The Washington state legislature voted on the following bills last week:
ESSB 6130 temporarily repeals provisions of the voter approved Initiative 960 until after July 1, 2011, passing the House 51-47. Reps. Brian Blake (D-Aberdeen), Jim Jacks and Jim Moeller (both D-Vancouver) voted to approve the measure; the rest of the region's House delegation was opposed. The bill is before the Senate.
ESSB 3179 allows cities to impose sales and use tax at a rate not to exceed 0.1 percent for the purpose of public safety, passing the House 51-47. The bill is now before the Senate. Vancouver Reps. Tim Probst and Deb Wallace voted against the legislation; Jim Jacks and Jim Moeller voted to approve.
E2SSB6562 gives the governing boards for the state's four-year higher education institutions the authority to set tuition and fees, passing the Senate 29-19. Both Sens. Don Benton (R-Vancouver) and Craig Pridemore (D-Vancouver) voted against the bill, currently in the House Education Committee.
