Kriss Sjoblom, WRC vice president and economist, will serve on the new state debt commission established by SB 5181. Here’s how the bill report describes the commission’s activity.

A commission is established to examine the use of debt in Washington State and make recommendations on debt policy and debt limitations. Commission members include the State Treasurer; the Director of the Office of Financial Management; four legislators, one from each of the four major caucuses; and six independent experts, three appointed by the Governor and three appointed by the State Treasurer. The commission’s report is due December 1, 2011.

Kriss is a long-time member of the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors. Washington’s debt load has been a growing concern for analysts, as we highlighted in our Thrive Washington series.

Washington’s taxpayer-supported debt is untenably high. The credit-rating service Moody’s ranked the state eighth in the nation on a per capita basis for 2009. The $2,226 state government-issued debt per capita is more than twice the median figure of $936.

Lawmakers deserve credit for tackling the issue now. We’re proud Kriss will be a part of the solution.