Legislative Commentary: Feb. 14, 2019

Dear Friends,

One of the more newsworthy things coming out of Olympia this week had to do with the independent commission of citizens that sets the pay of “statewide elected officials” -- from the governor to Supreme Court justices to legislators. It comes up with new salary figures every other year, and the new recommendations were made public this week.

I’ve never asked for an increase in the pay I receive for serving the Ninth District, and I never will, but this year I felt compelled to write to the salary commission about the pay of another position -- the lieutenant governor. Keep reading for more on that.

This week didn’t bring as many folks from back home as last week, but the 9th District was still represented very well. I had the pleasure of sitting down with a couple of WSU employees; our Adams County auditor; the directors of RSVP in Spokane and Asotin counties (that’s the Retired Senior and Volunteer Program); representatives from the library districts in Spokane and Asotin counties; and home-care workers from our area.

There were child care and early-childhood education advocates from our district, local members of Stand for Children (also education advocates), visitors from the Lind-Ritzville School District, and a half-dozen local school superintendents: Jerry Pugh (Colfax), Paul Clark (Colton), Jake Dingman (Oakesdale), Calvin Johnson (Palouse), Mark Heid (Tekoa) and Rick Linehan (Rosalia).

As a proud AgForestry graduate, I was also glad to spend some time in the company of people involved in that fine leadership program.

Deadline for committee action draws closer

Today is the 26th day of our 105-day regular session. We’re also two weeks from the deadline for the Senate policy committees to decide which of the bills referred to them will move forward, and which are most likely “dead” for the year. With close to 900 bills introduced in the Senate alone, there’s a lot of thinning still to be done. I’m responsible for introducing just six bills so far, and several of them are on the move.

-Tax “cleanup”: I’d rather cut some taxes, but until then I want to make sure the state tax code is accurate, so taxpayers don’t pay more than they’re supposed to and don’t get caught in some conflict between statutes. Senate Bill 5402 is the 2019 version of my annual tax-code cleanup legislation, and it’s already through the committee stage and on deck for a full Senate vote.

-Ban on jobs taxes: The bill I promised to introduce after Seattle passed, then repealed a tax on employees, is coming up for a public hearing in the Local Government committee on Tuesday morning. SB 5589 would make it crystal clear that local governments don’t have the authority to impose a “jobs tax” (or “head tax”).

-School depreciation accounts: Some capital projects at our school districts are better handled on a cash basis instead of being rolled into a bond issue. SB 5590 would offer that sort of flexibility; it’s scheduled for a hearing by the K-12 Education committee on Monday afternoon.

I have a couple other bills that are making progress, and still another that deserves to—it would authorize a sales-and use-tax exemption for construction and repair costs associated with removing barriers to fish passage. This work is important for several reasons, starting with salmon recovery, but it’s also expensive—and a tax exemption via Senate Bill 5798 would help lower the cost.

-FFA memberships for ag students: A report in the Capital Press sums it up nicely: “Washington legislators are considering bills to provide FFA memberships to all students enrolled in agricultural education classes. Senate Bill 5804 and House Bill 1863 would ensure funding for membership in FFA, which is the extended learning Career Technical Student Organization (CTSO) for agricultural education, according to a press release from Washington FFA. Of 50,000 agricultural education students in Washington, roughly 11,000 are currently FFA members.”

I can’t say enough good things about FFA, and many of us in the Legislature are supporters of CTE, making SB 5804 another bill that deserves committee attention.

No need to give lieutenant governor a raise; Inslee’s jet-setting does that

If you asked most people, they’d probably guess that when the governor is out of state, the lieutenant governor becomes acting governor. They probably wouldn’t know that on those occasions, he’s paid at the governor’s level. It’s sort of like getting a 70 percent pay hike in exchange for being on call.

During the first 11 months of 2018, Governor Inslee was out of state on 44 different days. Imagine how sweet it would be for Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib if Inslee decides to make a run for the White House, and is away campaigning for even more days in 2019.

In our state the lieutenant governor also is president of the Senate, and Habib has made headlines recently for that. Last month he refused to preside over the joint legislative session where the governor gave his annual state-of-the-state speech, because the House chamber allows people who are legally carrying firearms—something Habib has prohibited in the Senate. He also was in the news a week ago for the critical remarks he made on social media after an army of hairstylists, cosmetologists and barbers had descended on the Capitol to oppose anti-business legislation.

The lieutenant governor’s website declares him to be the state’s “chief opportunity officer.” Well, Inslee’s jet-setting should give Habib plenty of opportunities to get a 70 percent salary bump this year, as acting governor. That’s one of the reasons for my letter to the salary commission, suggesting any other pay raise just isn’t necessary.