What's Ahead for Washington's New-Look Legislature
When the legislature convenes on January 8 for its 60-day session, it will have a slightly different composition than last year and a dramatically different posture. With Manka Dhingra winning the contested senate seat in this state’s 46th district this past November, Democrats now have full control of state government for the first time since 2013.
What the legislature and the state’s Democratic governor will do with that power may well be shaped by what they have not been able to do for the past five years. In particular, passing a tax on carbon emissions.
As if in preview of the session, Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled a proposal late last year to create just such a tax to generate the $1 billion needed to fund the hiring of more teachers in grades K-3, as well as more competitive salaries for current teachers—two issues that were not completely dealt with in the deal that emerged from the the summer’s double-overtime session. The state had planned to spend reserve funds to pay for that one-time need in 2018—as dictated by the state Supreme Court’s 2012 McCleary decision. The proposed carbon tax would keep the reserves in reserve.
“It’s the final step to take care of this constitutional obligation,” Inslee said.
Read more: http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/whats-ahead-for-washingtons-new-look-legislature/
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