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Senate budget is wrong approach on both sides of the Cascades

By state Sen. Rebecca Saldaña

May 20, 2017

Throughout this legislative session, I have heard more times than I can remember how the interests of Seattle are at odds with Eastern Washington. But there is something my district in South Seattle shares with communities in the Yakima Valley: We can count ourselves among many throughout Washington who will see a big property tax hike under the state Senate Republican budget.

To fund their budget they rely on a levy swap, which they claim raises taxes only in “rich districts.” But school districts throughout Washington — including Union Gap, Zillah, Toppenish, Wapato and Mount Adams — will see an increase in taxes under their plan. Others will be forced to choose to raise their property taxes, sometimes by hundreds of dollars, if they vote to support their schools with a 10 percent levy. This is true in Yakima, Sunnyside, Naches Valley and Selah.

Just like many of you, the majority of people in my district can’t afford these tax hikes. Whether it is a working family or someone on a fixed income, taxpayers in this state are already struggling to make ends meet. I have lived in both rural farming communities in the Northwest as well as the city of Seattle. I understand how difficult it is to find solutions to complex problems that will work for our diverse communities and people in Washington.

School funding is one of those complex challenges, and what lawmakers do this year may well define our education system for a generation. In order to do this right, it will take a serious commitment from both Republicans and Democrats.

Unfortunately, the Senate budget raises property taxes in dozens and dozens of communities that can’t afford it. Meanwhile, Senate Republican budget negotiators are also refusing to come to the table with House Democrats who have asked for meetings repeatedly.

The funding approaches between the two budgets are stark. This is to be expected. But the political divide can only be breached by honest, good-faith negotiations. I know there are many Senate Republicans who want to reach across the aisle and work this out for their constituents. Like me, they believe that whether you live in Seattle or Selah, taxpayers should get the most for their dollar and know what it buys.

But raising taxes on some homeowners to buy lower taxes for others is not an equitable solution to our school funding question. After all, we all want our kids to succeed and our schools thrive. And though no one likes taxes, both Republicans and Democrats rely on them to fund our schools and balance their budgets.

The only way we will ever find solutions that work for all of us is for everyone to come to the negotiation table. This is what the people of this state expect of their leaders, no matter where they live.

El presupuesto del senado tiene el enfoque equivocado para ambos lados de las montañas

Por la senadora estatal Rebecca Saldaña

A través de esta sesión legislativa, he escuchado una y otra vez cómo los intereses de Seattle están en desacuerdo con los del oriente de Washington. Pero hay algo que mi distrito en el sur de Seattle comparte con las comunidades en el Valle de Yakima: Nos podemos contar entre los muchos en Washington que verán una gran alza de impuestos de propiedad bajo el presupuesto de los republicanos en el senado.

Para financiar su presupuesto, los Republicanos usan una ‘levy swap’ que, según ellos, sólo alza los impuestos en “distritos ricos.” Pero casi todos los distritos escolares en Washington, incluyendo Union Gap, Zillah, Toppenish, Wapato y Mount Adams, verán un alza de impuestos bajo este plan. Otros se verán obligados a optar por aumentar impuestos de propiedad local, a veces por cientos de dólares, si votan para apoyar a sus escuelas con una ‘levy’ del 10 por ciento. Esto es cierto en Yakima, Sunnyside, Naches Valley y Selah.

Como muchos de ustedes, la mayoría de las personas en mi distrito no pueden permitirse estas alzas de impuestos. Si se trata de familias trabajadoras o personas con ingreso fijo, los contribuyentes en este estado ya están luchando para llegar al fin del mes. He vivido en comunidades rurales en el noroeste y también en la ciudad de Seattle. Entiendo lo difícil que es encontrar soluciones a problemas complejos que funcionen para nuestras diversas comunidades y personas en Washington.

La financiación escolar es un reto complejo. Lo que hacemos los legisladores este año puede definir el sistema educativo para las generaciones futuras en Washington. Para hacer esto bien, será necesario contar con un compromiso serio de ambos republicanos y demócratas.

Desafortunadamente, el presupuesto del senado eleva los impuestos de propiedad en comunidades a través del estado que simplemente no podrían pagar. Mientras tanto, los negociadores del presupuesto republicano se niegan a reunirse con los demócratas de la cámara de representantes que siguen pidiendo juntas.

