Legislative Democrats seek agreement on key issues this weekend, as this year’s regular session draws to a close

by Sue | Apr 25, 2021 | 2021 Olympia Bills to Watch, Olympia News & Views 2021

Olympia, WA – April 23, 2021 – Heading into the last two days of this year’s 105-day regular session, lawmakers are working this weekend to reach final agreement on major bills that have passed both chambers with key differences between versions. The session is scheduled to end at midnight this Sunday, April 25th.

Led by majority House and Senate Democrats, budget writers appear to have negotiated an agreement on a 2021-23 state operating budget. However, the final bill, running to several hundred pages, will not be released until Saturday.

House leaders plan to bring the budget bill for debate and vote to the floor on Saturday, while the Senate will likely wait until Sunday to take up the bill. In either case, other legislators and the public will have very little time to review what is likely to be a $58-59 billion two-year spending plan. (more…)

Waning days of legislative session may hold some surprises, as state lawmakers take last-minute actions on contentious issues

by Sue | Apr 19, 2021 | 2021 Olympia Bills to Watch, Olympia News & Views 2021

Olympia, WA – April 16, 2021 – News release from Washington Votes.org – After last Sunday’s cut-off deadlines for passing policy bills in this year’s legislative session, floor action has focused mostly on House and Senate concurrence calendars. Bills that have passed with amendments by the opposite chamber must be returned to the house of origin for concurrence—agreement with the amendments, and for a vote on final passage before finalized bills can be sent to the governor for his signature or veto.

So far, each chamber has concurred on several dozen bills, with dozens more scheduled for action in the remaining 10 days of this year’s session. Amended bills on which both houses cannot agree are classified as “in-dispute,” and a “conference committee,” appointed by leadership in both chambers, works out the differences—typically with a compromise that is then voted on by the full House and Senate. (more…)

Fuel for Your Car & Electricity Getting Expensive? The Bills Passed This Week Will Make it Worse.

by Sue | Apr 11, 2021 | 2021 Olympia Bills to Watch, Olympia News & Views 2021

by Ruth Peterson – April 11, 2021 – It was a terrible week for the citizens of WA State. There were many awful bills that were passed this week, but there were a pair of them that will make it even harder for people to survive economically in this state. Fuel for vehicles and the cost of heating your home are two huge expenditures that people make in their lives – especially those in the rural areas.

The senate passed a cap and tax bill after an hours-long debate. Later that same day, they passed a low carbon fuel standard bill (which we call a High Cost Fuel Standard). Between the two of them, gas prices will increase around 40-60 cents per gallon with NO money that would go to improving infrastructure. But don’t worry – the Democrats are raising the gas tax, as well, and there is a pay-per-mile scheme included in the Transportation Budget.

The worst part about these bills is that people out in the public who think this is a good idea believe themselves to be so well-educated. They believe the hype from the Democrat lawmakers. “Save the earth,” they say. “Reduce Carbon,” they say. No matter what you believe about the validity of the climate change issue in the first place, these policies do little to help reduce carbon except in one specific way. They make it more expensive to use energy. (more…)

State Senate passes record $59.2 billion spending plan for 2021-23. House budget version up for debate and vote on Saturday.

by Sue | Apr 6, 2021 | 2021 Olympia Bills to Watch, Olympia News & Views 2021

With less than a month left in this year’s 105-day regular session, state lawmakers are poised for lengthy floor sessions in the coming days, beginning this Saturday and extending through next Sunday, April 11th. That is the last day for both houses to pass legislation sent to them by the opposite chamber. Budget-related measures, however, are not subject to cutoff deadlines.

On Thursday, Senate Democrats successfully pushed through their 2021-23 state operating budget proposal (SB 5092) by a partisan 27-22 vote following lengthy debate. The plan would spend a record $59.2 billion on state programs in the next two years, nearly $8 billion more than the $51.5 billion budget for the current 2019-21 biennium.

As passed by the Senate, the plan assumes passage of a constitutionally questionable capital gains state income tax and would nearly empty the state’s “rainy day” reserve funds.

The income tax on capital gains measure (SB 5096) passed the Senate by a 25-24 vote last month, but has not yet been scheduled for a vote in the House. A bill to impose a $100 surcharge on recorded documents (HB 1277), to spend on homeless and affordable housing programs passed the House last Sunday by a 57-40 partisan vote and will be considered by the Senate next week. This measure would add about $250 million in new taxes and fees imposed on Washington businesses.

Senate Republicans proposed a floor amendment to replace the Democrats’ plan with a proposal of their own. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Lynda Wilson (R-Vancouver), would spend $55.2 billion over the next two years. It would pay for needed state programs without new or increased taxes, while leaving more than $1.8 billion in the state’s reserve fund, compared to the $400 million Senate Democrats propose to leave.

Sen. Wilson’s proposed amendment was rejected by voice vote. Notably, Sen. Wilson also proposed an amendment to provide funding for implementation of a proposal (SB 5039, which is stalled in the Senate) to limit the duration of gubernatorial emergency restrictions to thirty days. This amendment was rejected on a recorded 22-27 party-line vote.

House Democrats are expected to bring their $58.3 billion spending plan to a vote on Saturday. Their plan also assumes the enactment of a capital gains income tax and would also deplete the state’s reserves.

Legislative Democrats have said their spending plans “respond to the needs that the pandemic highlighted, and include millions for the state’s public health system, child care and early learning and efforts on affordable housing and efforts to reduce homelessness.” Republicans have argued that lawmakers should not impose new taxes in the midst of a pandemic, and have said the capital gains tax is illegal under state law and that litigation is certain if the Legislature ultimately approves the tax.

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WashingtonVotes.org is a free service provided by Washington Policy Center and is the go-to tracking tool to keep up with all the action in Olympia, especially during this mostly virtual session. Please check in often and follow us on Facebook and Twitter at #waleg