Bill would let Port of Moses Lake borrow slightly more without voter approval for rail project

Senate Bill 6132 would allow certain port districts that establish a tax increment financing (TIF) area and meet specified valuation tests to contract indebtedness or issue general obligation bonds up to an additional 0.25% of taxable property value without voter authorization, subject to conditions spelled out in the bill.

Sen. Judy Warnick told the committee the bill applies narrowly to one port—the Port of Moses Lake—and aims to give that port modest extra bonding authority to finish a large rail project. Roman Daniels Brown, testifying for the Port of Moses Lake, said rising costs and a $10 million federal grant on the line make the additional bond capacity critical to complete the rail line.

Staff explained TIF basics and statutory indebtedness limits for port districts and said the bill conditions the additional 0.25% capacity on specified estimated taxable assessed values and use of funds for improvements within the increment area.

Supporters argued the change would help a narrowly defined project and stressed it affects only ports meeting the bill's numeric and geographic criteria. Questions focused on whether the additional capacity removes the option of voter authorization for still larger indebtedness (testimony said the district could still seek voter approval for higher capacity). The committee did not record a final vote in the hearing; the bill proceeds through committee consideration.