Senator Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island, released the statement below in recognition of last week’s christening of M/V Samish, a 144-vehicle ferry, to the state’s fleet.

In 2011, as a member of the Senate Transportation Committee, Ranker developed a plan to create a 25-cent surcharge (SB 5742) to build the Samish. Part of that agreement was to dedicate the ferry created by that surcharge to serve the San Juan Islands:

“This is a great day for our community and for anyone who depends on our ferry system to get to work and get back home and also for communities such as ours where ferries serve as a critical lifeline for our economy.

“For those of us who call the San Juan Islands home, the Puget Sound is our freeway. We must have more safe, up-to-date and reliable vessels. Today we do.

“It is incredible to see our efforts from years past secure the San Juan Islands their first new ferry in decades.

“To tell you the truth, it took a lot of work and a long time to get this bill through the Senate and to the Governor’s desk. Transportation is one of those hot-button issues, and there are roads and bridges throughout the state that are in dire need of an upgrade. Every dollar is critical, but Olympia now realizes the vital importance of our ferry system and the need for it to function at full capacity.

“Unfortunately, my responsibilities as a lead negotiator on the state’s operating budget have kept me in Olympia and will prevent me from being in attendance when Washington State First Lady Trudi Inslee christens the vessel last week.

But I would like to thank her as well as my seatmates, Rep. Jeff Morris and Kris Lytton, for their tireless work to get this job done.”