We Can’t Trust Rossi to Keep our Communities Safe

Dino Rossi’s Dismal Record on Law Enforcement and Public Safety

BACKGROUND:
As a state senator, Dino Rossi opposed critical investments for law enforcement personnel and in crime fighting programs, and supported raiding the pensions of law enforcement officers and firefighters.  Rossi’s budget, which he wrote as the chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, led to the release of thousands of felons, and cut funding for violence reduction and drug enforcement programs. 

Rossi Underfunded Law Enforcement and Firefighters’ Retirement System
As chair of Senate Ways and Means Committee, in 2003 Dino Rossi wrote a budget that underfunded retirement for law enforcement and emergency personnel (compared with current funding levels).  Dino Rossi’s 2003-2005 Operating Budget provided a total of approximately $42 million to the Law Enforcement and Firefighters’ Retirement System.

  • $21.256 million for FY 2004
  • $20.914 million for FY 2005

In comparison, Governor Gregoire’s 2007-2009 Operating Budget provided a total of approximately $97 million to the Law Enforcement and Firefighters’ Retirement System.

  • $46.200 million for FY 2008
  • $50.400 million for FY 2009

Rossi was Hostile to Public Employee Pensions

Rossi supported raiding the pensions of law enforcement officers and firefighters. Rossi wanted to give away state employee pension money to taxpayers and forced police officers and firefighters into court to protect their retirement.

  • “Retired police officers and firefighters went to court yesterday to try to stop lawmakers from spending any of a $ 1 billion surplus in their pension fund.  The lawsuit is a pre-emptive strike because the Legislature has not yet approved taking the surplus from the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Retirement System.”  [Seattle Times, 6/20/2001] 
  • "I think the state is on very, very solid ground -- as long as we provide all of the benefits that were promised," said Sen. Dino Rossi of Issaquah, the ranking Republican on the Senate Ways and Means Committee.  [Seattle Times, 6/20/2001] 

Rossi sponsored a bill that allowed the state to cut pension payments by $110 million.

  • “Senate Bill 6029, changing the way the state calculates the yield of its pension funds - a measure that would allow the state to cut pension contributions $110 million in the coming budget cycle. The bill, sponsored by Ways and Means Chairman Dino Rossi, R-Sammamish, passed 32-17 and now goes to the House.”  [Queary, “Senate passes tax breaks, squelches Democrat revolt,” Associated Press, 4/14/2003]

Rossi’s 2003 Budget Cut Funding for Programs that Keep Communities Safe

Rossi Cut Millions in Funding for the Supervision of Thousands of Felons. 

  • Pursuant to legislation that he supported, Rossi's budget slashed $26.3 million in funding meant for supervising felons.  Rossi's cut meant more than 14,000 felons would no longer be monitored by the state.   [Proposed Senate 2003-05 Operating Budget Statewide Summary and Agency Detail; SB5990, Passed 43-4, Rossi – Yea, 4/25/03]

Rossi Cut Funding for Violence Reduction and Drug Enforcement. 

  • Rossi's budget slashed funding for violence reduction and drug enforcement by $230,000.  [Proposed Senate 2003-05 Operating Budget Statewide Summary and Agency Detail]

Rossi Opposed Critical Funding for Law Enforcement Personnel and Programs

Rossi voted against millions in critical funding for Washington State’s first responders when he opposed the operating budget in 1999.  [ESSB 5180 passed in the 1999 regular legislative session]
Rossi OPPOSED:

  • State contributions to the law enforcement officers’ and fire fighters’ retirement system of $16,320,000 for FY 2000 and $18,050,000 for FY 2001.
  • $290,000 for local law enforcement officers’ participation in the task force on missing and exploited children established by Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5108 (missing/exploited children).
  • $481,000 for supervisory and management training of law enforcement personnel.
  • $354,000 for additional law enforcement and security coverage on the west capitol campus.

Rossi voted against millions for our state’s police and firefighters – not just operating expenses but also their retirement funds.  He also opposed money to fight meth labs, train police, and supervise offenders. [ESSB 6387 passed in the 2002 regular legislative session; ESSB 6153 passed in the 2001 2nd special legislative session]
Rossi OPPOSED:

  • $68 million for operation of the State Patrol
  • $22 million increase for community supervision of offenders
  • $32 million in State contributions to the police and fire fighters’ retirement system
  • $19 million for the Criminal Justice Training Commission
  • $12 million increase in funding for the Department of Corrections.
  • $1.4 million to combat the spread of methamphetamine labs
  • $700,000 to boost violence reduction and drug enforcement programs
  • $65,000 to train law enforcement and school officials on school safety issues.
  • $31,000 to increase payment rates for the Criminal Justice Training Commission’s contract with the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs
  • $233,000 to support local law enforcement’s response to methamphetamine crime
  • $450,000 for electronic mapping of schools
  • $354,000 for additional security and law enforcement coverage of the west capitol campus

Rossi was EXCUSED from voting on the 1999-2001 Supplemental Operating Budget (EHB 2487 passed in the 2000 2nd special legislative session). 
Rossi did not support:

  • $3,564,000 to pay for increased contributions to the law enforcement officers’ and fire fighters’ retirement system resulting as required by Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No. 6530 (pension enhancements)
  • $30,000 to expand integrated domestic violence training for law enforcement, prosecutors, and domestic violence advocates
  • $17,559 to initiate the planning for a statewide drug and violent crime threat assessment
  • $1,014,419 to improve criminal history records
  • $45,000 to increase the number of prosecutors in the drug prosecution assistance program, which supports multijurisdictional narcotics task forces
  • $90,000 to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs to complete the state and local components of the national incident-based reporting system
  • $215,000 for the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs to conduct a study of local law enforcement services and expenditures