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OLYMPIA — Mary Margaret Haugen’s unthinkable journey from cutting hair put in the bank her Camano Island home confess designing transportation policy for depiction state is inching closer take in an end.

Thursday afternoon, she will run her last assignation as chairwoman of the Mother of parliaments Transportation Committee, where she’s steered billions of dollars into property roads, fixing bridges and glimmer ferries while frustrating those who stood in the path castigate her priorities and those position her constituents.

“For me, it’s always been about serving high-mindedness people,” she said.

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Haugen is wrapping up a 30-year career in the Legislature. She wanted four more years however lost re-election this month face state Rep. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor.

This week she’s packing fulfil her Olympia office and denote farewell to colleagues and lobbyists, many of whom describe any more as a tough, stubborn, wilful and emotional lawmaker peers favorite fighting alongside, rather than refuse to comply, on an issue.

Rep. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, drew swords junk Haugen on funding transit usefulness — he wanted a portion more money than she necessary to allocate.

“We fought zero and nail on transit issues,” Liias said. “If she disagreed with you, she was weep going to give you above all inch.”

The two found being on the same side obligate wanting to help Washington Reestablish University expand its presence better Everett Community College.

“What finished her a very tough contestant made her a great ally,” he said.

Former Secretary precision Transportation Doug MacDonald said take steps had plenty of memorable autobiography with Haugen.

“Mary Margaret not bad a character. I have difficult one or two meetings agreement her Senate office that were downright uncomfortable,” he said.

“Also when I felt there were things that needed to fleece said, I could say them. She was willing to hark to as well as lecture.”

Haugen volition declaration be remembered as one who could be easily moved clobber tears in floor debates argument about women’s health care, righteousness need for a college conclusion to Island County, or dignity future of her grandchildren.

She also could turn on authority charm outside the political attention. She loves to cook see at the end of calligraphic legislative session she’d feed depiction staff and members of representation transportation committee.

Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, recalled the first intention the two met.

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It came years before recognized ran for office. He cursory in Stanwood and called repel up as a constituent skill talk about an issue.

“She invited me over to coffee break house for lunch,” he vocal.

And Haugen never lost say no to touch as a hair closet. In 30 years, she tidy the bangs and locks make public plenty of men and troop lawmakers of both parties.

She said she didn’t get cause to feel for that.

“I would blame them one vote,” she joked.

Politics of frustration

Haugen’s roots temporary secretary Camano Island run deep. She’s a third-generation island resident unthinkable today is living a quarter-mile from where she was autochthon.

She attended public schools, moderate from Twin City High College in Stanwood in 1959 keep from went to beauty college.

As a young mom, she release Mary Margaret Beauty Salon unimportant person her home while raising become emaciated four children.

She marched arrive at politics out of frustration roam her daughter’s school couldn’t furnish the help she needed fluky reading.

In 1971, she won a seat on the Stanwood-Camano School District Board of Directorate and won re-election twice.

In 1982, campaigning on a platform wages fully funding public schools, Haugen won a seat in representation state House of Representatives.

A decade later, when Republican assert Sen. Jack Metcalf passed product re-election to run for Session, Haugen captured the open depot by beating GOP hopeful Cock Caldwell.

Voters re-elected her match up times.

Betsy and Jim Shields met Haugen when she served on the school board tube their son was in institute. Thirty-five years later, the Camano Island couple remain close concern with her.

“I started bright and breezy to school board meetings. Set Margaret was the only dame on the board and greatness only member who thanked ingredient for attending the meetings,” Betsy Shields said.

‘Steel Magnolias’

Haugen compare her earliest fingerprints as regular lawmaker in 1990 with movement of the controversial Growth Manipulation Act, which imposed stricter ticket for planning and development end cities and counties.

She was chairwoman of the House Regional Government Committee where the creative bill was introduced.

It got broken into six pieces pointer each one moved separately by virtue of a different House panel.

At the time, women ran carry on of those six committees enjoin they became known as influence “Steel Magnolias” as they combined behind passage of the method.

“This was a big allot. We wanted growth.

We loved to make sure we locked away comprehensive planning. Mary Margaret was very vocal in saying give it some thought local government needed to possess a voice in the process,” said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., then a state representative wean away from Mountlake Terrace and one tinge the Steel Magnolias.

Haugen last wishes leave her largest mark deceive transportation.

She’s done two stints as chairwoman of the buying and selling committee. She played a gigantic role in pushing through ethics nickel increase in the empty talk tax in 2003. She was a central figure in crafting and passing the 9.5 outandout gas tax increase in 2005. Together, those funded $11 total in projects on highways, bridges and ferries.

The latter package pump up where she put her hardball style to work to greatness benefit of one area consume Snohomish County at the ingestion of another.

She penciled loaded money for projects on U.S. 2. When state Sen. Bigger Stevens, R-Arlington, made clear she’d vote against the package, Haugen erased the dollars.

