Today marks the fifteenth day of the 30-day special session. This week the Capitol experienced an uptick in action.

This morning the House Finance Committee met to move legislation to make changes to the state’s estate tax for married couples.

House Bill 2064 is in response to the Bracken Decision — a state Supreme Court ruling that allows a spouse to transfer assets to a surviving spouse without paying taxes if they’re using a certain type of trust, known as a Qualified Terminable Interest Property trust. As a result of this ruling the state can no longer collect estate taxes on the trust when the surviving spouse dies. If passed the legislation would make changes to the estate tax law to prevent such refunds in the future

It is estimated that the decision could cost the state $160 million dollars over the next two years.  The Washington Department of Revenue will begin issuing tax refund checks in June worth about $40 million dollars because of the decision.

It is possible that the Washington House will take up the bill on the floor tomorrow.

In the Senate legislation is expected to be heard before the Ways & Means Committee on Friday regarding the estate tax.  Also on Friday the Senate Ways & Means Committee will hold a hearing on two higher education related bills.

Senate Bill 5936 would create a performance funding framework for higher education and Senate Bill 5937 would decrease tuition for resident undergraduate students by 3% for the 2013-15 fiscal biennium and limit future growth of tuition for this category of students to inflation.