Legislative Commentary

Dear Friends,

The Legislature is already past the halfway mark of the time allotted for its policy committees to complete their first round of work. In the Senate that means our 13 policy committees have two weeks left to act on Senate bills (the two fiscal committees always get extra time – until March 1 this year). While our Majority Coalition Caucus is moving forward on our three priorities – jobs, education and a sustainable budget – our members are continuing to pursue legislation that would help people they serve and be good for our state as a whole.

Find all the fees charged by state agencies – in one place

Five years ago the governor’s budget office (officially, the Office of Financial Management) was directed to compile a database on fees imposed by state agencies. That database remains available online but is outdated. OFM is updating the database on its own, which is encouraging, but I’m thinking this is something we ought to put into state law.

My plan, most likely, would be to introduce a bill that would require OFM to compile, maintain, and periodically update (every two years) an inventory of all fees that are imposed by state agencies and the state-run colleges and universities. That way the people can see which agency is collecting the fee, the purpose of the fee, the current amount of the fee, the amount of the fee over the previous five years, and the statutory authority for the fee.

Our bipartisan coalition is working to bring more transparency to state government; this would be a very practical step in that direction.

Coalition members look out for and honor our veterans

Thoughtful legislation from several of our coalition members that would recognize and look out for the needs of our veterans saw action at one level or another in the Senate this week.

Senate Joint Memorial 8001 was passed last Wednesday by the Senate. It would ask the state transportation commission to rename the portion of Interstate 5 in our state (from the border with Canada to the border with Oregon) the “Purple Heart Trail.” The designation is to honor of soldiers awarded a Purple Heart for injuries sustained during conflict. The Military Order of the Purple Heart established the Purple Heart Trail in 1992. It’s a symbolic and honorary system of roads, highways, bridges, and other monuments originating in Virginia and in 44 other states (including Interstate 5 in California). There would be no cost if the state transportation commission goes along with the request.

Senate Bill 5318 would expand the definition of “resident student” for military veterans and active service members who are interested in pursuing higher education. The proposed bill would remove the one-year waiting period, making vets and members of the military eligible for in-state tuition. It received a hearing this week before the Senate Higher Education Committee.

Senate Bill 5343, which also went in front of the higher-ed committee, would protect students from being adversely affected if they miss class while participating in National Guard or military reserve activities. It would allow such students to make up assignments or exams without harming their final course grade or evaluation.

Senate Bill 5319 would allow disabled veterans to obtain free access to state parks and other recreational lands. Any person with a lifetime veteran’s disability pass, or if eligible for one, would be entitled to a complimentary Discover Pass under the measure, which received a public hearing last week from the Senate Natural Resources and Parks Committee. Senate Bill 5084, which had received a public hearing 10 days into the session, is similar to SB 5319; it would discount the Discover Pass to $5 rather than make it free of charge.

Senate Bill 5072 would create a sales-tax exemption for disabled veterans and members of the armed forces who require adaptive equipment in order to safely operate their personal vehicles. Washington is only one of four states to tax adaptive equipment prescribed for the disabled. Many people have had to do without adaptive devices due to the prohibitive cost of the tax. I’m a co-sponsor of SB 5072, which came before my colleagues and I on the Senate budget committee for a public hearing last week.

Senate education committee approves three reforms

Washington’s constitution states clearly that the paramount duty of state government is to make “ample provision” for schools; too often, however, those who want more money for education substitute the word “funding” in place of “provision.”

Fortunately, our coalition’s education-policy leaders recognize that providing for education goes beyond funding, and more money alone won’t increase public-school performance. They want to restore the connection between student learning and education funding.

The bills approved this week by the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee help illustrate that.

Senate Bill 5328 would start a pilot program for grading schools this next school year, based on the A-F grading system. The grades themselves would be based on an accountability index to be created by September. It is one step away from being placed on the Senate’s voting calendar.

Senate Bill 5237, which has to do with making sure third-graders are able to read at their grade level before moving on to fourth grade, has moved on to the Senate budget committee; so has Senate Bill 5244, which has to do with school-discipline policies and how to provide educational services to students who have been suspended or expelled.

Both have price tags, so I’ll be seeing them as a member of the budget committee.


New bill aimed at saving, funding state-owned parks

General-fund support for Washington’s state-park system fell from $95 million in the 2007-2009 biennium to $41 million for 2009-2011; revenue from the $30 Discover Pass, created in 2011 as a sort of user fee, has fallen way below expectations. As a result the parks system has entered its centennial year of 2013 struggling to survive while facing hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of needed infrastructure repairs.

Our coalition’s response is Senate Bill 5575, which would bring about a four-year infusion of revenue for parks from two other sources.

The first source is the state litter tax, imposed on certain products such as groceries, wine, and cigarettes. It typically generates about $10 million per year that’s used by the Department of Ecology for waste reduction, recycling, and other litter-related accounts.

Under SB 5575 that money would be rerouted into the state parks renewal and stewardship account.

The second source designated under SB 5575 would be the state’s outdoor recreation account; money from that fund now allotted for acquiring and developing state parks would instead be shifted toward renovating and repairing state park facilities.

As the bill’s prime sponsor put it, “you don’t build an addition on your house when your kitchen is falling apart.” The bill received a public hearing last Thursday before the Senate Natural Resources and Parks Committee.