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Fish passage funding proposal divides local governments and tribes; bill would create dedicated utility tax revenue stream
Summary
Staff briefed the Ways & Means Committee on Senate Bill 5804, a proposal to dedicate part of the public utility tax on light and power to a new fish‑habitat account and authorize up to $5 billion in special tax‑backed bonds to fund salmon‑recovery work ordered by a federal injunction; tribal leaders and restoration groups supported the funding plan while local governments, PUDs and the Public Works Board warned the measure would jeopardize the Public Works Assistance Account.
A staff briefing described the proposal and its legal context before the committee heard competing testimony on whether the bill's revenue structure should replace existing local infrastructure funding. "By way of background," Michael Buzanson told senators, the federal court issued "a permanent injunction requiring the state to provide and maintain fish passage for salmon and numerous culverts under state owned roads," and the cost to correct the remaining barriers has been estimated in excess of $5,000,000,000.
Senate Bill 5804 would create a new dedicated account funded by a restructured public utility tax on light and power utilities and authorize $5,000,000,000 in special tax‑obligation (revenue) bonds to pay for fish‑passage projects tied to the injunction. The bill redirects taxes that currently flow to the Public Works Assistance Account…
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