Hay diferencias en los enfoques de financiación entre los presupuestos de los republicanos y demócratas. Esto es de esperar. Pero la división política sólo puede ser solucionada mediante negociaciones honestas y de buena fe. Sé que hay muchos republicanos, tanto como demócratas, en el senado que quieren trabajar conjuntamente para resolver este problema. Como yo, ellos creen que independientemente de si usted vive en Seattle o en Selah, los contribuyentes deben sacar el máximo provecho de sus impuestos y saber en qué se invierten.

Pero aumentar los impuestos de algunos propietarios para bajar impuestos para otros no es una solución equitativa al problema de financiamiento para las escuelas. Después de todo, queremos que nuestros hijos tengan éxito y nuestras escuelas prosperen. Y aunque a nadie le gustan los impuestos, tanto los republicanos como los demócratas confían en ellos para financiar las escuelas y balancear el presupuesto.

La única manera en que encontraremos soluciones permanentes que funcionen para todos es que ambos republicanos y demócratas vengan a la mesa de negociaciones. Esto es lo que la gente de ambos lados del estado espera de sus líderes.

* Rebecca Saldaña es la senadora estatal del distrito legislativo 37, que cubre gran parte del sur de Seattle y partes de Renton.

Saldaña bill to improve HOV lane access for blood-donation vehicles signed into law

OLYMPIA – A bill by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, to expand access to HOV lanes for blood donation vehicles was signed by Governor Jay Inslee today.

Gov. Inslee signs Substitute Senate Bill No. 5837, April 19, 2017. Relating to expanding high occupancy vehicle lane access to blood-collecting or distributing establishment vehicles. Primary Sponsor: Rebecca Saldaña

“Blood donation, as well as plasma and tissue donation, is vital to helping those who are critically ill,” Saldaña said. “My father became a blood donor as a child so he could help his sister, and has continued to be a donor in Washington state. With increased technology, better blood-type matches are possible – making the quick transport of life-saving blood ever more important. This is an issue that has touched many of us, and this bill will help ensure blood donation vehicles can continue to do their best work as we evaluate how HOV lanes can better serve Washingtonians.”

Senate Bill 5837 creates a two-year period for the Washington State Department of Transportation to reexamine its rules surrounding access to HOV lanes. This will be done through a public process, specifically looking at impacts of allowing vehicles that deliver or collect blood, tissue, or blood components to use the HOV lanes. Bloodworks Northwest testified in favor of the bill. They deliver more than 600,000 units of blood to nearly 90 hospitals throughout the Northwest and Alaska.

Pt. 2

OLYMPIA – Following the unanimous passage of the Senate Transportation Budget, Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, released this statement:

“Ensuring transportation funding that moves our state forward is one of the most critical issues in our district. Being stuck in traffic in our cars is about time away from our families, missed economic opportunities for our state, and pollution that increases asthma and other problems in children.

“I was extremely disappointed Senate Republicans rejected a measure that would have dealt with the car tab price increases without risking the buildout of light rail in our region. However, a lot of work went into the budget to ensure our state can maintain the infrastructure we have, increase investments in transit options and reduce traffic for the people of our region. It funds important projects like Interstate-405/State Route167 interchange, I-5 express lanes and RapidRide enhancements and traffic safety improvements.

“The generation before us missed the mark in investments in transit options that would have reduced traffic and increased mobility for our region. I am glad to have been able to vote for a transportation budget that makes investments in a clean and healthy transportation system that our district can count on in the future.”

OLYMPIA – A bill to help survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday and is on its way to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law.

“Everyone deserves a fair chance and everyone deserves justice,” said Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, the bill’s prime sponsor. “Survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation in our state need every possible barrier removed from their path to a better life, and this law will help do that. No matter what has happened to them in the past, these girls, boys, women and men deserve a chance to move on.”

Senate Bill 5272 allows a person to vacate a conviction for prostitution even if he or she has committed other crimes since the date of conviction, provided those crimes were the result of a prostitution-related offense or being a victim of trafficking. This bill clarifies steps to vacate a conviction not made plain in previous legislation. Without this clarity, all attempts to vacate convictions by survivors to date have been denied. The ability to vacate these convictions is a key component in fighting trafficking, as barriers to necessities like employment and housing put survivors at a higher risk of being exploited further.

