In Our View: Vote Vick In 18th District

Brandon Vick is, we expect, ready for prime time in the Washington Legislature. While his first term in the House of Representatives was marked by the timidity of a rookie, Vick, R-Vancouver, has demonstrated the potential to become a more effective representative for his constituents.

Because of that, The Columbian recommends a vote for Vick in his race against Democrat Mike Briggs for representative from the 18th Legislative District, Position 1. As always, this is simply a suggestion, one designed to foster discussion. We trust voters’ ability and willingness to examine the issues and reach an informed conclusion.

During his first two years in the Legislature, Vick demonstrated the capacity for hard work. He served on six committees — including appropriations, finance and government accountability — and boasts that he never missed a vote. On the other hand, it did take Vick awhile to find his footing. He was the primary sponsor for no bills during the 2013 Legislative session, telling The Columbian at the time, “You can write a bill for whatever you want; whether you should write a bill is the question.” He added at the time that he was working on some legislation, but that it wasn’t ready for “prime time.”

Of course, we don’t advocate proposing legislation simply for the sake of proposing legislation. But the fact that Vick was the primary sponsor for five bills during the 2014 session reflects that he is growing into the job. The fact that he was the primary sponsor for one that became law — it extended the expiration date for reporting requirements on timber purchases — also reflects burgeoning maturity as a legislator.

Maturity will be a necessity in Olympia next year as the Legislature faces crucial — and contentious — issues, primarily court-mandated funding for K-12 education. Regarding that funding, Vick told The Columbian’s Editorial Board, “I don’t think you should raise taxes. More important, I don’t think you can; we keep going back to that well, and the well has run dry.”

Vick was a critic of the proposed Columbia River Crossing, but he misses the irony when he says, “I want to put Clark County back on the map. I think a lot of times, people from Puget Sound or Spokane think, ‘They’re Portland Jr.’ ” The CRC was an opportunity to bring needed money, jobs and infrastructure to Clark County, but Vick and fellow Republicans helped kill the project. Still, Vick comes across as a hard-working, sincere representative.

Briggs, meanwhile, is stressing a need for balanced representation from the 18th District, where both current representatives and the sitting state senator are Republicans. “I believe that fair representation in the 18th Legislative District is vital to the long-term success of our community,” he writes in his campaign materials. Whether that proves to be an effective campaign tactic remains to be seen, but Briggs brings some thoughtful positions to the race.

Briggs argues in favor of user fees (such as bridge tolls), saying that they are the most equitable form of taxation. He places a strong emphasis on transportation projects, saying they are crucial to attracting new businesses and large employers, and he believes the I-5 corridor should be improved before a third bridge across the Columbia River is considered.

Briggs has much to offer, even while he admits that his passionate advocacy can be off-putting. But Vick has earned another trip to Olympia as representative from the 18th District. He has demonstrated an enthusiasm for the job and a learning curve that suggests he is ready for prime time.