AWC is calling on all city leaders to contact your Senators now and ask them to hold a public hearing on SB 5564. Introduced by Sen. Sharon Brown (R–Kennewick), this AWC priority bill allows local governments to compete for state sales tax credits to finance infrastructure improvements that spur private investments. The bill is currently held in the Senate Ways & Means Committee. Since it is considered “necessary to implement the budget” (NTIB), SB 5564 is not subject to normal cutoff rules. We know that the Chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee has an interest in the bill, but is likely waiting to move it until they see how the budget proposals shape up.
In addition to moving the bill in the Senate Ways & Means Committee, we would like to amend the bill to increase the amount of funding available and remove the limit on the number of eligible projects.
In AWC’s 2018 survey of Washington cities and towns, respondents named economic development as their number one priority. SB 5564 is a needed tool to help cities and towns encourage local economic development.
For more information on SB 5564, please visit AWC’s legislative priority webpage.