Hearing set for sales tax hike bill

Rep. Eric Pettigrew, D-Seattle, is planning a public hearing and executive session Friday on his bill to raise the sales tax to fund health care and social service programs threatened by budget cuts.

He scheduled an 8 a.m. hearing on House Bill 2377 in front of the panel he chairs, the House Health and Human Services Appropriations Committee.

Then, at 5 p.m., the committee is slated to consider approving it. It's unclear if it would then go to the full House Ways and Means Committee or straight to Rules Committee where it could be jettisoned onto the floor for a vote this weekend - if the House is in session.

Pettigrew and Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, D-Seattle, introduced the bill Wednesday, the same day thousands of people protested against new taxes at the Capitol.

It would put a measure on the ballot to raise the sales tax by three-tenths of a cent starting Jan. 1, 2010. The hike would stay in effect for three years.

The legislation earmarks money for specific programs. These include:

$167 million - Basic Health Plan
$77.25 million - long term care and nursing homes
$75 million - hospitals
$24.2 million - community mental health centers
$13.35 million - reimburse providers of health care to children
$19.2 million - Healthy Options
$Z3 million - local public health providers

Another $105 million is earmarked for the Working Families Tax Credit program in the next biennium; $32 million in the first year and $73 million in the second year.

This program is not up and operating and may not be for some time. Nor is it clear whether this is an item the public would be willing to endorse as part of a ballot measure.

If that's a real threat, there's always amendments.