Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spin Control

WA Lege Day 44: More on 2/3rds majorities

OLYMPIA -- There are many different attempts to cement a requirement for a two-thirds supermajority for taxes into law.

Today, the Senate Ways and Means Committee has a hearing on a proposed constitutional amendment that would do that. The same panel also has a hearing on declaring wolves "big game" under the state's fish and wildlife laws, and setting up a fund to reimburse landowners for loses to the big carnivores. (The financial committees are coming up on a deadline to pass bills, so their hearing schedules are a bit of a smorgasbord.)

House Finance Committee had a hearing on a bill that tries to sort out a problem arising out of the state getting out of the liquor sale business, and the dispute between distributors and stores over who pays what taxes when a store sells booze to a bar or restaurant.

House Appropriations Committee's list includes a bill on the costs of operating the state health insurance exchange.

A full list of committee hearings is inside the blog.

Legislative Meeting Schedule

 

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Time

Committee

Location

 

8:00 AM

Capital Budget (H)

House Hearing Rm B

 
 

Finance (H)

House Hearing Rm A

 

9:00 AM

SENATE SESSION/CAUCUS

   

9:55 AM

PRO FORMA HOUSE SESSION

   

1:30 PM

Transportation (S)

Senate Hearing Rm 1

 
 

Ways & Means (S)

Senate Hearing Rm 4

 
 

Appropriations (H)

House Hearing Rm A

 
 

Transportation (H)

House Hearing Rm B

 

3:30 PM

Transportation (S)

Senate Hearing Rm 1

 
 

Ways & Means (S)

Senate Hearing Rm 4

 


Back to Top

 


 

House Committees


Appropriations*
2/26/13 1:30 pm

House Full Committee
House Hearing Rm A
John L. O'Brien Building
Olympia, WA

REVISED 2/23/2013 1:43 PM

Public Hearing:

  1. SHB 1177- Modifying the education accountability system to allow state criteria, resources, and strategies to be used for assistance and intervention.
  2. SHB 1302- Concerning extended foster care services.
  3. SHB 1313- Establishing minimum standards for sick and safe leave from employment.
  4. HB 1333- Restoring payment rates for community residential providers and annually adjusting payment rates for community residential providers by the rate of inflation.
  5. SHB 1341- Creating a claim for compensation for wrongful conviction and imprisonment.
  6. SHB 1522- Improving behavioral health services provided to adults in Washington state.
  7. HB 1542- Concerning the provision of and reimbursement for certain court interpreter services.
  8. SHB 1627- Regarding competency to stand trial evaluations.
  9. SHB 1642- Establishing policies to support academic acceleration for high school students.
  10. HB 1668- Allowing certain separated plan 2 members of the retirement systems to participate in insurance plans and contracts.
  11. SHB 1723- Concerning early learning opportunities.
  12. SHB 1753- Regulating interpreter services.
  13. SHB 1817- Adding eligibility criteria for higher education financial aid.
  14. HB 1911- Concerning health care services for inmates in city, county, and regional jails.
  15. HB 1913- Addressing service credit for certain school employee service workers.
  16. HB 1923- Authorizing membership in the Washington public safety employees' retirement system for employees at city and county corrections departments, public corrections entities, the department of corrections, and the department of social and health services who provide direct care to, or ensure the custody and safety of, offender and patient populations.
  17. HB 1929- Authorizing the inclusion of qualified trades people at public utility districts in the Washington public safety employees' retirement system.
  18. HB 1947- Concerning the operating expenses of the Washington health benefit exchange.

 

Back to Top


Capital Budget*
2/26/13 8:00 am

House Full Committee
House Hearing Rm B
John L. O'Brien Building
Olympia, WA

REVISED 2/25/2013 9:32 AM

Public Hearing:

  1. SHB 1563- Concerning the disposition of surplus property for the development of affordable housing.
  2. SHB 1617- Concerning the administrative costs for the allocation, management, and oversight of housing trust fund investments.


Possible Executive Session:

  1. SHB 1563- Concerning the disposition of surplus property for the development of affordable housing.
  2. SHB 1617- Concerning the administrative costs for the allocation, management, and oversight of housing trust fund investments.
  3. SHB 1648- Providing for community economic revitalization in incorporated areas.
  4. HB 1841- Authorizing electronic competitive bidding for state public works contracting.

 

Back to Top


Finance*
2/26/13 8:00 am

House Full Committee
House Hearing Rm A
John L. O'Brien Building
Olympia, WA

REVISED 2/22/2013 1:38 PM

Public Hearing:

  1. HB 1912- Extending the expiration date of the existing business and occupation tax rate for the manufacture and wholesale of certain solar energy systems.
  2. SHB 1663- Extending the sales and use tax exemption for hog fuel used to produce electricity, steam, heat, or biofuel.
  3. HB 1932- Providing a business and occupation tax exemption for amounts received by hotel management companies for covered employee costs.
  4. SHB 1437- Concerning small farms under the current use property tax program for farm and agricultural lands.
  5. SHB 1306- Extending the expiration dates of the local infrastructure financing tool program.
  6. SHB 1693- Providing tax relief for new businesses in high growth business sectors.
  7. HB 1567- Concerning a sales and use tax exemption for certain financial information provided to qualifying businesses providing international investment management services.
  8. HB 1710- Concerning the taxation of commuter air carriers.
  9. HB 1575- Creating greater efficiency in the offices of county assessor by eliminating the requirement to annually appraise tax-exempt government properties.
  10. SHB 1161- Concerning sales for resale by retail licensees of liquor.
  11. HB 1486- Concerning voter-approved benefit charges for regional fire protection service authorities.
  12. SHB 1488- Concerning the continued imposition of benefit charges for fire protection districts.
  13. HB 1576- Creating greater efficiency in the offices of county assessors by allowing notification via electronic means. (If measure is referred to committee.)
  14. HB 1958- Affirming centralized payroll services as nontaxable between affiliated companies.
  15. HB 1960- Establishing benefit assessment charges for metropolitan park districts.


