The Legislature is halfway through its 30-day special session, but a budget deal is still elusive. The most spirited activity so far was a Senate hearing and floor vote on tax proposals put forth by House Democrats, which saw a capital gains tax and a change to the state’s Business and Occupation (B&O) tax go down in a rare symbolic 0 aye, 48 no vote.
The current special session will end on May 23rd. If a budget deal is not reached by then the Governor must call another special session. One key thing we continue to advocate for as part of a budget deal…progress on funding and greater accountability for career and technical education!
In other capitol news, Senator Bob Hasegawa has announced his candidacy for Mayor of Seattle. At least one of his Senate colleagues is also expressing interest. May 19th is the last day for candidates to file for office for the November 2017 election. Expect some surprises.
The Business Alliance extends its condolences to the family of Governor Mike Lowry who passed away earlier this month.