The House Appropriations Committee worked late into the night Wednesday to move the House Democrats’ proposed 2019-21 state operating budget out of committee and send it to consideration by the full House. After dozens of amendments, a version of HB 1109 passed the committee on a 19-14 party-line vote.

The substitute bill, which would raise taxes and spending to $52.9 billion, the highest in state history, is scheduled on today’s House floor calendar. Lawmakers will likely start debating and voting on the measure later today, Friday, March 29th.

The bill includes more than $1.4 billion in new and increased taxes that Democrats want for their spending plan. The tax increases are included in HB 2156, which is scheduled for an 8:00 a.m. public hearing in the House Finance Committee on April 4th.  Action to pass the tax bill out of committee is scheduled for Friday, April 5th.

Earlier today, the House passed HB 1160, the nearly $10 billion transportation tax and spending proposal for the 2019-21 biennium by a 90-5 vote, with three members excused. The bill would levy gas and other taxes and allocate $5.3 billion for highway and infrastructure projects, and $4.7 billion for operating expenses.

The Senate majority Democrats’ tax and spending plan, SB 5153, is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Monday, April 1st. Action to pass the bill out of committee is scheduled for Tuesday, April 2nd. According to late breaking news today, the Senate’s total spending plan is nearly $52.2 billion, or some $690 million less than the latest $52.9 billion House proposal.

Meanwhile, the Senate on a party-line vote this week approved HB 1870, requiring state medical consumers in Washington to pay for insurance plans that have the same coverage mandates imposed by the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as “Obamacare.”

Under HB 1870, Washington insurance customers would have to pay for coverage of pre-existing conditions, a wide range of benefits, and limits on the out-of-pocket expenses a covered person must pay.  It would also require payment for unlimited lifetime health care benefits by insurers.

In support of the bill, Senate Democrats said that it was a way to assure that Washingtonians would not lose medical coverage promised by the ACA, as Congress debates the issue. Sen. Annette Cleveland (D-Vancouver), who chairs the Senate Health Care Committee, said that HB 1870 “provides a guarantee to the citizens of our state that no matter what happens on the federal level, we will not roll back coverage.”  It also means that any health care savings enacted by Congress would not benefit Washington state residents.

Some Republicans were highly critical of the bill. Sen. Doug Ericksen (R-Ferndale), said the ACA was responsible for two of the “greatest lies ever told, that it would allow people to keep their health care if they liked it, and that it would lead to premiums going down.” He added that “the Affordable Care Act was always intended to be a bridge to socialized health care,” and “passing the bill would mean Washington is supporting a failed [health] system."

The bill was passed in the House earlier this month on a mostly partisan 58-36 vote. The Senate passed it 28-17, with all Democrats and one Republican voting for it. Four members were excused. The bill now goes back to the House to consider whether or not to accept the amendments to the bill passed in the Senate.

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