WA Legislature passes $59B two-year budget; How City of Spokane is putting that money to use
April 26, 2021 4:21 PM Connor Sarles
SPOKANE, Wash. The Washington Legislature adjourned Sunday after passing a two-year budget of $59 billion. Spokane gets just over $12 million of that, which the City Council has divvied up among local organizations.
“City Council and its legislative team demonstrated yet again that a strategic investment by the City to influence the Legislature can reap major dividends in Spokane projects that help everyday people,” said City Council President Breean Beggs. “I am grateful for the work of Senator Andy Billig, Representative Timm Ormsby, and Representative Marcus Riccelli for the majority of these investments and a special thanks to Representative Mike Volz for the investment in Meadowglen Park.”
Retirement accounts, homes, farms and forestry would be exempt. Author: Associated Press, Drew Mikkelsen Published: 5:29 PM PDT April 21, 2021 Updated: 5:42 PM PDT April 21, 2021
OLYMPIA, Wash. The Washington House has approved a capital gains tax on the sale of high-profit stocks and bonds, but its future in the Senate is unclear following changes Democrats made in a House committee.
The measure would impose a 7% tax on the sale of stocks, bonds and other high-end assets in excess of $250,000 for both individuals and couples. Retirement accounts, homes, farms and forestry would be exempt.
The measure would take effect Jan. 1 and is expected to bring in about $450 million a year. Opponents have argued that it’s a tax on income that is illegal in the state, and the debate is certain to end up in court if it becomes law.
Federal Government Foot-Dragging Helps Oil Industry Delay Oil-by-Rail Rules desmogblog.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from desmogblog.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Sen. Andy Billig [D-Spokane] talks about the function of the legislative Rules Committees in Olympia.
The Washington and Idaho legislatures are in the homestretches of their respective sessions. Lawmakers are working to finalize budgets and put the finishing touches on a variety of bills.
In Washington, the Rules Committees [chaired in the Senate by Lt. Gov. Denny Heck, above] have an important role in determining which bills move on and which ones die. Today we get a Civics 101 lesson from Sen. Andy Billig [D-Spokane], a Rules Committee member.
Andy Billig: “I counted once and found there were 37 places that a bill could die along the legislative process, but really no place where it can get a direct route to becoming a law. Our founders really had this idea that it should be hard to pass a law. Laws are momentous and significant and they should get lots of checks and double-checks and triple-checks before they pass. One of those checks, one of those filters that a bill has
Camden: Setting standard for mascots By Jim Camden
Share: Jim Camden is a columnist with the Spokesman-Review in Spokane. Email: jimc@spokesman.com. Photo
Although I’ve never been a big believer in the Cascade Curtain, more than a decade in Olympia has taught me that there is a certain West Side bias that results in somewhat rare recognition, let alone praise, for things Eastern Washington does right.
So it was a pleasant surprise last week, when debate over a bill to restrict the use of Native American names and images for high school sports teams had a thumbs-up to Spokane for how it dealt with a thorny national issue.