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Olympia Office:
426-A
Legislative Bldg.
P.O. Box 40600
Olympia, WA 98504-0600
Phone: (360) 786-7832
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Toll-Free Legislative Hotline
1-800-562-6000
Website
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/Armstrong |
Committees:
Appropriations Subcommittee on General Gov't and Audit Review
(Ranking)
Rules (Alternate)
State Government and Tribal Affairs
Transportation |
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March 2, 2007
Dear
friends and neighbors,
A
lot of good legislation died this week and some
very troublesome legislation is moving forward.
Wednesday was the last day for policy bills to
be heard in their respective committees. The
committee cut-off date means that bills that
have not passed from their respective committees
are likely dead for the year. The next major
deadline is Monday, March 5, for fiscal bills
(bills that cost money). They also must be
reported from committee by that date or be
considered dead for the session. Bills that
drive the general fund budget, however, are
exempt from the cut-off. Below you will find a
list of our priority bills which, unfortunately,
did not survive the first major deadline.
We've been very busy this week, both in the
House Transportation Committee and in the House
State Government and Tribal Affairs Committee.
I've included a report below on some of those
activities.
Again, I'd like
to remind you to bookmark by my new web site for local news and
views, photos, and district information. You may
view it at:
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/Armstrong.
It is an honor to
serve you!
Rep. Mike Armstrong
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PRIORITY BILLS HAVE SAD ENDING
Hundreds of bills died this week following the
committee deadline of Feb. 28. Some were bad
bills that we prevented from moving forward.
However, many of the bills that died this week
were very good ones for the state and the 12th
District. Here's a short list of some of those
bills that for this session will have to "rest
in peace." For a full listing of cut-off bills,
go to the
House Republican "Dead or Alive" page.
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Affordable housing "Four for Affordability"
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House Bill 1860 - Provides a tax exemption for
property that has declined in value due to shoreline
or growth management regulation
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House Bill 1861 - Eliminates impact fees in
areas where housing is not affordable for first-time
buyers
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House Bill 1862 - Allows single-family
residential development outside urban growth areas
in areas where housing is not affordable for
first-time buyers
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House Bill 1863 - Eliminates the state sales tax
on construction labor and services in counties where
housing is not affordable for first-time buyers
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Eminent domain
Gambling expansion oversight
Health care
solutions that could lower costs now
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House Bill 1539 - Provides a small group plan
which would result in lower health care costs for
small employers and employees
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House Bill 1638 - Allows small employers to
deduct their health care costs from B&O tax
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House Bill 2199 -
Health Opportunity Act - an omnibus bill that would
drive down costs
Public
safety
Truth
in budgeting
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PROTECTING THE
WILL OF THE PEOPLE
In the early 1990s, voters approved Initiative 134
which placed a freeze on fundraising by
legislators 30 days before, during, and
after a legislative session. Washington
citizens were concerned that legislators'
votes could be "purchased" by special
interest groups during session. It was a
reasonable concern.
Some lawmakers, however, didn't like the
freeze, so last year in an agreement to
change the primary date, they removed
the 30-day post session freeze.
This year, I supported
House Bill 1018 to reinstate the
30-day post-session fundraising freeze.
Unfortunately, an amendment was placed
on the bill in the House State
Government and Tribal Affairs Committee
to make it only a 14-day freeze. I
believe we should uphold the will of the
people and I said so in committee (See
my committee comments in the right-hand
column).
I plan to amend this bill back to its
original proposal when it comes to the
House floor. |
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"There is no reason to have only a
14-day freeze after session is over. It
should be a 30-day freeze. This is pure
politics. . .and it stinks!"
Rep.
Mike Armstrong's comments in the House
State Government and Tribal Affairs
Committee, Feb. 26, 2007 |
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ARMSTRONG FIGHTS
TAX-FREE LAND FOR TRIBES
Over the years, the state of Washington has granted many
special considerations to tribes and has
respected the authority of tribes to be
sovereign nations. However, this latest
proposal,
House Bill 1794, goes too far. The bill
would allow tribes to buy land anywhere in the
state, build a business on that property, and
if the business remains tribal-owned/operated,
it pays no taxes
whatsoever.
I don't get it that
our efforts to give property owners a break on
their skyrocketing property taxes were
rebuffed by the majority party. Yet it is
willing to pull $240 million of assessed valued
land off the roles for the tribes and shift
$2.59 million of the tax burden back onto the
non-tribal citizens of Washington.
You and I pay more taxes while the tribes get
off scot-free? You can bet my vote was an
emphatic NO! |
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MAKING LIFE A LITTLE EASIER FOR SENIOR
CITIZENS
This week, I was pleased
that the House Transportation Committee
voted to approve a measure I
co-sponsored to help our senior citizens
who are over the age of 70.
House Bill 1887 will allow an
applicant over the age of 70 to renew
his or her Washington ID card by mail or
over the Internet. Applicants must have
a photograph on file with the Department
of Licensing (DOL) and must first make a
personal appearance at a DOL office.
However, after that, the applicant may
renew his or her Washington ID by mail
or Internet for the rest of his/her
lifetime.
The
measure now goes to the House Rules
Committee and will await floor action by
the full House of Representatives.
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Rep.
Mike Armstrong
enjoys a moment in the
House Transportation Committee. The
committee voted Tuesday to approve a
bill Armstrong co-sponsored that would
allow citizens over the age of 70 to
renew their IDs by mail or on the
Internet. |
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For more
news and information, visit my website at
www.houserepublicans.wa.gov/Armstrong
If you would rather not
receive legislative e-mail updates, please
click here and send me an e-mail.
In the subject line, please include the words UNSUBSCRIBE ME. |
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