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Home My WebLink About04/15/2014 07 2014 State Legislative Session ReportITEM TITLE: SUBMITTED BY: SUMMARY EXPLANATION: 44,100, BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDA STATEMENT Item No. For Meeting of: 4/15/2014 2014 State Legislative Session Report Randy Beehler, Communications & Public Affairs Director The 2014 session of the Washington State Legislature did not result in much progress being made on some of the Yakima City Council's highest legislative priorities. However, the City was heavily engaged in Olympia during the session and played an important role in influencing the fate of several bills. The City's Olympia lobbyist, Jim Justin, will review a written report about legislation specifically of interest to the City and will discuss efforts that will be made during the interim to advance City legislative priorities. Resolution: Ordinance: Other (Specify): Contract: Contract Term: Start Date: End Date: Item Budgeted: NA Amount: Funding Source/Fiscal Impact: Strategic Priority: Partnership Development Insurance Required? No Mail to: Phone: APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL: RECOMMENDATION: ATTACHMENTS: Description Upload Date ❑ Memorandum re - 2014 State Legislative Review 4/8/2014 City Manager Type Cover IMI errrno LIMEN E IJ V'LI O o H D U N To: Yakima City Council Members From: City Manager Tony O'Rourke Communications & Public Affairs Director Randy Beehler Olympia Lobbyist Jim Justin Subject: 2014 State Legislative Session Review Date: Tuesday, April 8th, 2014 Council Members, The Washington State Legislature adjourned its 60 -day 2014 session on time on March 13th. With the assistance of lobbyist Jim Justin, the City was very engaged in the session and weighed in on numerous pieces of legislation important to the City. Here is a brief update on several bills and issues the City actively worked for or against during this year's legislative session and the status of those bills and issues: - Transportation Funding/Reforms - 3ity -Jupp-..,. Status - NO ACTION TAKEN The House passed a transportation package twice in 2013 and publicly stated it was the Senate's turn to advance a package during the 2014 session of the legislature. The Senate, led by 14th District Senator Curtis King, prepared a package that was positive for local governments and specifically Yakima with the inclusion of the 1-82 interchange and the East- West Corridor projects. While there were many discussions and meetings with all parties involved, there was no final action or vote on either the funding package or a number of reforms advanced by the Senate. It is highly likely that transportation funding/reforms will be heavily discussed again during the 2015 session of the legislature. - SHB 2224 (ESSB 6020) - Supplemental Capital Budget - City Supported ___ 11111 1 1 /1 T 11 A A SHB 2244 (ESSB 6020) would have made appropriations and authorized expenditures for various capital improvements statewide including, most notably for the City of Yakima, $2 million for the cleanup of four former Tiger Oil properties in Yakima purchased by the City earlier this year. The bill did not pass given an unrelated disagreement between the Senate and House on another project. The City may consider seeking legislative support for reconsideration of similar legislation during the 2015 session of the legislature. - SHB 2144 - Specifying Marijuana Excise Tax Revenues - City Opposed Status - DID NOT -9 SHB 2144 would have established a dedicated local jurisdiction marijuana fund and required distribution by the Wa. St. Liquor Control Board of a specified percentage of marijuana excise tax revenues to local jurisdictions in which the retail sale occurred. The bill would have also preempted local regulations and ordinances regarding the sale of marijuana. The bill did not pass. It is likely the issue of distribution of marijuana excise tax revenue will be discussed again during the 2015 session of the legislature. SHB 2229 (SSB 6195) - Funding for State Tourism Marketing Program - city supported Status - PASSEI SHB 2229 (SSB 6195) created a mechanism to 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 bill passed the House 88-8, passed the Senate 47-0, and was signed by the Governor. 1 - SHB 2297 (E2SSB6249) — Implementing Court Fees for Indigent Defense — City Supported NUI I'A5� SHB 2297 (E2SSB6249) would have established new court fees that would have been 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 bill did not pass. The City may consider seeking legislative support for reconsideration of similar legislation during the 2015 session of the legislature. - SHB 1413 — Voting Rights Act of 2013 — City Opposed SHB 1413 would have prohibited at -large or district -based elections that denied a protected class an equal opportunity to elect candidates of its choice or to influence the outcome of an election. The Association of Washington Cities and other local government organizations expressed opposition to the bill during the 2014 legislative session based on various legal and fiscal concerns. The bill did not pass. It is possible that the issue will be revisited during the 2015 session of the legislature. - HB 2117 — Preventing Breed -Specific Dog Regulations — City Opposed HB 2177 would have prevented local jurisdictions for enacting breed -specific dog regulations and would have nullified existing breed -specific dog regulations, such as those in effect in the City of Yakima. The bill did not pass. SHB 2154 — Establishing Special Liquor License for Fairs — City Supported LUs — UIU IVU I VM SHB 2154 would have established a special liquor license for fairs (as defined in state statute) that would have allowed 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 supported this legislation and actively worked for its passage. The bill did not pass. HB 2622 — Desiqnatinq the Central Washington State Fair the Official Washington State Fair — _upported — DID NOT PAS! HB 2622 would have designated 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. While it did receive a hearing in the House Committee on Government Operations and Elections, the bill did not pass. HB 2239 — Exempting Certain Information Gathered through 911 Calls from Public Disclosure — City NOT PASS HB 2239 would have exempted certain information gathered by local jurisdictions through 911 calls from being disclosed through a Public Records Act request. Information that would have been exempted from disclosure included data related to children, personal and financial data, data identifying the identity of a 911 caller, etc. The bill did not pass. SHB 2244 (SB6546) — Restoring Funding to Public Works Trust Fund — City ..,..vps, .eu Status — DID NOT PAS SHB 2244 (SB6546) would have restored resources to the Public Works Trust Fund beginning with the 2015-2017 biennium. The City of Yakima has utilized the Public Works Trust Fund often over the past two decades to help pay for significant local infrastructure improvement 2 projects. Resources for the fund were decreased in recent years due to poor financial conditions within the state. The bill did not pass. - HB 2314 (SB6361) — Increasing Funding to Liquor Revolving Fund — City Supporter' ---tu -- --- -•--- *S HB 2314 (SB6361) would have restored resources to the Liquor Revolving Fund in order to offset revenues that had previously been distributed to cities and counties. In 2012, the legislature redirected a majority of those revenues to the state general fund to meet its needs. A portion of Liquor Revolving Fund revenues were restored to cities and counties in 2013, but still far below historical levels. The City of Yakima has utilized the Liquor Revolving Fund for many years to help pay for local public safety needs, particularly those related to law enforcement. Resources for the fund were decreased in recent years due to poor financial conditions within the state. The bill did not pass. - ESHB 1287 — Extending Property Tax Exemption to Tribal -Owned Land — City Opposed ESHB 1287 extended an existing property tax exemption for state-owned and local government-owned land to land owned exclusively by federally recognized Indian tribes which is used for economic development purposes. The bill does require a payment in lieu of the tax. The bill passed the House 37-12, passed the Senate 61-37, and was signed by the Governor. Please let Randy Beehler know if you have questions regarding this memorandum or any issue related to the 2014 state legislative session. 3