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Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

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In Our View: Time Ticking In Olympia

Washington lawmakers have much work to do with session set to end on Sunday

The Columbian
Published:

It might sound hard to believe, but the 2015 session of the Washington Legislature will come to an end this week. Unless, of course, it doesn’t.

Yes, right there in Section II, Article 12 of the Constitution of the State of Washington, it clearly states, “During each odd-numbered year, the regular session shall not be more than one hundred five consecutive days.” Well, that 105-day deadline will arrive on Sunday, meaning that lawmakers are expected to have concluded with the businesses of the people for this year.

But, as Columbian reporter Lauren Dake noted in a recent article: “… most lawmakers are keeping their gym memberships and apartment leases in Olympia; both parties appear to be laying the groundwork to blame the other for a possible special session.” And, as political reporter Jim Camden of The (Spokane) Spokesman-Review wrote: “Special session is like fight club for legislative leaders: No one talks about it. … Not saying it’s a lock, but I’d definitely bet the over on a 105-day session.”

If legislative leaders are reluctant to talk about a special session, then we shall be, as well. But there is plenty to discuss as lawmakers try to finalize their work by the end of the week. Primary among the issues is the state operating budget for the 2015-17 biennium. Considering that the Legislature is negotiating how to collect and spend more than $35 billion over the next two years, this is an understandably daunting task.

Among the problems is the insistence in the Republican-led Senate that the budget can pencil out without any new taxes. This is a noble sentiment, and one that many taxpayers likely would embrace, but the Senate’s plan for adhering to that mantra is problematic. Lawmakers should abandon any notion of moving the tax revenue that comes from marijuana sales away from its intended purpose and putting it toward education funding. It was, after all, just three years ago that voters approved Initiative 502 and directed marijuana taxes to education campaigns to keep children away from the drug; that money should remain for its intended purpose.

Senate leaders should cling to the idea of no new taxes — especially with an increase to the gas tax appearing imminent — but they must find cuts elsewhere in the budget rather than raiding the marijuana taxes. And while the budget — and the need for a big boost in funding for K-12 education — is the most pressing duty facing the Legislature, other issues also pose problems as the session’s deadline draws near. Some quick suggestions for lawmakers:

• A stringent bill passed by the House regarding safety measures for oil-bearing trains is preferable to the watered-down version approved by the Senate.

• Lawmakers should be leery of making it more difficult for cities and counties to disallow marijuana businesses within their jurisdictions. Washington’s marijuana law is in a tenuous position against federal laws that ban the drug, a situation that calls for caution in potentially altering access to marijuana.

• Southwest Washington lawmakers should support the transportation proposal from the House. While both chambers have put forth bills that will raise the state gas tax 11.7 cents per gallon over three years, the House version specifies some much-needed projects in Clark County.

All of this points out that legislators have much work to do in the coming week. There are big issues facing Washington and, in some cases, big differences between the parties. And it all must be hashed out by Sunday — unless it isn’t.

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