November's ballot could be interesting

Imagine a general-election ballot that lets you vote on whether to legalize gay marriage and marijuana use – on top of choosing a new president, new governor, and other statewide officials.

It’s not a sure thing, but this week that unprecedented scenario became more of a possibility than anyone would have imagined a few months ago. Please keep reading for details.

Tuesday was the deadline for the Senate’s two fiscal committees to act on Senate bills (the deadline for policy- committee action was a week ago); next Tuesday is the “cutoff” for the full Senate to act on bills that were moved forward from the policy and fiscal committees.

Will majority go after higher taxes, or deeper in debt?

We came into the 2012 session with the governor hoping the Legislature would endorse her proposed sales-tax increase and put it before voters in a special election, probably before summer. For weeks, while the gay-marriage bill took center stage at the Capitol, that was the only tax proposal on the table – but I figured it couldn’t last.

Sure enough, this week the Senate budget chairman (who’s on the record as wanting new revenue) floated an idea that could top the record-setting tax package the majority party adopted in 2010. I haven’t seen it in the form of legislation, but based on information that’s been passed around and reported by the news media, it would include a “temporary” sales-tax hike, similar to what the governor wants, and a mix of higher and extended taxes on consumers and employers (beer, tobacco products, limiting the vehicle trade-in allowance, and more).

The centerpiece of this latest tax proposal is a new (to our state) and permanent five percent tax on capital gains – as in the profit made on selling things like real estate. Boy, talk about a good way to discourage those whose investments and transactions have a role in driving job retention and creation. A state capital-gains tax also would take away an advantage Washington has compared to Oregon, Idaho and many other states.

The budget chairman would put the combination sales tax and capital-gains tax proposal before voters under the Initiative 1053 law that could be done with a simple-majority vote of the Legislature.

Another idea that has surfaced this week would involve “securitizing” future revenue or bonding against future revenue to generate money for spending now. That would let the majority party raise revenue without going to voters for a tax increase this year, but it also would be like a millstone over the long term.

I hope some of my colleagues will remember the financial mistake the Legislature made 10 years ago, when a portion of what our state received from the national tobacco settlement was sold off for quick cash.

Selling bonds would also be irresponsible; considering it’s already costing $2 billion to make payments on the debt the state carries.

It’s unfortunate that more than halfway through our 60-day regular session, the Legislature has yet to concentrate on closing the budget gap through reforms and by reprioritizing existing dollars toward the core services and programs of government. We should be adopting reforms before even considering the idea of revenue; so all this tax talk is an unwelcome distraction.

Marijuana question going to ballot; gay marriage too?

Most Washingtonians probably know that laws aren’t created only by the Legislature; the people can make laws themselves through the power of the initiative. Generally those initiatives are “to the people,” and go straight to the general-election ballot. However, the people of our state also may submit an initiative to the Legislature. In that case, legislators can decide whether to vote on it during the session or step aside and let it proceed directly to the ballot.

Judging from news reports such as this it seems the decision has already been made to let Initiative 502, which would legalize the use of marijuana, head on to the November ballot.

On Wednesday, as expected, a majority in the House of Representatives approved the bill that would redefine “marriage” in our state. Now that it has passed both houses of the Legislature, the bill will automatically take effect June 7 (90 days after the regular session ends, as the constitution states).

Unless the governor plans to veto part or all of the legislation, which is unlikely, she does not have to sign it for the bill to become law; however, on Friday her office announced there will be a signing ceremony Monday.

Whether the gay-marriage bill shows up on the November ballot as a referendum will be known no later than June 6.

Concerns about Puget Sound Partnership draw national attention

Regular readers know that when it comes to questionable uses of taxpayer dollars, the four-year-old agency called the Puget Sound Partnership is in a class by itself.

Last month the Washington Post sent a reporter to Olympia to look into whether federal spending decisions related to Puget Sound had been influenced by the father-son relationship between longtime Congressman Norm Dicks, who represents our state’s 6th Congressional District, and the partnership’s former director, David Dicks.

Turns out the newspaper had learned of my concerns about this agency and was interested in my views.

Status of selected bills

• K-12 education measures. Two K-12 education-related bills have received a great deal of attention this session: Senate Bill 5896, related to teacher and principal evaluations, and Senate Bill 6202, related to charter schools and school transformational zones. Both measures received public hearings, and while it appears the charter-school proposal will not move forward this year, the evaluation bill is still alive. Status: SB 5896 is in the Rules Committee, on which I serve; SB 6202 appears dead.

