Jay Inslee was sworn in as Washington’s 23rd Governor this morning.  A Democrat, Inslee outlined priorities for his coming years as the State’s chief executive. With a top priority of “job creation,” Governor Inslee outlined 7 key areas where job growth will be focused, including; transportation, our military, education and green energy.

Vowing “disruptive change,” Inslee said “I heard a clear and powerful message on Election Day. The people of Washington state are tired of a state government that doesn’t change with the times. Today we begin a multi-year effort to bring disruptive change to Olympia, starting with the very core of how we do business” 

These changes include moving from a government focused on “inputs” to one on “outputs,” a government focused on  “knowing its customers and what they value,” and looking at all government processes and striving for continued improvement. Rallying public employees to be “change agents” in government, Inslee plans to focus on “data driven results” and “accountability” as he moves forward.

While Inslee spoke to the Supreme Court’s McCleary decision and the funding implications it has on K-12 education, he was relatively mum on higher education issues.

As Inslee outlines his legislative, and higher education, priorities we will continue to keep you updated.