Friday, April 29, 2011

Legislature Special Session, my guess

The Special Session rewinds the clock on a couple bills I am watching.

The first bill is the state budget HB 1087. This is pretty much how the state will be for the next two years.

The second bill is a King County stimulus bill, HB 1997. It is dressed up as the Arts bill, the Convention Center bill, what it is at its most basic element is a stimulus bill.

Both bills were returned to the House Rules Committee by Special Session Resolution. My guess is that the House passes its version again, passes HB 1997 again and the Senate amends them both on the Senate floor, they go back to the House for concurrence.

I would rather have HB 1997 give up $100,000 to the affordable housing fund, and $100,000 to the state arts and heritage fund, both drawn from the state tax credit on the car rental tax.

I would prefer that HB 1997 were simplified so that over the next decade King County had the flexibility to determine for itself what tourism related infrastructure investments to make, and not have their hands tied by some state representative from sone other part of the state that really doesn't give a ratsass what happens in King County beyond just wanting to milk its residents and businesses for state tax revenue to be spread around the state.