Helen Sommers: An Oral History

pg. 50 Gary Locke elected Governor
years later, the gas tax had lost considerable buying
power as highway construction and maintenance
had grown considerably in costs. The Republican
majority in the House and Senate, however, was
dominated by members who oppose any new taxes,
no matter what the need, it seemed to me.
In addition, state obligations to fund education
continued to be ignored with the Legislature approving
less state support for education.