Legislature passes halfway mark: calls from home vital

We are just over halfway through this year’s 105-day legislative session and making progress on a number of key AWC priorities.

On Monday of this week we saw a flurry of committee activity as the fiscal committees worked aggressively to get legislation moving before the March 2 cutoff for all bills except those necessary to implement the budget. The remainder of the week, weekend and most of next week will be spent on the floor as legislators work towards the March 12 deadline for bills to clear the house of origin. Again, matters necessary to implement the budget are except from all cut-offs.

As mentioned above, we are making progress on several of our key issues. All too often, bills simply die because there is no legislator who asks for the measure to be brought up for a vote. Contacting your legislators can be critical in helping the following AWC priority bills move.

• HB 1422 - Clarifies the definition of "use" for taxation of natural/manufactured gas in response to a May 2008 Court of Appeals decision that could negatively impact the nearly 50 cities that levy this tax.
• HB 2006 - Grants counties and cities two additional years to comply with review and revision requirements of the Growth Management Act.
• SHB 1147/2SSB 5433 - Removes non-supplant language for 0.3% sales tax and multi-year levy lid lift and broadens the 0.3% public safety uses to include fire services.
• SSB 5808/SHB 2020 - Facilitates annexations and creates a new interlocal agreement method.
• SHB 1744/SB 5630 - Harmonizes the first and second quarter local REET and allows its use for park maintenance.
• SHB 1591 - Proposes favorable modifications to the Transportation Benefit District statute.

We are also working to defeat harmful legislation that has moved out of the policy and/or fiscal committees. Two of those adverse measures are SHB 1714, concerning health insurance; and ESHB 1956, authorizing churches to host temporary encampments for homeless persons on property owned or controlled by a church. Please see the General Local Government and Land Use sections of this Bulletin for more details. City officials are urged to contact their legislators and ask that they oppose these two harmful measures.

Between now and the anticipated adjournment on April 26, the legislative session will become more hectic. There will be greater pressure to get legislation out of the second house and lobbyists will try to resurrect dead measures by amending them onto live bills. We will keep you apprised of what’s going on and seek your assistance on measures that may need that crucial "call from home."

Thanks for your help!!!

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