“Sadly, the average sex trafficking survivor is 15,” said Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, sponsor of the companion bill in the House (House Bill 1112). “These young girls and boys are doubly victimized, first from having to recover from the horrific nightmare of being abused in the sex industry, and then from having to face numerous barriers as they try to rebuild their lives. We need this bill to help remove hurdles so they can obtain housing and employment, and begin to heal as they find their place in the community.”

Criminal records, even for those who have been exploited or trafficked, can often make it difficult to find a job, rent an apartment or apply for essential services. More than a quarter of trafficking victims globally are children, and roughly 55 percent are women and girls. Data shows most individuals involved in prostitution start as teenagers, some estimates as young as 13.

The bill passed the state Senate unanimously and the House nearly unanimously. Once signed by the Governor, the law will take effect within 90 days.

OLYMPIA – Ritzy Davidson, 15, served as a page in the Washington State Senate during the week of March 27, the 12^th week of the 2017 Legislative Session. Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, sponsored Davidson’ week in the Legislature.

“Ritzy brought a great energy to the office,” said Saldaña. “It was nice meeting her and having her help for a week. I hope she enjoyed being a page as much as we enjoyed having her.”

The Senate Page Program is an important opportunity for civics education for 14 to 17 year old students in Washington state. During their week at the Capitol, pages learn about the legislative process while assisting senators and staff. They hear lectures from guest speakers, and attend page school where they create their own bills in a mock committee setting. Davidson proposed legislation that would expand transgender education.

“I loved mock committee,” said Davidson. “I really liked hearing other people’s ideas and being able to do what senators do.”

Pages have many responsibilities during the week that take them all around the Capitol campus and give them access to places restricted to the general public. Davidson is in the ninth grade at Roosevelt High School.

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For more information about the Senate Page Program, contact SenatePageProgram@leg.wa.gov.

OLYMPIA— Democratic senators introduced five separate reforms today to address frustration surrounding how Sound Transit 3 is handling car tabs.

Senate Bill 5905, sponsored by Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, would adopt a new formula for assessing the value of vehicles taxed by Sound Transit on future bonds issued by accelerating the rate of depreciation.

“We all have a stake in building a world-class transportation system, but we must also ensure that those who can least afford it don’t shoulder an unfair burden – that’s what my bill is all about,” said Hobbs, the ranking member of the Senate Transportation Committee. “We must address the transit needs of our region and ensure greater transparency and accountability in working with Sound Transit. An undertaking of this magnitude is bound to find controversy along the way. I will remain open to all ideas that the public and Sound Transit bring forward.”

SB 5907, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias, D-Lynnwood, would direct transit agencies to improve coordination with Sound Transit and other agencies and show measurable progress as they integrate service with Sound Transit.

“As light rail grows, we want transit agencies to reallocate bus service so that our buses are feeding into rail stations rather than running the same routes served by rail,” said Liias, the assistant ranking member on the Senate Transportation Committee. “Our agencies need to work together seamlessly to make sure taxpayers get the best service for their dollars.”

SB 5908 and SB 5909, both sponsored by Sen. Guy Palumbo, D-Maltby, would increase accountability by: requiring notices of regional transit authority motor vehicle excise taxes and property taxes to include budget information and status of Sound Transit projects being funded by car tab fees; and directing county auditors to provide similar accountability statements on the status of Sound Transit projects to property taxpayers.

“As a former senior manager in the technology industry, I learned that if I didn’t keep my investors updated on how their projects were progressing, I would lose their trust,” said Sen. Guy Palumbo, D-Maltby. “The same can be said for government and its responsibility to be transparent and accountable to taxpayers. After all, taxpayers are essentially investors. That’s why I am directing county auditors and the Department of Licensing to provide information on the status of Sound Transit’s projects. People need to see their hard-earned dollars at work and be able to hold government accountable if projects aren’t being done on time or on budget.”

SB 5906, sponsored by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, would allow Sound Transit to offer a rebate of up to 40 percent on car tab charges for low-income vehicle owners and a similar rebate of up to 40 percent on the property tax charge for Sound Transit 3 (ST3) for low-income homeowners.

“Like the overwhelming majority of the people in the 37th district, I strongly support more public transit options that come about through better community support and engagement,” Saldaña said. “Our district is made up of diverse, working people and families who are most impacted by our state’s upside down tax system. This bill aims to mitigate the effects of that broken system on fixed income adults and low-income folks who may need relief with some of the extra costs related to ST3 while ensuring we keep our district and region moving toward a cleaner and better transportation future.”