Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver
Well, as the expression goes, that’s a wrap. On July 10, the Legislature adjourned after being in session for a record-breaking 176 days this year.
It is deplorable that Gov. Inslee and his allies in the House and Senate took us into three special sessions for the sole purpose of trying to force new taxes. When the final numbers come in, the Democrat-forced overtime could end up costing taxpayers more than $500,000.
While this is unfortunate, I believe the final result of this year’s legislative action is, for the most part, one for which all citizens can be proud.
In the end the Legislature passed a new two-year operating budget that makes historic investments in basic education, fully funds state-employee contracts, provides cost-of-living increases for teachers, gives tax relief to our seniors and disabled veterans, and actually reduces tuition for our college students and their parents.
An additional $2.8 billion investment brings overall education spending to $18.2 billion – a more than 47 percent share of the state’s budget and a level that hasn’t been reached in 30 years. It’s also the single largest dollar increase in state history.
And yes, this budget actually cuts tuition for the first time in state history as well. Over the next two years, students at WSU-Vancouver will see a $2,016 reduction in tuition; students at UW will see a $2,094 tuition cut. Our students at community and technical schools will also see a 5 percent reduction immediately. This type of relief is historic, and is being highlighted by state and national media as a model for other states to follow.
More than 200,000 students will benefit from tuition relief that is equivalent to a quarter-billion dollar tax cut for middle income families.
The budget also includes funding for my legislation to assist seniors, veterans and disabled individuals by increasing the income limit for calculating property-tax exemption qualification. This is valuable tax relief for those Clark County seniors and veterans with incomes of less than $40,000 – a real, tangible help.
Giving seniors a deferral on their property taxes is long overdue and will help more than 100,000 of our seniors and disabled veterans stay in their homes.
What makes this year’s accomplishments even more remarkable is that all of this was done with no new taxes. As we told Gov. Inslee way back in January, with more than $3 billion in additional revenue growth, there is simply no need for Olympia to stick its hands further into the pockets of hard-working Washingtonians.
Unfortunately, taxpayers didn’t fare as well when it came to the new transportation package approved by the Legislature. Signed by the governor on July 15, this set of bills will force drivers to pay nearly 12 cents more per gallon, while also hiking numerous fees.
I voted against this tax hike. People are still struggling to recover from the Great Recession and many simply cannot afford to pay the state Department of Transportation more of their hard-earned dollars – especially given that agency’s dismal record of competently and efficiently completing major projects.
This transportation package – which includes the largest gas-tax hike in state history – gives Washington the second-largest gas tax in the country; yet, it does very little to reform the system, drive down costs or increase accountability. Nor does it reflect the needs of our growing region, with nearly 60 percent of the revenue going to Puget Sound projects.
While we are used to being a donor county, meaning the tax revenue going out exceeds the value of the projects coming in, this is ridiculous. The failure of this package to address Clark County priorities means that our county’s transportation needs will likely be neglected by the state for the next decade, while our growing population is forced to pay for projects in Seattle that may never be completed.
You can be sure I will be working to address this inequity when we return to Olympia next year.
Even though the marathon legislative year has finally come to a close, I still work for you and welcome your thoughts on any issue relating to state government. You can contact me anytime via email at don.benton@leg.wa.gov. When you email, please let me know that you would like to receive my Benton Bulletin E-Newsletter. It’s a great way to stay up-to-date on what is going on in Olympia and how it impacts you and your family.
Thank you for allowing me to represent you in the state Senate.
Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, represents the 17th Legislative District and serves as vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee.
