commerce, and rethink how we do the business of transportation in our state and how we use our transportation infrastructure," he said.

While Inslee focused his first talk heavily on jobs and the economy, the new governor also touched on the matter of gun violence during his address. Inslee said he doesn't have all the answers on how to prevent massacres like the recent one at an elementary school in Connecticut, but he said one common sense solution would be to focus on keeping guns out of the wrong hands.

"Any failure to address the issue of violence in our communities and our schools will be intolerable," Inslee said.

A specific piece of legislation Inslee called for in his speech was one that would require insurers who cover maternity care _ which Washington insurers are mandated to provide _ to also pay for abortions.

The measure passed out of the House during the last legislative session but failed in the Senate. Inslee said that he wanted to see the measure on his desk to sign this year.

Inslee also pressed the issue of climate change, saying it's clear that the state faces grave and immediate danger if we fail to act. He noted that the state has had flooding, drought and devastating wildfires and warned that changes in snowpack could threaten eastern Washington's agriculture.

"Our current lack of action on clean energy is an offense against our own children, as we put their health in danger and their prosperity at risk," Inslee said.

House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, said after the speech that he worried that Inslee will seek to micromanage the energy sector with tax credits geared toward clean energy.

"We still aren't going to allow the market to work," he said. "We're going to say government decides if you get to be successful or not."

Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler of Ritzville said that his party would work to help Inslee make good on his campaign pledge to not raise taxes.

"His first order of business today was jobs," he said. "It's first in the Senate Republican agenda."

House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan, D-Covington, said that he didn't see how to solve the state's fiscal and education needs with an all-cuts budget but said he'll be interested to see the budget proposals put forth by both Inlsee and the Senate.

"We're going to work to get the job done," he said. "We have no choice."

___

Follow Rachel La Corte at http://www.twitter.com/RachelAPOlyor http://www.facebook.com/news.racheland Mike Baker at http://twitter.com/MikeBakerAP. AP writer Jonathan Kaminsky contributed.


(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Comments (18)


  • Add A Comment

  • SickofSeattleite wrote...
    Inslee wants to focus on making govt more efficient
    January 16, 2013 6:03 am
    to get more results out of the resources that the state currently has with a 1 BILLION deficit over the next two years? Tell me how you will do that when you are already down 1 billion with out raising taxes.... if you cut 1/2 of state welfare you could actually balance the budget.... maybe you could require people here who are receiving FREE HEALTHCARE assistance to show a valid ID to prove they are here legally. Maybe we could stop printing everything in 40 different languages and people could learn ENGLISH. Isn't printing all that paper bad for the environment? Killing trees and polluting the air to make the paper.....so wasteful...hypocrites!The only thing Inslee will do is SPEND and GROW the GOVT.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cigarfan wrote...
    @SickofSeattleite
    January 16, 2013 1:30 pm
    and yet, you continue to live in WA state....actions speak louder than words eh?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    Inslee wants to focus on making govt more efficient -
    January 16, 2013 2:28 pm
    try getting rid of the republicans!!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cw1997 wrote...
    And
    January 16, 2013 3:57 pm
    It would be they who got us into this economic mess.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cameron wrote...
    Interesting citation on the 7.6 percent unemployment
    January 16, 2013 2:30 pm
    According to the State the number reflects the number of people permenantly dropping out of the job market rather than any significant growth in Jobs.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cameron wrote...
    How true CH, one party monopolies are always much easier to run.
    January 16, 2013 2:35 pm
    We wouldn't want anyone trying to improve the process or anything. Time for the Jayhadists to show us how the Secret Sauce will save the State.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rick W7PSK wrote...
    Nice Comment CH
    January 16, 2013 2:48 pm
    having the democrats in charge of the state has made us Wildly successful with huge budget surplus and not a care in the world.

    Maybe in your dreams.

    You cannot pin the states woes on the Rs no matter how hard you try.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • The Real Me wrote...
    D's at Fault
    January 16, 2013 3:06 pm
    I have lived and worked in Washington for 42 years. I have worked 30 of those years in budget/economics in state agencies. The last 25-plus years the D's have been in charge of everything and we have gone steadily downhill the entire time. Another D(amn) governor with no new ideas appointing the same old Olympia insiders to different jobs. Those of us who work for state government know that it is just a big in-bred feast at the taxpayer money trough. Get ready - taxes going up every which way, and if you think services will improve along with it you are already too far gone to be reasoned with. Totally blame the D's - who else has been in charge?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • flipper wrote...
    Inslee's first words as Governor
    January 16, 2013 4:09 pm
    "Grab your ankles"
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Forrest wrote...
    "Inslee has said taxes are off the table"
    January 16, 2013 4:53 pm
    Why don't you naysayers give him a chance before you start with your diarrhea mouth. Republicans and conservatives are such defeatists.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SeattleNative wrote...
    @Forrest: because we the man
    January 16, 2013 5:21 pm
    The man has never met a tax increase he couldn't vote "yes" on in Congress.

    Did you notice he didn't say that "fees" are off the table? That's the workaround where the majority of "revenue enhancements" have come out of Olympia in recent years.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • SeattleNative wrote...
    ...we "know" the man
    January 16, 2013 5:21 pm
    .
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rick W7PSK wrote...
    Well Forest do you remember What Chrissy said
    January 16, 2013 7:48 pm
    No New taxes

    We cant afford new taxes

    Their is no deficit

    Inslee is Chrissy Doubled, I dont believe word 1 he said.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Snout wrote...
    Change? Really?
    January 17, 2013 1:41 am
    Like the abused wife, WA voters seem to have a turnstile that only allows the same type of guy into their lives. We keep voting in losers and expect "change." It's time for counselling folks.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • It's me! Ha ha! wrote...
    Is it covered under
    January 17, 2013 5:47 am
    ObamaCare?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }