Legislature finished on time: see how local legislators voted

1. BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS FOR 2019-21 BIENNIUM HB 1109

NOTE: this is a bill that allocates the funding of the Budget by the Legislature… This bill DOES NOT create the taxes to pay for the allocation.

This is the $52.4 billion state operating budget for 2019-21, an increase of over 18 % in current spending and the first in the state’s history to exceed $50 billion.

House Bill 1109:Final Passage in the House on April 28, 2019 by a vote of 57-41. on April 28, 2019

Rep. Debra Lekanoff (Whatcom County) (D) ‘Voted Yes’
Rep. Jeff Morris (Mt. Vernon) (D) ‘Voted Yes’
Rep. Sharon Shewmake (Whatcom County) (D) ‘Voted Yes’
Rep. Luanne Van Werven (Lynden) (R) ‘Voted No’

House Bill 1109: Making 2019-2021 biennium operating appropriations. Final passage in the Senate on April 28, 2019 by a vote of 27-21, one member excused. on April 28, 2019

Sen. Liz Lovelett (Anacortes) (D) ‘Voted Yes’
Sen. Doug Ericksen (Ferndale) (R) ‘Voted No’

2. REMOVE MCCLEARY DECISION BIPARTISAN COMPROMISE SB 5313- Adds probability of $1.00 per thousand of property value to taxes- a $200,000.00 home add $200.00 a year to the authorized $300.00 a year a probable 67% increase. It also puts schools back in the position they were before the MCCleary decision forced the legislature to raise state school taxes.

SEE THE FOURTH CORNER ARTICLE HERE.

Senate Bill 5313: Concerning school levies. Passed the House on April 28, 2019 by a vote of 53-45. on April 28, 2019

Senate Bill 5313: Concerning school levies. Final passage in the Senate on April 28, 2019 by a vote of 25-23, one member excused. on April 28, 2019

Senate roll call on the bill.

Sen. Liz Lovelett (Anacortes) (D) ‘Voted Yes’
Sen. Doug Ericksen (Ferndale) (R) ‘Voted No’

3. ADDS $250,000,000.00 (Quarter BILLION) TO HOUSING COSTS OVER TWO YEARS. HB 5998.

This bill changes the real estate excise tax (REET), usually paid by the seller, from the current flat 1.28 percent to a graduated rate. Homes selling for $500,000 to $1.5 million

will remain at the 1.28 percent rate, but houses selling for up to $3 million will be taxed at 2.75 percent, and those over $3 million at 3percent. Homes selling for under 500,000 will be taxed at a lower 1.1 percent rate. The tax is estimated to raise $243.5 million over the next two years, with most of that allocated to general state spending. The bill also allows cities and counties to impose an additional REET for general spending purposes and capital improvements.

Senate Bill 5998: Establishing a graduated real estate excise tax. Passed the Senate on April 25, 2019 by a vote of 26-22, one member excused. on April 25, 2019

Sen. Liz Lovelett (Anacortes) (D) ‘Voted Yes’
Sen. Doug Ericksen (Ferndale) (R) ‘Voted No’

Senate Bill 5998: Establishing a graduated real estate excise tax. Final passage in the House on April 27, 2019 by a vote of 56-42. on April 27, 2019

Another in our series of information forums on current affairs locally.

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