How You Can Help—Now!

Please contact House members in support of bringing the streamlined sales tax legislation, SSB 5089, to the floor of the House for a vote soon. Please see the Municipal Finance section for more information.
Please contact your legislators and encourage their support of several bills providing greater fiscal flexibility. SSB 5647 would allow cities greater use of the lodging tax, HB 1369 would remove non-supplanting language on the voter-approved property tax lid lifts, and SB 5498 would eliminate non-supplanting requirements in the voter approved property tax lid lift and voter-approved sales tax. Please see the Municipal Finance section for more information.
HB 2022, which would increase the city-county assistance account, is not yet scheduled for action in the House Appropriations Committee. Call your representatives now and ask them to move this bill. Please see the Municipal Finance section for more information.
HB 1851, which would give cities authority to levy an additional sales and use tax for criminal justice services, is still in the House Finance Committee. Please call your representatives now and ask for passage of this bill. Please see the Municipal Finance section for more information.
SB 5854 would limit the ability to collect delinquent utility debt from property owners. Please contact the members of the Senate Rules Committee and share your concerns. Please see the General Local Government section for more information.

What’s Ahead

Monday, March 5 pm is the legislative fiscal and transportation committee cutoff. Bills must have passed out of the fiscal or transportation committee of origin by this date, with the exception of bills related to the budget.
HB 2368, the municipal business and occupation tax bill to reduce some of the expected $30 million impact of apportionment provisions is expected to be heard by the House Finance Committee on Monday, March 5. Please see the Municipal Finance section for more information.

Last Week’s Highlights

Two property tax bills were heard in the House Finance Committee on Monday, February 26. HB 2334 would allow cities to increase property taxes to 100% plus inflation in lieu of imposing impact fees. HB 2309 would give taxing districts the ability to increase taxes to 101% or 100% plus inflation, whichever is greater. Please see the Municipal Finance section for more information.
Several bills reforming Washington’s health care system that could affect the AWC Employee Benefit Trust were heard this last week. Favorable changes were proposed for SHB 1569, SHB 2098, and SSB 5930. Please see the General Local Government section for more information.
SSB 5353 passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 27 with amendments. Please see the Law & Justice section for more information.

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