How Mid-Columbia lawmakers voted this week
With less than two weeks to go in the regular session of the Legislature, House lawmakers this week passed Democratic proposals for the state supplemental operating and transportation budgets. The House also passed a bill regulating the use of data from body cameras worn by law enforcement and corrections officers.
House Bill 2376, making 2015-17 supplemental operating budget appropriations. Passed the House 50-47 on Feb. 25.
Adds about $476 million to the $38.2 billion two-year budget approved last year and includes provisions to raise salaries for starting teachers from $35,000 to $40,000. It would also spend money from the state’s emergency “rainy day” fund on homeless programs. It relies on $120 million in proposed new taxes that have yet to be voted on, including a sales tax on bottled water and tax increases on a range of business enterprises. Senate Republicans released their version of the supplemental budget on Wednesday, calling for about $49 million in additional spending without raising taxes.
NO — Larry Haler (Richland), Brad Klippert (Kennewick), Mary Dye (Pomeroy), Joe Schmick (Colfax), David Taylor (Moxee), Terry Nealey (Dayton), Maureen Walsh (Walla Walla).
YES — Bruce Chandler (Granger).
House Bill 2524, making 2015-17 supplemental transportation appropriations. Passed the House 84-13 on Feb. 25.
Increases spending through mid-2017 to a total of $8.6 billion, adding roughly $470 million to the two-year budget enacted last year. It would be spent mostly on highway and bridge maintenance, removal of fish barriers and paying down the cost of a new 144-vehicle ferry. It also includes $16.3 million to raise the pay of Washington State Patrol officers, and $45 million to deal with traffic congestion caused by the new Interstate 405 toll lanes.
YES — Haler, Klippert, Chandler, Nealey, Walsh.
NO — Dye, Schmick, Taylor.
House Bill 2362, concerning video and/or sound recordings made by law enforcement or corrections officers. Passed the House 61-36 on Feb. 22.
Establishes Public Records Act provisions governing disclosure of body-worn camera recordings made by law enforcement and corrections officers while in the course of their official duties. It requires law enforcement and corrections agencies that deploy body-worn cameras to adopt policies covering their use and establishes a task force to review and report on the use of body-worn cameras by law enforcement and corrections agencies.
YES — Haler, Klippert, Nealey, Walsh.
NO — Dye, Schmick, Chandler, Taylor.
SOURCE: WashingtonVotes.org is a project of the Washington Policy Center.
This story was originally published February 28, 2016 at 8:50 PM with the headline "How Mid-Columbia lawmakers voted this week."