Senate Ways & Means advances two dozen bills to Rules with due-pass recommendations; major debate on tax package and K-12 measures

OLYMPIA — The Senate Ways & Means Committee voted April 25 to give due-pass recommendations to more than 20 bills and referred them to the Rules Committee for signature, while opting not to act on several measures. The committee met in executive session to consider bills spanning K-12 funding, tax changes, public-health programs and accounts transfers.

The committee advanced substitute House Bill 2050, a K-12 measure that the staff briefing described as making "changes to the apportionment schedule and limits the alternative learning experience enrollment used for calculations of local effort assistance (LEA)." The committee adopted one amendment that removed the apportionment-schedule change; two other amendments were defeated. Jed Herman, Ways & Means Committee staff, said the fiscal note projects savings of $22,000,000 over four years and a biennial figure that was not clearly specified in the transcript.

Why it matters: Committee action moves bills toward floor consideration and final votes; the K-12 measures under consideration were central to debate over the state's constitutional “paramount duty” to fund basic education and how to balance state aid with local levy authority.

Committee members debated substitute House Bill 2049, which would raise per-pupil limits for school enrichment levies and change the inflation factor used in local effort assistance calculations. Senator Gildan argued the bill could worsen inequities between affluent and property-poor districts, saying, "We should be investing in our state's paramount duty." Senator Petersen countered that paired with levy equalization in the budget, the change would help bridge districts until more basic education funding is available.

The committee also considered a large business-and-occupation (B&O) tax package, engrossed substitute House Bill 2081, which staff said would raise an estimated $5.6 billion over four years and includes a new 0.5% base-rate increase plus a 0.5% surcharge on portions of business income above $250 million. The bill generated extended debate and multiple amendment offers; several amendments were withdrawn and others were defeated on the floor of the committee. Senator Braun said of the package, "This bill very literally makes all of those more expensive," warning of pass-through costs to consumers; Senator Gildan echoed concerns about the impact on households.

Other notable…