• Mandated coverage for abortion services. Senate Bill 6185 would require private insurance plans that provide maternity coverage to also cover abortion services. There is some concern this could put Washington’s federal funding for health care and other services at risk. Status: Eligible for a full Senate vote.

• Banning certain food packaging. Senate Bill 5779 would prohibit polystrene food packaging, which is commonly used in egg cartons and restaurant to-go containers. This is an important issue for North Central Washington, as Dolco Packaging in Wenatchee employs around 150 people manufacturing products, some of which contain polystrene. Status: This bill appears dead for the session.

• Banning plastic grocery bags. Senate Bill 5780 would ban plastic grocery bags from most stores in Washington. Exceptions would be made for bags to carry fresh meat and vegetables. Status: This bill appears dead for the session.

• Labeling genetically modified food. Senate Bill 6298 would require any food that contains genetically modified organisms to be labeled as such. Last month it took up an entire two-hour hearing by the Senate Agriculture, Water and Rural Economic Development Committee on which I serve. Status: This bill appears dead for the session.

• Preserving farmland. Senate Bill 6082 would better protect agricultural lands designated for long-term use under the State Environmental Policy Act. This measure would ensure that the environmental checklist regarding project approval includes important questions about the impact to farmland under the SEPA process. Status: This bill passed the Senate and is scheduled for a House Environment Committee hearing next week.

• Ag buffer for crop-protection products. House Bill 2413 would require two days’ notice before applying crop-protection products by air and a quarter-mile buffer area to be maintained around any residence or person in the area. I’ve reported previously on what a stinker this bill is, because it would simply make illegal actions that already are illegal.

With Tuesday being the last day for this bill to receive approval from the full House, I expect to report on it later (hopefully, on its demise). Status: This bill is in the House Rules Committee.

Senate recognizes longtime Farm Bureau president

As a longtime member of Washington Farm Bureau, it was a privilege for me to stand up Wednesday in the Senate chamber and ask for approval of Senate Resolution 8678, which I introduced in honor of my fellow Whitman County grain farmer, Steve Appel.

Steve stepped down as WFB president late in 2011 after 17 consecutive years at the helm; during his tenure the “Voice of the Family Farm” organization grew from 7,000 members to 41,000.

How a ‘fish consumption’ rule could affect you

Washington’s waters are supposed to be clean enough to protect people who eat fish taken from rivers, streams and lakes; the state standard assumes people can safely eat up to eight ounces of fish a month. The Department of Ecology wants to dramatically increase the “fish consumption” rate to assume people eat at least 24 times that amount – or 12 pounds of fish a month.

Not only would this be the highest rate in the nation, it would also have a tremendous impact on the number of regulations affecting water quality, pollution control and development by pushing them up accordingly.

I’m among a group of legislators that sent a letter to the Department of Ecology outlining our concerns. I’ve also met with Ecology’s director, and it seems we have gotten the agency’s attention; it is now saying it realizes that significant scientific and policy questions will need to be asked and answered before any changes are made.

National mortgage settlement announced Thursday

On Thursday, attorneys general from around the United States announced the largest consumer financial-protection settlement in U.S. history. The $25 billion settlement could affect thousands of Washington homeowners who have already lost their homes or are struggling with mortgages larger than the value of their property. The settlement affects homeowners who have mortgages with Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Ally Financial. Generally, the money will go to three things:

• Loan modifications and principal reductions for qualifying borrowers who are delinquent on their payments. This will help those who cannot afford their payment but have a reasonable chance of succeeding with a reduction in the amount they owe.

• Homeowners who are “underwater” on their mortgages but current on their payments. These borrowers may be able to refinance their homes.

• People who lost their homes due to foreclosure. Borrowers who were foreclosed upon between Jan. 1, 2008 and Dec. 31, 2011 may qualify for a payment of approximately $2,000.

In addition, Washington will receive approximately $57 million to be used for foreclosure relief and housing programs. This settlement does not affect loans controlled by the Federal Housing Finance Agency, including loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. For more information on how to find out if you qualify for any of these programs, visit the website www.nationalmortgagesettlement.com.