Wednesday was the last day for lawmakers to pass legislation sent to them by the opposite chamber, except for spending and tax measures, which can be considered until April 23rd, the scheduled adjournment for this session.

The 2017-19 transportation budget, SB 5096, passed the House Wednesday night, after members offered some three-dozen amendments, many of which were ruled out of order because they related to Sound Transit issues. According to the Democratic Speaker pro temp’s ruling, these issues are beyond the scope of the bill, because the transportation budget applies only to state agencies. Sound Transit is not a state agency.

The House version of the transportation funding bill provides $8.7 billion for the 2017-19 biennium, about $48 million more than the Senate-passed version. Both versions include some $40 million in pay raises for Washington State Patrol troopers and officers, as negotiated in their collective bargaining agreements. A list of road projects that would be funded by this budget is available at www.fiscal.wa.gov.

The House bill now goes back to the Senate for approval of the House amendments, but it is more likely that the differences between the two versions will be negotiated by House and Senate leaders, then a compromise version will be passed and sent to the Governor.

A car-tabs bill also passed this week, HB 2201, which would provide only limited relief for car owners who have been hit with drastic increases in their licensing fees. The increases, due to the inaccurate method Sound Transit officials use to over-value used cars, sparked wide public outrage, and both the House and the Senate have now passed bills to deal with this issue.

The Senate narrowly passed SB 5893 last week, which would require Sound Transit to use Kelley Blue Book or National Automobile Dealers Association values as a basis for its tax calculation.

Rep. Mark Harmsworth (R-Mill Creek) proposed several amendments to both the transportation budget and the car tabs bill to lower fees by requiring Sound Transit to use accurate Kelley Blue Book market values for taxing cars. The amendments were defeated or ruled out of order by the Democratic majority.

The bill that did pass the House, HB 2201, would require Sound Transit to use the car valuation schedule set by the state in 2006, instead of the one from 1996. The newer schedule is more favorable to drivers, but does not reflect a vehicle’s true value. Under the bill, a car’s value would still be based on its original MSRP, not its current market value, but owners would get a modest tax credit on the difference between valuations under the old and newer formulas.

Republicans joined in the 64-33 vote to pass the bill, although many said in debate that the bill does not go far enough to be fair to car owners. Rep. Harmsworth noted that some taxpayer relief is better than nothing, but added: “I’m getting really tired of them focusing on how it’s going to hurt Sound Transit.” “I’m more concerned about how it’s hurting, right now, the people paying for the tabs, he said.”  Sound Transit officials say they strongly oppose any change in state policy that would reduce the amount of funding they receive.

Both bills are now before their opposite house, but it is unlikely that Democratic and Republican leaders will sign off on each other’s proposals before the session adjourns next week.

Keep up with the action in the closing days of this session by visiting www.washingtonvotes.org and follow us on Facebook and Twitter. #waleg