Weekly Olympia Report

The 2020 legislative session concludes

An unpredictably tumultuous legislative session concluded last week. A global pandemic changed to course of the 2020 session, yet the highlights are worth reviewing. Democrat leadership refused to even hear testimony on proposals that would ban Title Only bills. Democrat lawmakers also signaled their intent to push for a future state income tax, filing a brief seeking to overturn established caselaw on the first day of session.

Bipartisan transportation budget includes no new taxes

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle approved a transportation budget last week, avoiding cuts to road projects and transit services. Projects placed on hold by Jay Inslee following the passage of I-976 – the $30 car tab measure – will resume. The $10.4 billion transportation budget pulls funds from existing budgets. Despite budget surpluses, Democrats will likely attempt to hike taxes to fund transportation projects during the next legislative session.

Democrats pass supplemental state budget, includes record-high spending

Democrat’s final supplemental budget plan adds about one billion dollars in spending to the already record-high $52.5 billion state budget [a 20% increase from the last biennium.] Democrats’ plan places nearly $900 million of the $1.5 billion surplus into a rainy-day fund. Originally, Democrats sought to spend nearly all the surplus money. The proposal passed along [caucus] lines. All Republicans and Sen. Sheldon voted against the plan.

News Tribune Editorial Board calls on Inslee to veto union-backed state employee info bill

The Tacoma News Tribune Editorial Board is calling on Governor Inslee to veto HB 1888 when it arrives on his desk. The bill, in the name of privacy, makes it harder for groups like The Freedom Foundation to request state employee information with birth dates so they can contact them about opting out of union membership and dues. Democrats argue that this is simply protecting employees from harassment but the TNT rightly calls them out for blatantly doing the bidding of their union benefactors.