The presidential race has taken a lot of our attention, and sometimes it seems the only thing on the ballot is the choice of who to put into the White House. However, Washington state voters also have to choose whom to put into the Governor’s Mansion, or rather, if Chris Gregoire, who has been governor since 2005, gets to stay there. This is a comparison of the stances of incumbent Democrat Gregoire and Republican candidate Dino Rossi on issues that can affect students. The sources for this information include articles from The Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, information from KOMO News and the candidates’ Web sites.

EDUCATION

Gregoire:

Gregoire suggested the adopted policy that board-certified teachers receive additional pay. She increased funding to K-12 education by about $900 per student in addition to a general $4.6 billion increase to education funding in the 2007 fiscal year budget.

Rossi:

Rossi wants to focus on creating a test, based on other states’ standardized tests, to replace the WASL in order to better prepare students for higher education. Rossi would also try to attract private-sector math and science professionals to teach in K-12 education by paying them “incentives,” which is contrary to union policy. Rossi also proposes paying teachers and principals based on merit.

TRANSPORTATION:

Gregiore:

The governor increased the gas tax by 9.5 cents in 2005, generating funds used to complete 165 transportation projects, including the $2 billion allotted to fix the Alaskan Way Viaduct. However, she has not given an opinion on the type of replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct. The bill also set $500 million aside to replace the S.R. 520 bridge with a 6-lane version, with one high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane and two transit lanes on each side.

Rossi:

Rossi wants to use 40 percent of sales tax on new and used vehicles to pay for transportation projects.

He also plans to replace the S.R. 520 bridge with one with eight lanes. The new bridge would be funded by a one-way, $1.54 toll charged after its completion in 2014. Toll collection would end after the total reaches $721 million.

He would allow all vehicles to use HOV lanes during non-peak times and plans to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a tunnel costing approximately $2.79 billion.

ENERGY POLICY

Gregoire:

The state has, during Gregoire’s term, provided tax incentives to renewable energy companies, helped fund fuel research at the UW and Washington State University and passed the Climate Change, Green Jobs bill that aims to create 25,000 jobs in the environmental sector by 2020.

Rossi:

He plans to maintain the number of hydro-electric dams in Washington state and classify those dams as “clean, renewable energy,” as well as encourage development and use of wind, biomass and nuclear power sources.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Gregoire:

Gregoire signed a bill to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions in Washington state to 50 percent of 1990 levels before 2050. The state also joined the Western Climate initiative under Gregoire’s administration, which may create a “cap-and-trade” program to limit corporations’ emissions.

Rossi:

Rossi plans to fund private-sector foresters to fix culverts that block salmon habitats.

VEHICLE EMISSIONS

Gregoire:

Under her administration, the state government plans to convert the state fleet to all-hybrid cars and will waive sales tax from January 2009 to January 2011 for fuel-efficient cars.

Rossi:

Promoting the development of alternative fuels rather than trying to reduce car use is also on Rossi’s agenda. Specifically, he wants to suspend the sales tax on hybrid, electric and alternative-fuel vehicles until 2018 and create plugs for electronic cars in public places. He would also like to replace all state vehicles with hybrid or electric vehicles by 2015.

HEALTH INSURANCE

Gregoire:

The governor wants to make health care accessible to all in Washington state by 2012, by providing state-sponsored health care and working with the private sector to promote preventive health strategies, improve care of people with chronic illnesses and increase efficiency with wider use of electronic medical records.

Rossi:

He plans to reduce regulations, like the regulations about the conditions insurance has to cover, in order to encourage higher competition and cheaper health insurance. Rossi supports attempting to get all Washington state children health insurance, but not necessarily state health insurance.

STATE ECONOMY:

Gregoire:

Gregoire ordered a hiring freeze for all state agencies and asked that they reduce gasoline usage by five percent in August. She also supports the current legislation on minimum wage, which requires a cost-of-living increase every year according to a federal consumer price index.

Rossi:

Rossi supports the hiring freeze initiated by Gregoire, as well as additional tightened spending limits, pausing talks with state employee groups for pay increases and reduction of the spending of the governor’s office by 10 percent in the next budget. He also supports a “training wage,” which would allow businesses to pay workers younger than 18 years old less than minimum wage. He voted for a bill that would have halted the automatic raise of minimum wage according to inflation when Washington’s unemployment rate rises above the national rate. Rossi plans to lower the business and occupation tax and the inheritance tax, which taxes the top half percent of Washington families and goes towards education.

Hot Button Issues:

Gay Marriage

Gregoire:

The governor supports civil unions that grant the same rights as a marriage, but thinks “marriage” is church domain, which each church should be able to decide for itself.

Rossi:

Rossi would veto a bill establishing gay marriage.

Emergency Contraception

Rossi thinks pharmacists should be able to choose whether or not to carry the Plan B emergency contraception. Gregoire thinks that pharmacies should be required to sell the contraception.

Abortion

Gregoire:

She is pro-choice.

Rossi:

He is pro-life.

Stem Cell Research

Gregoire:

She supports adult and embryonic stem cell research.

Rossi:

He supports only adult stem cell research, not embryonic.

WHERE THEY AGREE

Assisted Suicide

Rossi opposes “Death with Dignity” and Gregoire does not actively support it.

Reach reporter Roselle Kingsbury at features@dailyuw.com.