As the Legislature prepares for its 2001 session, Council 2 will con-tinue lobbying for members’ interests on a number of issues.

A leading item on the agenda is the governance structure of the retirement system.

“We are one of only three states in the nation where members don’t have representatives on their pension board,” says Pat Thompson, Director of Legislation/Political Action for Council 2.

Another issue on which the union will be lobbying will be ways to ensure that the implications of I-695, passed last year, and I-722, approved this year, are properly dealt with by the Legislature.

“In all likelihood, I-722 will be thrown out by the courts, just as I-695 was,” says Thompson.

“We need to ensure that our elected officials have the courage to address taxes in a more reasonable fashion.”

Thompson adds that Tim Eyman, who drew up initiatives 695 and 722, has even more tax-related initiatives that he plans to present to the Legislature.

Council 2 will work on reducing the impacts of the initiatives on its members.

The House is once again tied at 49 Democrats and 49 Republicans, while the Democrats hold a one-seat majority in the Senate.