Legislature
OLYMPIA — Here’s how local lawmakers voted on major issues in the week ending Feb. 19.
State Senate
Heritage and arts funding
ESSB 6051 passed the Senate, 28-19, extending the expiration date related to heritage and arts program funding from the hotel-motel tax in King County. The bill also requires that starting in 2021, 37.5 percent of the hotel-motel tax collected in King County shall be dedicated to arts and heritage programs and clarifies that Yakima County can continue to collect the hotel-motel tax until 2035. ESSB 6051 is now scheduled for public hearing before the House Finance Committee.
Voting yes: Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell; Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island; Sen. Paull Shin, D-Edmonds); Sen. Darlene Fairley, D-Lake Forest Park; Sen. Jean Berkey, D-Everett; Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens)
Voting no: Sen. Val Stevens, R-Arlington
Tuition-setting authority
E2SSB 6562 passed the Senate, 29-19, giving the governing boards for the University of Washington, Washington State University and Western Washington University the authority to set tuition and fees for resident undergraduate students. This act does not apply to technical and community colleges, or to the other four-year higher education institutions in the state. E2SSB does state that the governing boards may not exceed 14 percent in any one year increase or the average annual compounded rate of increase may not exceed 9 percent per year over 15 years, whichever is less. E2SSB, which also requires adoption of performance agreements to coincide with the tuition increases, is now before the House Education Committee for further consideration.
Voting yes: McAuliffe, Haugen, Shin, Fairley, Berkey, Hobbs
Voting no: Stevens
Public records
ESB 6754 would make available as public records the names, addresses and signatures of persons who sign a petition for initiatives or referendums. This means they would be available to be inspected or copied by other individuals after being submitted to the Secretary of State. ESB 6754 also requires petitions to contain the following warning: “Signature petitions are public documents. By signing this document, your name, address and signature may be released as part of a public records request.” ESB 6754 passed the Senate, 28-20, and is now before the House for further consideration.
Voting yes: McAuliffe, Haugen, Shin, Fairley, Berkey, Hobbs
Voting no: Stevens
State House
I-960 suspended
ESSB 6130, which passed the House, 51-47, would temporarily repeal provisions of the voter-approved Initiative 960 until after July 1, 2011. The House amended ESSB 6130, restoring public notification requirements and cost projections when a tax increase is proposed in the legislature. Other provisions that are being repealed include the requirement to have a two-thirds majority vote to raise taxes by the Legislature and the requirement to have a tax advisory vote for any tax increase not referred to voters or otherwise blocked from public vote. The Senate, which previously passed ESSB 6130, 26-22, will now reconsider the bill as amended by the House.
Voting yes: Rep. Mark Ericks, D-Bothell; Rep. Al O’Brien, D-Mountlake Terrace; Rep. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds; Rep. Mary Helen Roberts, D-Edmonds; Rep. Maralyn Chase, D-Shoreline; Rep. Ruth Kagi, D-Lake Forest Park; Rep. John McCoy, D-Tulalip; Rep. Mike Sells, D-Everett; Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish.
Voting no: Rep. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor; Rep. Norma Smith, R-Whidbey Island; Rep. Dan Kristiansen, R-Snohomish; Rep. Kirk Pearson, R-Monroe; Rep. Mike Hope, R-Lake Stevens.
Hotel-motel excise taxes
ESHB 2912 would require the hotel-motel tax in King County to be deposited into dedicated accounts once the obligations for current stadium debts are paid. The bill specifies that the dedicated accounts will be used to fund arts and heritage programs, affordable housing, public health services and human services provided by nonprofit organizations. ESHB 2912 also stipulates that none of the tax shall be used to fund college stadiums, but does allow the funding to be used for youth and amateur sports facilities, regional centers, performing arts centers, and community development. ESHB 2912 passed the House by a vote of 53 to 45 and is now before the Senate Ways &Means Committee.
Voting yes: Ericks, O’Brien, Roberts, Chase, Kagi, McCoy, Sells, Dunshee
Voting no: Bailey, Smith, Liias, Kristiansen, Pearson, Hope
Public safety
ESHB 3179, which passed the House, 51-47, allows a city to impose sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed 0.1 percent for the purpose of public safety. In order to impose the sales and use tax a city must first receive voter approval. The bill also allows a city with a population of more than 200,000 and located in a county with a population of more than 800,000 to impose the mental health/chemical dependency sales and use tax. ESHB 3179 clarifies that the brokered natural gas use tax shall be imposed at the location where the gas is consumed or stored by the customer and also allows local gambling revenue to be used for general public safety programs. ESHB 3179 is now before the Senate for further consideration.
Voting yes: Ericks, O’Brien, Roberts, Chase, Kagi, McCoy, Sells, Dunshee
Voting no: Bailey, Smith, Liias, Kristiansen, Pearson, Hope
Vote by mail
2SHB 1572 would require that all counties in the state conduct elections by mail. In addition, 2SHB 1572 changes precinct sizes to limit to no more than 2,000 active registered voters by effective 2012 and allows appointment of two precinct committee officers there is more than 2,000 active registered voters. 2SHB 1572 passed the House by a vote of 57 to 41 and is now before the Senate Committee on Government Operations &Elections.
Voting yes: Ericks, O’Brien, Liias, Roberts, Chase, Kagi, McCoy, Sells, Dunshee
Voting no: Bailey, Smith, Kristiansen, Pearson, Hope
www.WashingtonVotes.org today
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