Saturday, February 26, 2011

King County Arts Bills move on to Rules Committee for placement on the Floor Calendars

Both HB 1997 and SB 5834 passed out of their respective Ways & Means Committees on February 25, 2011. Both await placement on the Floor Calendar, currently residing in Rules Committee (HB 1997 in the House, SB 5834 in the Senate).

HB 1997, "Providing economic development by funding tourism promotion, workforce housing, art and heritage programs, and community development."

Sponsors: Representatives Orwall, Kenney, Goodman, Fitzgibbon, Maxwell, Santos, Pedersen





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Thursday, February 24, 2011

Friday is Last Call for Bills in Committee to move out of Committee

Friday, February 25th, is the cutoff day for bills to move out of their originating legislative committee.

4Culture has been advocating for the passage of a bill promoted by King County Executive Dow Constantine, that's House Bill 1997

HB 1997 is on the House Ways & Means agenda for Executive Session (vote), as it was the day before when it saw "No Action".
It will likely pass, but will it matter?

Tonight, February 24th, in the Senate Ways & Means Committee we had Senate Bill 5834 pass out of committee.
Senate Bill 5834.
AN ACT Relating to permitting counties to direct an existing portion of local lodging taxes to programs for arts and heritage; and amending RCW 67.28.180.

This bill extends the 2% Hotel Tax for Arts and Heritage through 2020. In 2021 when bonds this tax is paying off end the bill directs 37 and 1/2% to keep going to Arts and Heritage, and the rest, well, whatever RCW 67.28.180 covers.

SB 5834 received one amendment coming out of committee, that was to include Yakima County to keep its tax going, too. For whatever reason Senator Ed Murray keeps forgetting this detail, last year it was SB 6051 that was missing Yakima in a "clerical error".

No matter, SB 5834 is out of committee, and will move on to the Senate Rules Committee that will then place that bill on the Senate Floor Calendar. Once on the Floor, it is subject to amendments, where it could become the vessel to hold (cherry pick) items out of HB 1997, or not. Maybe it stays a single issue bill, it passes, and it least the Arts gets funding and the county gets something to invest in tourism infrastructure in 2021.

If I remember correctly, two years ago this drama played out in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on March 18th, where HB 2252 (HB 1997 without the Convention Center) went to die. That bill was replaced by SB 6116. SB 6116 died at the last minute of the 2009 session, on the Senate Floor, with the Striker Amendment stripping out Husky Stadium, 5 minutes too late.

This time I think we will see two bills go as far as either possibly can, with something passing. The "bill hostage" method just hasn't worked out so well in the past.

Tickity-Tock, cutoff deadlines are listed below.

February 25, 2011 Last day to read in committee reports from House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees in house of origin.

March 7, 2011 Last day to consider bills in house of origin (5 p.m.).

March 25, 2011 Last day to read in committee reports from opposite house, except House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees.

April 1, 2011 Last day to read in opposite house committee reports from House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees.

April 12, 2011* Last day to consider opposite house bills (5 p.m.) (except initiatives and alternatives to initiatives, budgets and matters necessary to implement budgets, differences between the houses, and matters incident to the interim and closing of the session).

April 24, 2011 Last day allowed for regular session under state constitution.

Pass something.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Go Time 4Culture

Tuesday, House Ways & Means Committee, 1:30pm

Michael J. Baker
Seattle, Wa

Visit me here:
http://manywordsforrain.blogspot.com/

Begin forwarded message:

From: Advocate4Culture
Date: February 19, 2011 8:05:03 PM PST
To: communicate.with.mike < at >gmail.com
Subject: Go Time 4Culture
Reply-To: advocate4culture

Hey you! We got a bill to save 4Culture. King County included it the economic development bill.  It's HB 1997.

 

You are essential right now.  We all need to do three things to keep momentum up for 4Culture.

 

(1) show up in Olympia for the hearing on Tuesday, February 22 at 1:30pm. THAT'S RIGHT! THIS TUESDAY.

(2) contact YOUR House Representatives to tell them you support HB1997.

(3) make noise about this on your facebook and twitter accounts, and forward this email to your lists.

 

There are instructions on the blog at advocate4culture.org.  Please go to the blog, and do your essential part.

 

You are going to win this thing with all of us.

 

 

Spread the word, and let's get this done.

 

All best,

 

Josef Krebs

Advocate4Culture Coalition Member

Advocate4Culture logo 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here to join the Advocate4Culture Coalition!

