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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/18/2014 00 Misc Distributed at the Meeting NIENOo 0 0 MBUN Q Di st rib uted at the � - I Meeting a= To: Yakima City Council Members p ater From: Communications $z Public Affairs Director Randy Beehler Subject: State Legislature Session Update Date: Tuesday, February 18 2013 Council Members, The Washington State Legislatur! is about three weeks away from adjourning its 2014 session. With the assistance of lobbyist Jim Justin, the City has been very engaged in the session and has weighed in on numerous pieces of legislation important to the City. Today is the deadline for non - budget - related bills to make it out of their house of origin. If they do not, those bills are dead for this session. Here is a brief update on several bills the City has been actively working for or against: - HB 2144 - Specifying Marijuana Excise Tax Revenues - City Opposes HB 2144 would allocate 20% of revenues generated by retail marijuana excise taxes to local jurisdictions (10% to cities, 10 % to counties). The bill would also preempt the ability of local jurisdictions to ban the production, processing, and sale of retail marijuana. The City opposes this legislation. HB 2144 currently sits in the House Appropriations Committee. Since it is a budget - related bill, it is not affected by today's house of origin cut off. - HB 2229 - Creating Funding for State Tourism Marketing Program - City Supports HB 2229 would generate $7.5 million annually for a state tourism marketing program through voluntary contributions from the lodging, entertainment, food service, retail, and transportation industries. The City supports this legislation. HB 2229 passed the House 88 -8 earlier today and now moves to the Senate. - HB 2287 - SB 6249 - Implementing Court Fees for Indigent Defense - City Supports HB 2287 and SB 6249 would establish new court fees that would be used to pay increased costs related to a State Supreme Court decision that set caseload limits for public defenders. The City anticipates its costs will increase from about $500,000 in 2012 to more than $1 million in 2015 as a result of the decision. The City supports this legislation. HB 2497 currently sits in the House Appropriations Committee. SB 6249, which appears to have a greater chance of passage, sits in the Senate Was and Means Committee. Since both are budget - related bills, they are not affected by today's house of origin cut off. - HB 2154 - Establishin • S • ecial Li • uor License for Fairs - City Supports HB 2154 would establish a special liquor license for fairs (as defined in state statute) that would allow the sale and consumption of alcohol throughout fairgrounds, as opposed to only in designated "beer gardens" as is the case today. The Central Washington State Fair Association supports this legislation and has actively worked for its passage. The City supports this legislation. HB 2154 is currently awaiting action by the full House. Since it is a non - budget - related bill, it is affe by today's house of origin cut off and if not acted on by the House will be dead for this session. - HB 2622 - Naming the Central Washington State Fair as the Official Washington State Fair - City Supports HB 2622 would designate the Central Washington State Fair as the Official Washington State Fair. This bill came about because the Puyallup Fair unilaterally assumed the name "Washington State Fair" in 2013. The Central Washington State Fair was the original Washington State Fair until 1936 when state funding for the event ceased. The Central Washington State Fair Association supports this legislation and has actively worked for its passage. The City supports this legislation. HB 2144 currently sits in the House Government Operations and El Committee. Since it is a non - budget - related bill, it is affected by today's house of origin cut off and if not acted on by the House will be dead for this session. - HB 2117 — Preventing Breed - Specific Dog Regulations — City Opposes HB 2177 would prevent local ju iisdictions for enacting breed - specific dog regulations and would nullify existing breed - specific dog regulations, such as those in effect in the City of Yakima. The City opposes this legislation. HB 2117 currently sits in the House Judiciary Committee. Since it is a non - budget - related bill, it is affected by today's house of origin cut off and if not acted on by the House will be dead for this session. - HB 2239 — Exempting Certain Information Gathered through 911 Calls from Public Disclosure — City Supports HB 2239 would exempt certain information gathered by local jurisdictions through 911 calls from being disclosed through a Public Records Act request. Information that would be exempted from disclosure includes data related to children, personal and financial data, data identifying the identity of a 911 caller, etc. The City supports this legislation. HB 2239 is currently sitting in the House Government Operations and Elections Committee. Since it is a non - budget - related bill, it is affected by today's house of origin cut off and if not acted on by the House will be dead for this session. Additionally, a state transportati n revenue package proposed by 14 District Senator Curtis King and supported by the City has gained no traction during this session and is unlikely to be acted on by the legislature. Also, it is expected that the state will release its latest revenue forecast as early as tomorrow. The forecast is anticipated to indicate either flat or slightly improved revenues. Finally, supplemental budgets are expected to be released by both the House and the Senate sometime next week. The Senate is likely to release its supplemental budget first. Passage of any supplemental budget is in question this session. Please let me know if you have questions regarding this memorandum or any issue related to the ongoing legislative session.