Regarding Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Providing for Green Collar Jobs (SB 6516/HB 2815)

The Governor’s office has been holding a series of meetings with stakeholders regarding the cap and trade system provisions included in these bills. Issues include: Department of Ecology authority, offsets for forests and agriculture, and vehicle miles traveled. The bills will be amended to incorporate comments and concerns resulting from these meetings. Stay tuned.

Public TV Station Restrictions During Elections (HB 2904)

This bill has been significantly amended and now reads that "Local government access channels shall develop policies to avoid preferential treatment of incumbent candidates for county or city legislature or for city or county executive, that apply beginning June 1st of an election year and continue through the general election in November." The bill is now in the House Rules Committee.

Energy Efficiency Related Bills (SB 6379/HB 2876 and SB 6515/HB 2888)

SB 6379/HB 2876 proposes to exempt certain energy efficient appliances and equipment from retail sales taxes. In addition, labor and services rendered in repairing, cleaning, altering, or improving the listed energy efficient appliances and equipment would be exempted from retail sales and use taxes.

SB 6515/HB 2888 proposes a sales and use tax exemption to public entities for performance based contracted energy equipment and services and energy management systems. According to the proponents, it is estimated that the proposed exemption would save state agencies and local governments approximately $1.2 M a year. The state would lose that much sales-tax revenue, but only for only one year, while the energy and cost savings from each project would last an average of 10 years.

The House versions of both these bills are in the Finance Committee and the Senate versions of these bills are in the Ways and Means Committees.

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