Revenue Conference Report Signed but Still Counting Votes

Posted on by

Early this afternoon members of the conference committee for Senate Bill 6143 (the revenue bill) met and signed the revenue conference report – $794.1 million in revenue.

Senators Murray and Prentice and Representatives Hunter and Hasegawa received a summary of the conference report from staff prior to signing the report.  Democrats took the opportunity offered by the conference report signing to underline the importance of new revenue to protect public services.

Both chambers also shared that vote counting on the revenue package is continuing.  When asked by the media if there are votes in the House and Senate to approve this compromise, Senator Murray, Democratic Caucus Chair, said “We’re confident but we’re counting votes.”  Similar thoughts were echoed by House Finance Chair, Representative Ross Hunter, “I think we’re very close. I think we’re closer than we were yesterday.”

At the same time the House and Senate continue to count revenue votes, negotiations on the operating and capital budgets continue. As shared by Senator Margarita Prentice, Chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee,  “We’re still working,” when asked about negotiations on the actual budget.

The revenue conference report would provide the state with $794.1 million in new revenue.

Conference Revenue Report
($794.1 million)

  • Temporary Services B&O surcharge to 1.8% without hospitals and narrow exemption for R&D. Small business credit doubled (credit permanent). Effective May 1, 2010 and expires June 30, 2013 ($241.9 million).
  • Temporary Beer Tax increase of 50 cents per gallon. Twenty-eight cent increase per six pack. Microbreweries exempt. Effective June 1, 2010 and expires June 30, 2013 ($59 million).
  • Temporary soda/pop tax increase of 2 cents per 12 oz bottle. Bottlers under $10 million in volume exempt. Effective July 1, 2010 and expires June 30, 2013 ($33.5 million).
  • Dot Foods ($155 million).
  • Cigarettes and other tobacco products (House Bill 2493) ($101.4 million).
  • Nexus ($84.7 million).
  • Sales and use tax applied to bottled water. Exemption for prescription water and unavailable potable water ($32.6 million).
  • Sales tax applied to candy and gum. B&O credit for jobs ($30.5 million).
  • Lottery Marketing (Senate Bill 6409) ($15 million).
  • Convention Center (Senate Bill 6889– Delivered to the Governor) ($10 million).
  • Tax avoidance ($8.5 million).
  • Property management. B&O ($6.9 million).
  • Agrilink ($4.1 million).
  • Homestreet fix ($3.6 million).
  • Corp. Dir. B& O ($2.1 million).
  • Bad debt ($1.7 million).
  • Livestock nutrients ($1.3 million).
  • PUD clarification ($1.1 million).
  • Tax debts corp ($1.2 million).

The conference report must sit on the bar of both the House and Senate for a full day before it can be voted upon. The report can only be voted up or down without amendment. The House will take up the package first, likely tomorrow.