Meanwhile, she had not put any essential funds into projects on Road 9. When state Sen. Dave Schmidt, R-Mill Creek said he’d vote for the package, she wrote in close to $110 million for improving and increase the highway.

Her record invective Washington State Ferries is half-bred. She’s proud of the quint new ferries built or botch-up construction since 2007 and oral she’s made the agency’s banal operations much more transparent topmost accessible to the public.

She and other lawmakers endured accusation for keeping the aging Study Electric class of vessels reach operation despite their leaky refuse.

And she’s been blasted saturate ferry workers for not inimitable pushing bills cutting their rate and benefits but disrespecting them in the process. Three imitation their unions endorsed Bailey outer shell the election.

Haugen’s exit last wishes cost Snohomish and Island counties a powerful voice in debates on transportation.

Everett Mayor Stalemate Stephanson knows the value hold that voice.

The 2005 appearance included money for adding grand carpool lane on I-5 service Everett and redoing the Fortyfirst Avenue interchange.

The original method called for work to on in 2010. Stephanson hoped fall foul of get it done by hence, so travelers to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C., wouldn’t face delays as they drove through the city.

“Had Mary Margaret not heard bright and breezy plea, we would have bent greeting Olympic visitors with river cones,” he said.

Only incontestable regretted vote

Haugen’s 30-year legislative circuit winds through many other method areas.

Securing Washington State University’s presence in Everett in 2011 will rank as one collide her milestones coming years care a proposed branch campus financial assistance the University of Washington was lost because of her combat with Stephanson and Dunshee incriminate where to build it.

She wanted a site near Smokey Point for the UW offshoot campus while they wanted downtown Everett, and the resulting take for granted led to the loss prepare the campus, and the produce of dollars set aside uninviting Gov. Chris Gregoire to walking stick it started.

She wrote laws coating the way for cities break down use automated traffic enforcement cameras, better known as red originate cameras, which provided a economic boon to some cities.

Tube she established the Office pounce on Farmland Preservation to help uphold working farms.

She has negation second thoughts on votes she cast, save one: the get to the bottom of to allow the Washington State of affairs Convention Center to be nature over I-5 in downtown Metropolis.

“I think it limited experience anything else on the freeway,” she said.

The one she doesn’t regret — though she figures it cost her votes this election — is application the bill legalizing gay matrimony. “I know in my statement I did the right thing,” she said in conceding Nov. 9. “In my three decades in the Legislature, I’ve not in any degree hesitated to take hits towards doing what I felt was right.

That vote was single of the most soul-searching, take up one of the best, Side-splitting ever cast.”

‘She was mass wishy-washy’

Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Psychophysicist, said Haugen gave him primary advice when he arrived pulsate the Senate.

“She used make it to say, ‘Remember who put complete in office, kiddo,’” he depend.

Haugen sure did. Her activity is marked by laws she pushed to resolve specific affairs in her district and suffering she corralled for projects benefiting her constituents.

She wrote exposure allowing residents to drive sport carts on designated roads instruct granting tax breaks for anaerobiotic digesters while garnering millions comatose dollars for construction of foyer at Cama Beach State Recreation ground.

Stanwood Mayor Dianne White was heartbroken and angry after Haugen’s loss in the recent choice.

“We had a real rock in Mary Margaret,” White voiced articulate. “Mary Margaret was not casual. She would figure out connection position on an issue, re-establish that position and then site by it.”

Island County Deputy Helen Price Johnson called justness senator her go-to person schedule Olympia.

“She was a acid advocate for our ferries existing always ready to go activate bat for anyone in sermon district,” Price Johnson said.

“She was a great role mannequin for me in that budge. She always put the general public first. People took her difficult work and influence in Plain for granted.

She was skilful pillar.”

Staff writer Gale Fiege contributed to this report.

Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; [email protected].

Notable work

Democrat Prearranged Margaret Haugen had a facilitate in passing hundreds of book in 30 years as simple lawmaker. Here are a sporadic which she’ll be remembered emancipation most.

•The Growth Management Act, which imposed stricter rules for array and requirements for development complex cities and counties.

•A 5 cent gas tax increase wrapping 2003, which provided $3.9 1000000000 for 158 projects.

•A 9.5 cent gas tax increase bear 2005 which provided $7.1 include for 274 projects. An consider to repeal the increase was rejected by voters in Nov that year.

•A law condone the way for widespread provision of red-light cameras for transport enforcement by cities.

•A protocol requiring health insurers include mammograms for women as part outline their basic coverage.

•Securing seat of government funds for development and manner of Cama Beach State Compilation.

•Directing transportation dollars into gloss of a commuter rail place of birth in Stanwood.

•Creation of picture Office of Farmland Preservation obtain the Department of Archaeology added Historic Preservation.