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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
It's been a sprint here in Olympia the past week or so as we've reached what is known as House of Origin cutoff. Any policy bill that didn't pass its respective chamber where it was introduced is now considered “dead.” Any fiscal bills necessary to implement the supplement budgets are exempt from this cutoff.
When we considered the hundreds of bills brought to the House floor for vote, we looked through the lens of: Will this policy make Washington state more safe, affordable, and accountable?
House Republicans were successful in passing good legislation to move our state closer to becoming more safe, affordable, and accountable. You can read about the 81 bills we passed by clicking here.
There were some good House Republican bills that became causalities of House of Origin cutoff. These bills were not only priorities of ours, but also issues important to you, your families, and your businesses. They include:
- House Bill 2227 – $30 car tabs
- House Bill 2479 – Reaffirm the prohibition of the imposition of a local income tax
- House Bill 2222 – Reduce the state property tax
- House Bill 1159 – Change the definition of theft
- House Bill 2190 – Eliminate title-only (“ghost bills”) and increase legislative transparency
- House Bill 2647 – Election security package
- House Bill 2285 – Elevate road maintenance and preservation in transportation planning
With the good generally comes the bad, including these bills sponsored by the majority party, that will continue to make Washington state more unsafe, unaffordable, and unaccountable.
- Senate Bill 6492 – B&O tax increase on more than 4,000 business (and has already been signed into law)
- House Bill 1110 – Low-carbon fuel standard – costly fuel mandate that would increase the cost of gas, diesel and products.
- House Bill 2311 – Greenhouse gas emissions limits
- House Bill 2409 – Increase workers' compensation penalties on employers
- House Bill 1694 – Allow tenants to pay fees and deposits in installment payments
- House Bill 1191 – Remove multiple crimes from the list of offenses that are required to report to school principals
- House Bill 1551 – Reduce the punishment for those who intentionally infect another with the HIV virus.
House Republicans propose $1 billion tax relief package, including $30 car tabs
Earlier this week, the Economic and Revenue Council released and adopted the latest revenue forecast. Our state has a $2.4 billion budget surplus. What does this mean?
It means the fight isn't over! House Republicans are united: It's time to provide tax relief to Washingtonians.
We've all co-sponsored House Bill 2946, brought forward by my seatmate, Rep. Drew Stokesbary, seeking to provide $1 billion in tax relief for working families, including upholding voters' demand for $30 car tabs. You can read more about our efforts by clicking here.
This policy has been referred to the House Transportation Committee. I'm hopeful the chairman will bring the bill forward for public hearing. I'll keep you posted.
It's an honor to serve you.
Sincerely,
Morgan Irwin
