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Dear Friend:
I hope your new year is off to a great start.
The 2018 session is underway. The House convened for opening-day ceremonies on Monday. Sworn in for the first time in the House
chamber was my new seatmate and friend, Rep. Carolyn Eslick.
She is the former mayor of Sultan and we know she will do a great job.
I had an opportunity on this day to give a House floor speech. I discussed what "One Washington" means to the communities that House Republicans represent. Later in the day, I also sat down with TVW to discuss some of these priorities -- including why our state needs a permanent Hirst solution. My colleagues, Reps. Jim Walsh and Vincent Buys, also weighed in on this issue in The Seattle Times on Wednesday.
State of the state
address, Republican response
The House and Senate came together on Tuesday for a joint
session to hear the governor’s annual state of the state address. Following
the Republican response, which was delivered by Sen. Sharon Brown, I
joined other Republican leaders in a news conference to answer
questions from reporters and outline our vision for the 2018 session.
AP Legislative
Preview
Another event that takes place each year and offers a window
into the session is the AP Legislative Preview. I participated in the Leadership
panel, while Rep.
David Taylor represented us on the K-12 education funding panel. The
January 4 event concluded with remarks from the governor.
I encourage you to watch the event if you have the time.
Staying connected
We are trying something new this year. Each Friday afternoon,
we will send out an audio clip called the Capitol Calendar. This is a snapshot
of what will be happening at the Capitol the following week. Please consider
giving it a listen.
You can also stay connected through the Capitol Buzz
(weekday compilation of online articles), our Facebook page and our Twitter handle.
Even though it’s a short session, there’s a lot of
work to do (see below). Our members
and staff are working long hours to get the job done. As always, we welcome your input. Please contact us if you have an
ideas to pass along or if we can ever be of assistance.
In your service,
Rep. Dan Kristiansen
House Republican Leader
(360) 786-7967
60 days
Like every even-numbered year, the 2018 session will run 60 days. There’s a lot
of work to be done in a short time. You can find weekly planners, which include
committee schedules and important legislative dates, here.
Senate power shift
With the election of Sen. Manka
Dhingra in the 45th District in November, control of the Senate
shifted from Republican to Democrat (25-24). Both chambers in the Legislature
are now controlled by Democrats.
Will there still be a spirit of bipartisanship that we saw the last five years
that led to major accomplishments? Will Democrats hold state
government accountable for its failures?
Hirst solution,
capital budget
Two issues front and center are finding a permanent Hirst solution and passing
a capital
budget, which funds construction and repair of public buildings,
infrastructure and other long-term investments in our state. This represents unfinished
business from the 2017 session. A recent opinion piece from Reps. Vincent Buys and Jim Walsh explains the
importance of finding a permanent Hirst solution for property owners across our
state.
Will urban Democrats finally allow a permanent Hirst
solution to move forward?
Education funding
In a November 15 order,
the state Supreme Court found the Legislature enacted an education-funding
system that, when fully implemented, will achieve constitutional compliance. It
also said House
Bill 2242, passed in 2017, met the state’s obligation to amply fund basic
education. That’s the good news.
The bad news: The court also said the Legislature did not
meet the full funding deadline of September 1, 2018, because the salary phase
in will be completed in the 2019-20 school year under current law. As a result,
the court retained jurisdiction over the case, maintained a fine of $100,000
per day and ordered full implementation by September 1, 2018.
How will the Legislature respond to this order?
Supplemental budgets
Short sessions are designed to make minor
adjustments to the state’s three budgets: operating, transportation and
capital. We still need to pass a 2017-19 capital budget, which is a priority.
With their new majority in the Legislature, will Democrats
push for increased spending and new programs beyond what normally occurs in a
supplemental year?
Major tax increases
Despite a state law stating, “A
county, city, or city-county shall not levy a tax on net income,” Seattle is
attempting to establish a local income tax. Fortunately, a King County Superior Court Judge ruled
Seattle’s local income tax is illegal on November 22. Seattle has
vowed to fight
on and appeal the decision.
This case is important because proponents of a local income
tax want to use it as a test case for a state income tax. We are opposed to
this approach and concept, including a capital gains income tax. You can learn
more about our efforts to prevent a local and state income tax here.
Will Democrats push for major tax increases, including a
capital gains income tax, this year? Or, will they wait until 2019?
Governor’s controversial climate-change agenda
The governor continues to push his controversial climate-change agenda. This recent Wall Street Journal article, "Climate of Unaccountability," explains some of his tactics. To date, the Legislature has been cool
on most of the governor's ideas.
Facing legislative rejection, including a
Democratic-controlled House, the governor sought to establish a Clean
Air Rule on certain employers through his Department
of Ecology. A Thurston County Superior Court judge invalidated this rule
due to a lack of statutory authority on December 15. You can learn more here.
Will the governor convince Democrats to pass his controversial energy tax now that they control both chambers of the
Legislature?
Sound Transit
The Sound Transit 3 controversy continues in King, Pierce
and Snohomish counties. From sticker
shock on car tabs because of an unfair formula, to projects over
budget, Sound Transit and its massive budget are under the microscope. The costs of Sound Transit 3 car-tab increases are so expensive and burdensome that there’s been a bill introduced to allow payment plans for them.
The Sound Transit 3 controversy is an issue that reveals a stark contrast in
approaches from Republicans and Democrats. This website
highlights the differences in approaches in 2017. The debate continues in 2018.
Will Democrats hold Sound Transit accountable and allow meaningful car-tab relief to move forward?
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