Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen can’t be blamed for expecting a fruitful 2007 session of the Washington State Legislature which opened on Monday.

The veteran 10th District legislator, who started in the House in 1982 and switched to the Senate in 1992, is a leader in the Democratic party which holds a substantial majority in both Houses, and she chairs the powerful Senate Transportation Committee. In addition, the state has money to spend this year thanks to a boom in tax revenues.

Any new highway, ferry or bridge has to pass Sen. Haugen’s scrutiny before it can get funded.

In comments last week, Haugen touched upon some transportation issues important to Island County.

She sees the controversial proposal to move the Keystone ferry terminal being put on hold after a couple of years of study. “Keystone will be on hold for a while,” she said. She’s not satisfied that moving the terminal is the answer considering the opposition from environmentalists and area homeowners.

“We certainly won’t build a new ferry terminal,” Haugen said. “I’d like smaller boats.” The ferry system has in the past rejected the idea of providing smaller boats just for Keystone, but Haugen will keep pushing for it. Bigger boats would dump too much traffic onto the two-way roads both on Whidbey and in Port Townsend, she said.

On the island’s other ferry route, Clinton/Mukilteo, Haugen said construction of the new Mukilteo terminal, which was to get under way this year, will likely be put off for another year due to budgetary considerations. Meanwhile, work on the commuter train station in Mukilteo should start next year. “We’ll have a train station in 2008,” she said. Camano Island residents will see a modest train in station in Stanwood late this year, she added.

The governor’s initiative to clean up Puget Sound will be felt in Island County. “It’ll have a huge impact on us,” Haugen said. Exactly how much isn’t clear at this point, but Haugen said it involved everything from increased septic system regulations to cleaning up state parks. She urges the county to get involved, rather than just react to what happens. “Island County has to get in front of the line,” she said.

Sales tax equalization is an idea whose time has come, according to Haugen. This would give back to small counties and cities some of the tax money residents spend in regional shopping areas. “It’ll happen this time for sure,” she said of legislative approval.

On the education front, Haugen sees an effort to put mandatory WASL success on hold. “It’ll be a welcome relief for a lot of people,” she said. She will also support an effort to help local school districts deal with high inflation on their construction projects. Both the Coupeville and Oak Harbor districts have had to cut back on voter-approved projects due to inflation.

The governor has projected about $1.6 billion in extra revenue that can be spent over the next two years. “It really makes life easier,” Haugen said.

But not too easy. At least that’s how the 10th District’s two House members see the situation. Rep. Barbara Bailey and Rep. Chris Strow, both among the minority Republicans, hope to keep their Democratic colleagues from overspending.

“She’s going to spend a lot of money in a lot of places,” Bailey said of the governor’s proposed budget. “But if we spend it all, we’re setting ourselves up for a difficult future.”

She will advocate putting more money aside for a rainy day, and adding money to pension funds rather using it for a lot of new spending.

Bailey said her priority in her third term will be to “grow jobs.” She said larger businesses have received a lot of tax breaks in recent years, but now it’s time to “extend them to small business.” She will continue to work to make health insurance more affordable for small business owners.

But Bailey admits it will be hard for Republicans to carry out their agenda since the big legislative losses in the November election. “We lost some long-time members,” she said. “I’m sad for the citizens of the state.”

Strow said he will work for “fiscal propriety,” while pursuing his own agenda that includes cracking down on online “payday lender” businesses, protecting certain probation officers from lawsuits, restricting the use of cancer-causing chemicals in fire retardant products, and, in Island County, convert more state timber lands into park and trail properties. And he’ll make another stab at banning the sale of beer and wine on state ferries.

Strow said the state should work to pay down its debt rather than funding new programs. “We should invest where we see a return,” he said. “Not just spend for the sake of spending.”

But he acknowledges Democrats will likely have their way with the budget. “I’m going to work very hard to be in the constructive loyal opposition down here, but Democrats set the agenda,” he said.