EDITOR’S NOTE: My column in the Renton Reporter Wednesday incorrectly listed Jim Horn as the state senator in the 41st District. Horn is a former state senator in the 41st District as well as a former district state representative. Fred Jarrett is running for the state Senate, after having previously served as a state representative in the 41st District. Jarrett has the Renton Reporter’s endorsement in his Senate race. Also, Republican Cheryl Pflug’s opponent in the Fifth District Senate race is Phyllis Huster.

Dean A. Radford

Renton has a lot of firepower in the state Legislature, as measured by the number – 5 – of legislative districts that include a piece of the city or its environs within their borders.

That’s five state senators and 10 representatives, all of whom through the issues they champion and the committees on which they serve reach deeply into the legislative process. That’s 15 lawmakers Renton officials and Renton residents and businesses can turn to for help on matters that are important to them.

And that means that those 15 lawmakers need to keep on top of the issues important to Renton.

The entire membership of the House and half of the senators are up for re-election on Nov. 4.

This year in particular the state Legislature will play a big role in our lives.

An important issue, of course, is the state budget and our own personal budgets. We all have to live within our means. We all have to save for a rainy day. We all have to cut back and make difficult choices. All of that is true for state government.

That’s known as setting priorities. In government there’s a name for it, priorities of government. The rest of us could call it priorities of family or priorities of business. Simply, at the top of list to get money is what is most important to us. For everyday folks, that’s probably shelter and food. For state government, it’s education and transportation. How much we spend on our top priorities determines what’s left over for the rest of the list.

Of course, there are powerful constituencies in a family that want a piece of the family budget. Jennie wants to spend $500 a month of clothes; dad wants a new riding lawnmower; mom wants to replace that kitchen laminate with granite; Joey wants to outfit his tires with spinners. Let’s see: $500 would probably last six months at Target; dad really needs a push mower to work off that excess poundage; granite is just a phase popular in McMansions; spinners are cool, but they add nothing to a vehicle’s real value.

What I want from my state legislators (and governor and other key leaders) is some backbone, because like it or not each one has powerful constituencies behind them that helped put them in office. Gov. Christine Gregoire may have to face down unions. Dino Rossi may have to turn a cold shoulder to builders. Look to Terry Bergeson, who is running for her fourth term as state school superintendent. The Washington Education Association, the teachers union she once headed, now supports her opponent. To get into that spot takes real political backbone.

Like our family above, we want value from OUR tax dollars that legislators and the governor spend for us. Just remember: Whatever our leaders sow, we reap, not their backers.

On Nov. 4, Renton-area voters will have critical decisions to make on whether some of those lawmakers, including such stalwarts as Margarita Prentice and Fred Jarrett, will return to Olympia to continue serving them.

And, in a rare opportunity, voters in the 41st District will have a chance to pick someone new to go to Olympia. That race is between Renton’s Marcie Maxwell and Mercer Island’s Steve Litzow. The Renton Reporter has already strongly endorsed Maxwell, a Renton School Board member and long-time

business and community leader, for the 41st District House Position 1. We can expect her to be a go-to person on education and on other key issues, including business. Of those 15 representatives, only Maxwell can call Renton home.

But there’s more work to do.

41st District

State Senate: Maxwell and Litzow are squaring off for House Position 1 because Fred Jarrett decided to run for the state Senate after eight years in the House. First, he switched from Republican to Democrat. Putting opportunism aside, Jarrett of Mercer Island has ably represented the 41st District and is a leader on transportation issues. He was awarded the Public Official of the Year in 2007 by the nonpartisan Municipal League of King County. His leadership is needed in the Senate. Regarding his party switch: He certainly understands both sides of the aisle, which is important to get things done.

State House: Judy Clibborn, a Democrat from Mercer Island, is running unopposed for House Position 2.

The 41st District includes the Kennydale area eastward through May Valley and north to include Newcastle, part of Bellevue and all of Mercer Island.

11th District

State Senate: We have written repeatedly about the significant contributions that State Sen. Margarita Prentice of Skyway has made to the state and to the City of Renton. She has done nothing to diminish her earned support from her constituents, although her foes will try mightily. She has the support of the Democratic Party; her opponent, Juan Martinez of Seattle, has no elective experience, although he has worked on issues important to the party. In whatever role she plays in the Senate Legislature, Prentice is a friend of Renton’s.

State House: The 11th District is typically the domain of Democrats and that is reflected in the continuing easy election of its two legislative representatives, Zack Hudgins of Tukwila and Bob Hasegawa of Seattle. Again, the Republicans are mounting only nominal challenges against them. That’s OK; Hudgins and Hasegawa are doing just fine.

The 11th District is widespread geographically, stretching like a boot to include parts of South Seattle, Tukwila, Skyway, Renton and Fairwood.

37th District

State Senate: Democrat Adam Kline is not up for re-election this year in a district that skirts along Lake Washington from Seattle and shares downtown Renton with the 11th District.

State House: Again, the 37th District is a Democratic stronghold. Sharon Tomiko Santos of Seattle is running unopposed for House Position 1. Democrat Eric Pettigrew of Seattle also is facing only a nominal challenge.

5th District

State Senate: Republican State Sen. Cheryl Pflug of Maple Valley is opposed by Democrat Phyllis Huster The district covers parts of east Renton, including a piece of Fairwood. The district trends Republican because it picks up much of the suburban and rural areas in a big part of eastern King County.

State House: The district is represented in the House by two Issaquah Republicans, Jay Rodne and Glenn Anderson. Again, they are strong advocates in the Legislature for their neighbors and deserve re-election.

47th District:

State Senate: Democrat State Sen. Claudia Kauffman of Kent is not running for re-election this year. The 47th District includes just a small piece of the Renton area, mostly the southern part of Renton’s Benson Hill.

State House: Democratic Reps. Geoff Simpson and Pat Sullivan, both of Covington, have earned re-election in the district. Both served on the Covington City Council in that city’s early years and have a deep understanding of the financial challenges facing cities.