WA legislature continues to weigh cuts, new revenue proposals
A Washington Senate committee is considering a variety of tax bills proposed by legislative Democrats as part of their budget proposals.
The bills include a tax on people and businesses that own more than 50 million dollars-worth of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other financial assets.
A few dozen people testified before the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Monday, including Rian Watt from the progressive Economic Opportunity Institute.
"This proposal is popular. Washington voters overwhelmingly upheld the capital gains tax on the ultra wealthy in last November’s election," Watt said. "And a recent survey showed that 66% of respondents supported a tax on Washington residents with extreme wealth."
He said he’s not worried that many of the state’s richest people will flee the state.
Professional initiative sponsor Tim Eyman blasted the proposal.
"Government’s going to take money away from people who earned it and give it to people who didn’t," Eyman said. "These people earned their money. They’ve already been taxed on it and yet you want to tax it again. It’s being pushed to pit citizens against one another.”
The committee is also considering a Democratic bill that would lower the state’s sales tax by a half a percentage point.
Thorpe Road land swap deal may be sealed
Spokane-area conservation groups are making a final plea to the state Department of Natural Resources to stall or prevent the exchange of woodland in Western Spokane to a developer.
In January, the DNR board voted to approve swapping 200 acres of forested land for a four-acre parcel in Bellingham.
The Spokane land would go to Blue Fern Development, which has plans to build as many as a thousand homes in the Latah Valley area.
The state would get the Bellingham parcel, turning it into trust land that generates money for education expenses like school construction.
The conservation group Washington Wild is appealing to DNR to halt the exchange before April 6, claiming in a letter to the state that the agreement had been rushed and the property had been incorrectly valued.
The group wants DNR to invoke the agreement’s termination clause at their meeting today.
However, the topic does not appear on the meeting agenda.
DNR spokesperson Ryan Rodruck confirmed to SPR that materials about the exchange agreement were provided to board members but that the agenda will be the one published on the agency’s site.
The meeting takes place at 9 o’clock Tuesday morning.
GOP support for clean energy is growing
A small but growing group of Republican lawmakers is defending the clean energy tax credits in President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.
Central Washington Representative Dan Newhouse joined 20 colleagues earlier this month, signing a letter to the chair of the U.S. Ways and Means Committee.
They say they agree with the Trump administration’s energy independence and domination goals.
And they’re urging preservation of the tax credits to support clean energy in reaching those goals.
State Senator Matt Boehnke (R-Kennewick), from Washington’s 8th district, said he strongly agrees.
"We do a lot with the local industries, of trying to develop what the next generation of power is going to be, and that's whether it's hydro, wind, solar, you name it (…) including nuclear and advanced nuclear power," Boehnke said. "And as you know, most of these come with risk to not only communities, but risk in the market."
One study says more than half of new clean energy projects are located in House districts represented by Republicans.
More than $700-million in clean energy investments generating about 800 jobs are concentrated in the 4th District, whose U.S. House seat is held by Newhouse.
ID budget battles continue well after target date for session end
The Idaho Senate took its turn to start killing proposed budgets — this time, the state tax commission was in the crosshairs.
As James Dawson reports, the budget included extra spending related to a private school subsidy passed earlier this year.
The Idaho Tax Commission says it needs seven new employees, totaling $675,000 to implement House Bill 93. That’s the law offering $50 million in tax credits to families who enroll their children in private school or use the money for other educational expenses.
Senate Republican Leader Lori Den Hartog, who sponsored that program, said the cost for the full-time positions will come out of the original $50 million.
"It’s not in addition or on top of that, so the fiscal note is still the same. It is more [full-time positions] than we had originally known at the time of passage," she said.
Several lawmakers who opposed the bill, including Republican Sen. Dave Lent, said these surprise costs aren’t OK.
"It troubles me that somehow we soften it by saying the money comes out of the original [$50 million] so it somehow makes that OK," Lent said.
The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee will now have to redraft the budget in order to cover those costs.
Idaho senators propose new 'medical freedom' bill after veto
Idaho senators have chosen not to override Gov. Brad Little’s veto on a so-called "medical freedom bill." Instead, they decided to introduce a new, but only slightly changed proposal.
The latest version of the "Idaho Medical Freedom Act" is largely the same as its vetoed cousin.
Private daycare centers would be exempt from these requirements under the new bill.
However, other private businesses, schools and government entities could not require a student, customer or employee to treat any of their illnesses.
That includes highly contagious conditions, like pink eye, lice or the measles.
Gov. Little’s veto letter from Saturday said the bill would make it harder for parents to keep their kids healthy and safe.
The vetoed version of the bill passed with enough support in the House to override the governor, but it would’ve needed five more votes in the Senate to do so.
Eid officially recognized by WA legislature
A bill to officially recognize two Muslim holidays is headed to Washington Governor Bob Ferguson’s desk.
The House on Monday approved legislation to make Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha unpaid holidays.
Redmond Democratic Representative Osman Salahuddin, one of two Muslims in the Washington legislature, said the measure gives people the option of taking off two days without pay to celebrate their faith.
"This bill is not about mandating an observance or paid time off, but rather about ensuring that these holidays and our Muslim community are seen and respected, while cherishing our constitutional freedom as Americans to celebrate and practice our faiths, however we choose, free of fear and judgment," Salahuddin said.
The bill passed the House, 68-29. Rep. Jeremie Dufault (R-Yakima) said he voted no because it sets a precedent.
"Article 1, Section 11 of the Washington state Constitution says that we should not support the establishment of religion," Dufault said. "Easter is not a legislatively-recognized day. Good Friday, a school day when my children go to school, is not a legislatively-recognized day. Yom Kippur is not a legislatively-recognized day."
Christmas, however, is listed as a state holiday.
The Senate approved the legislation by a 97-1 vote.
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Reporting by Doug Nadvornick, Owen Henderson, Bellamy Pailthorp and James Dawson.