Advocate4Culture | 523 Broadway E | #350 | Seattle | WA | 98102

King County: proposed state bill to help draw more visitors and conventions to King County

On Friday, Washington State Representative Tina Orwall (D-33) introduced House Bill 1997.

In a statement from the King County Executive's Office the bill was described thusly:
Business, labor and arts leaders joined today in backing a bill requested by King County Executive Dow Constantine and introduced today in Olympia by State Rep. Tina Orwall to stimulate economic growth through support of programs that draw more tourists here.

"Every visitor we bring to King County spends money and provides revenues needed to support human services, housing, public safety, and transportation," said Executive Constantine. "As the economy begins to recover, we need to do all we can to position the region for economic prosperity."

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Egyptians are removing portraits of ousted President Hosni Mubarak


In this frame from video , officials remove a portrait of ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak at the main Cabinet building in Cairo, on Sunday, Feb. 13 2011. Egyptians are removing portraits of ousted President Hosni Mubarak which have hung in public and private institutions throughout his three decades in power. (AP Photo / APTN)

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Publicola.com Rumor of the Week: The NBA in Bellevue

In Internet rumors we have this:
Rumor of the Week: The NBA in Bellevue

King County is lobbying to extend the hotel/motel tax to help Seattle pay for a revamped convention center in exchange for help bringing the NBA to Bellevue.


That is from Publicola.com, take it for what it is worth.

I am not sure why the Washington State Convention Center would need more money for their expansion. The Convention Center has control over the Seattle Hotel tax, was formed into a Public Facilities District last July.

Shorter Ryan Blethen: Do not take welfare away from newspapers

Good-bye welfare for newspapers.

One of the more disturbing bills comes from Rep. Ross Hunter, D-Medina. House Bill 1818 would create a state-run website where all county notices. Current law stipulates that government notices must run in a newspaper, a longtime practice that has served the public well.

Newspapers are watchdogs of government. This is done in a number of ways, the most obvious being through reporting. As important are the paid legal notices.
. . .
The other consequence is financial. The Times, like other newspapers, stands to lose revenue. For a larger paper like The Times the hit would not be too bad. But for a weekly it will mean jobs, and may even force some weeklies to close. I have to believe that legislators do not want to be responsible for shuttering community newspapers.

Opinion | Bills threaten people's ability to remain informed of government actions | Seattle Times Newspaper

Legal notices are not going away, they are going the way of the internet, the internet that can be accessed for free at your local library.

This editorial is from the same newspaper that gave Don Brunell page space as a guest columnist, "State should change how it does business, not simply cut programs".

Among other things, this is what your guy Don wrote (emphasis mine):
An obvious example is the state printing office. Lawmakers have long bandied about the idea of privatizing this function. According to The Spokesman-Review, the state printing office, founded in 1854, employs 100 state workers. But most printing jobs can be done on agency printers and bigger jobs should be outsourced to private print shops.

While the budget for the print shop is relatively small, it illustrates an important principle: Just because we've always done something doesn't mean we should continue. This budget crisis provides lawmakers — and taxpayers — with an opportunity to take a hard look at the very structure of state government.

As long as it is an opportunity to take a hard look at something that impacts somebody else, then that is something the Seattle Times is willing to support. Blethen, we are all in this together, it is a "crisis". You have to do your part, too.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Get ready to make some noise!

Begin forwarded message:

Hey 4Culture Lovers,

It's getting close.  In a few days a bill will drop, part of King County's legislative agenda, that will save 4Culture.  We are glad King County has included us in their priorities and want to help them get this bill passed.  There are three things you can do right now:


1.  Email/facebook/twitter your friends asking them to join the Advocate4Culture Coalition.  Here's the page to join: http://www.advocate4culture.org/p/join-us.html
 

2.  If you run an organization, consider including a notice about 4Culture in your next communication to your constituents.  It can be this simple: 

 

"Interested in helping arts and heritage in King County?  Visit the Advocate4Culture website at www.advocate4culture.org to learn more and click on the Join Us! tab to become a member of the group that's working to save 4Culture, the largest single source of arts and heritage funding in King County."


3.  Get ready to make some noise. Once a bill drops, we'll need you to make noise to your legislators and to those on the committees who will consider the bill. King County is thankfully leading the way this year, but extra noise never hurts. You'll receive action alerts that will direct you to the Advocate4Culture website.


For now, please reach out to your networks to continue to raise awareness. And be ready for the real action when we get a bill.


Thank you for your passion and energy. With your help we will renew 4Culture and ensure the future of the most important source of arts and heritage funding in our region.


All the best,

Josef Krebs

Advocate4Culture Coalition Member