Last month our sister site, MyBallard, spoke with 36th District Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, who told them she was planning on filing a bill this upcoming legislative session (which begins January 10) that would legalize marijuana. Yesterday they reported that Rep. Dickerson and five other state representatives pre-filed HB 2401.

Meanwhile, Rep. Reuven Carlyle wrote down his thoughts on how he’ll vote on the state budget, which is projected to reach a $2.6 billion deficit in 2010, on his blog. He outlined three criteria for how he will vote on the budget – spending levels, revenue levels, and the question of system change and reform.

“To me systems change is about looking at our structures, systems, infrastructure of methodology, norms and behaviors and asking one core question: What would our systems look like if we designed them anew, today, from scratch?” he wrote. “We too often pull back from ‘what is possible’ before we even get a new idea of the drawing board. I’m not suggesting everything is broken and yet much of how we do business in state government does require a bold new approach.”

Carlyle went on to list several “modest but legitimate examples” of how government reform could be applied, tackling issues such as licensing and liquor (specifically the debate between whether these should be government run, or private sector), technology, transportation funding and the building of public infrastructure, and education reform and the Race to the Top challenge. Read Carlyle’s thoughts here.

Anyone interested in speaking with representatives about the upcoming legislative session is welcome to attend the 36th District Legislative Delegation holiday open house next week, on Tuesday, December 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Sen. Kohl-Welles’ and Rep. Carlyle’s district office on the base of Queen Anne at 3131 Western Ave, Suite 421, in the Northwest Work Lofts building. Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles and Reps. Mary Lou Dickerson and Reuven Carlyle will present an overview of the 2010 legislative session and answer constituent questions.