Executive Session:

  1. HB 1004- Concerning payment of property taxes.
  2. HB 1558- Concerning the taxation of honey beekeepers.
  3. HB 1493- Concerning the property taxation of mobile homes and park model trailers.
  4. SHB 1217- Strengthening the integrity, fairness, and equity in Washington's property assessment system.
  5. HB 1489- Concerning the sales and use taxation of florists.
  6. SHB 1040- Concerning real property valuation notices.
  7. HB 1598- Providing an exemption for certain lodging services from the convention and trade center tax.
  8. HB 1634- Including the value of solar, biomass, and geothermal facilities in the property tax levy limit calculation.
  9. HB 1856- Concerning fossil fuel production.
  10. HB 1695- Allowing the use of lodging taxes for financing workforce housing and tourism promotion activities or facilities.
  11. HB 1253- Concerning the lodging tax.

 

Back to Top


Transportation
2/26/13 1:30 pm

House Full Committee
House Hearing Rm B
John L. O'Brien Building
Olympia, WA

Public Hearing:

  1. HB 1387- Eliminating the periodic replacement requirement for license plates.
  2. HB 1726- Modifying certain vehicle registration renewal requirements.
  3. HB 1902- Creating intermittent-use trailer license plates.
  4. HB 1892- Modifying certain provisions regarding transportation benefit districts.
  5. HB 1880- Limiting the scope of the department of transportation's administration of the state's ferry system.
  6. HB 1879- Concerning the review of and recommendations for ferry fares.
  7. HB 1922- Concerning highway construction workforce development.

 

Back to Top


Senate Committees

The schedule is subject to the addition of more committee agendas. Please check our website, http://www.leg.wa.gov/legislature/pages/calendar.aspx


Transportation*
2/26/13 1:30 pm

Senate Full Committee
Senate Hearing Rm 1
J.A. Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA

REVISED 2/25/2013 11:29 AM

Work Session: Washington State Ferries- Washington State Department of Transportation.

Public Hearing:

  1. SB 5846- Requiring the evaluation of options to mitigate the effect of tolling Interstate 90 west of Interstate 405 on certain residents.
  2. SB 5849- Concerning electric vehicle charging stations (Hearing is on the Proposed Substitute).
  3. S-0407.3- Modifying certain requirements for ferry vessel construction.
  4. SB 5854- Addressing debt service from the Tacoma Narrows toll bridge account.


The Proposed Substitute is posted on the Committee's website at: http://www.leg.wa.gov/Senate/Committees/TRAN/Pages/default.aspxand is also available from committee staff. Possible executive session on bills heard in committee. Other business.

Transportation
2/26/13 3:30 pm

Senate Full Committee
Senate Hearing Rm 1
J.A. Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA

Public Hearing: Continuation of 1:30 p.m. hearing.

Possible executive session on bills heard in committee. Other business.

Back to Top


Ways & Means*
2/26/13 1:30 pm

Senate Full Committee
Senate Hearing Rm 4
J.A. Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA

REVISED 2/25/2013 12:55 PM

Public Hearing:

  1. SB 5561- Concerning the business and occupation taxation of dairy products.
  2. SB 5647- Requiring the department of revenue to publish their determinations.
  3. SB 5831- Providing a sales and use tax exemption for clay targets purchased by nonprofit gun clubs.
  4. SSB 5480- Accelerating changes to mental health involuntary commitment laws.
  5. SB 5691- Concerning veterans' homes.
  6. SSB 5732- Concerning the adult behavioral health system in Washington state.
  7. SB 5808- Affirming centralized payroll services as nontaxable between affiliated companies.
  8. SSB 5656- Revising business licensing systems.
  9. SSB 5680- Promoting economic development by providing information to businesses.
  10. SSB 5624- Aligning high-demand secondary STEM or career and technical education programs with applied baccalaureate programs. (Hearing is on proposed Substitute).
  11. SB 5318- Removing the one-year waiting period for veterans or active members of the military for purposes of eligibility for resident tuition.
  12. SSB 5560- Modifying job skills program provisions.
  13. SB 5709- Concerning a pilot program to demonstrate the feasibility of using densified biomass to heat public schools.
  14. SB 5641- Requiring the governor's signature on significant legislative rules.
  15. SB 5717- Addressing competitive contracting.
  16. SJR 8205- Amending the Constitution to require a two-thirds majority vote of the legislature to raise taxes.
  17. SSB 5193- Concerning large wild carnivore conflict management.
  18. SSB 5219- Retaining water resources to assure the vitality of local economies.
  19. SSB 5243- Establishing policies to support academic acceleration for high school students.
  20. SSB 5365- Increasing the capacity of school districts to recognize and respond to troubled youth.
  21. SSB 5588- Requiring an analysis of how school districts use school days.


Possible executive session on bills heard in committee. Other business.

Ways & Means
2/26/13 3:30 pm

Senate Full Committee
Senate Hearing Rm 4
J.A. Cherberg Building
Olympia, WA

Public Hearing: Continuation of 1:30 p.m. hearing.

Possible executive session on bills heard in committee. Other business.

Back to Top



The Spokesman-Review's political team keeps a critical eye on local, state and national politics.