This is the final week of the 2019 Session. The legislature is scheduled to adjourn on Sunday, April 28. The most popular question people are asking is, “Will they finish on time?” It’s a good question. The last few budget sessions have required extensive overtime. However, the current Democratic majority leaders are anxious to demonstrate that they can finish on time.

Right now it looks like they will make the April 28 sine die deadline. Budget negotiators have been saying that they are close to agreeing on a spending plan. They also worked over the weekend to reach an agreement on raising new revenue.

It appears that legislators will likely agree to new revenue in the form of a graduated REET and some level of B&O tax increases. An increase to the hazardous substance tax also appears to still be in consideration. For more on possible revenue increases, check out the article on revenue bills.

This week the Legislature will be working to finalize the budget and pass the NTIB (necessary to implement the budget) bills that remain. They will also be working on concurrence for bills that have previously passed.

Concurrence is required when a bill passes the opposite house in a different form than it passed its house of origin. For example, a House bill passes the House, but the Senate makes changes to the bill – then the House is asked to concur on the Senate’s changes. In these situations, there are a couple of possible scenarios. The house of origin can concur with the changes and then the bill goes on to the Governor. Or, the house of origin can refuse to concur and ask the other body to recede from the changes. Then the bill goes back to see if the opposite house will recede. If they do not recede, then they can ask that the bill be sent to conference committee where a small group of legislators will try to work out a compromise.

Once a bill passes the legislature, it goes to the Governor for consideration. The Governor has either five days or 20 days to sign the bill – depending on when it is passed and transmitted. The Governor can either sign the bill into law, veto the whole bill, or veto a section of the bill and sign the rest into law. To find out if the Governor has signed a bill, or when he may sign it, visit the Governor’s Bill Action page for more information about the bill signing process.

AWC continues to watch a variety of bills. You can check out where they are in the process with our Hot Sheet.

Its not too late for some key budget messages

We ask that cities continue to deliver some key budget messages to your legislators. Ask them to follow up with their budget leaders and insist that city priorities are addressed.

We ask that cities follow up with their budget leaders and insist that city priorities are addressed.

Ask legislators to support these items in the final version of the budget:

• Support the Public Works Trust Fund (PWTF). Ask Legislators to support full funding for the PWTF of existing loan repayment revenue and 2% of REET. The House budget continues a sweep of $160 million to education. Both House and Senate budgets continue the diversions of REET, solid waste utility revenues, and public utility tax revenues. Cities oppose diversions of PWTF money into education and other programs.
• HB 1406 – Affordable housing local option sales tax. This bill funds a new partnership between state and local governments in support of affordable housing. A new local option sales tax will provide $70 million per biennium for a flexible funding source to address each city's unique affordable housing needs. The proposal is funded in the House budget.
• SB 5993 – Model Toxics Control Account (MTCA) reform and stabilization assumed in the Senate capital budget. This bill would stabilize funding for MTCA programs and provide additional funding for stormwater, solid waste, and remedial site cleanup projects. The Senate budget includes $28.4 million for solid waste financial assistance grants.

For more information, see AWC's budget highlight sheet for a comparison of key differences between the House and Senate budgets. Please share this information with your legislators and ask them to stand with cities.