Washington Business Fall 2017 | Legislative Review & Vote Record | Page 47

issue area reports | taxation HB 1025 prioritizing legislative appropriations Failed/AWB Supported House Bill 1025, sponsored by Rep. David Taylor, R-Moxee, is one of a handful of bills attempting to set additional parameters on the expenditure side of the budget discussion. It did this by establishing a priority order by subject, prohibiting the Legislature from raising taxes until it has enacted appropriations for the maximum number of priority budget areas, and by requiring the Legislature to pass a fully developed budget no later than 30 days before the beginning of the fiscal year. HB 1025 received a hearing in the House Appropriations Committee, but didn’t make it out of committee. House Bill 1817, sponsored by Rep. Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, and companion bill SB 5066 (Sen. Mark Miloscia, R-Federal Way), were offered in the same spirit, proposing a zero- based approach to budgeting. Neither bill made it out of the House. and require the joint legislative audit and review committee to review new statutory state spending programs according to a schedule developed by the committee. This bill highlights the importance of oversight on the expenditure side of the budget, while also drawing attention to the rigorous review process of tax expenditures under current law. HB 1818 did not receive a hearing in the House. SB 5443 dynamic fiscal impact statements Failed/AWB Supported Sen. Sharon Brown, R-Kennewick, and Rep. Bruce Chandler, R-Granger, continued what has been an ongoing effort to improve our state’s fiscal note program by allowing for targeted use of dynamic fiscal impact statements. Senate Bill 5443, and its near companion House Bill 1960, would have established dynamic fiscal impact statements as part of the fiscal note process. A fiscal note can make or break a legislative bill; for this reason it is extremely important they provide an adequate and accurate picture of fiscal impacts — unfortunately this is often not the case. Requiring the use of dynamic fiscal notes in appropriate circumstances is an important tool that can be used to make sure legislators have a fuller picture of a particular bill’s impacts, which will ultimately lead to better information and better public policy. Neither bill made it out of the House. HB 1818 state spending program reviews Failed/AWB Supported In House Bill 1818 Rep. Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, argues that the same sort of automatic review and scrutiny that ’s applied to differential tax rates such as credits, exemptions and deductions should be applied to state spending. HB 1818 would have enacted a new statutory state spending program to include a state spending performance statement, to include an expiration date no more than 10 years from the effective date of the spending program, Bill considered as part of AWB’s voting record Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, at AWB’s Rural Jobs Summit in Moses Lake. Favorable outcome for Washington businesses Missed Opportunities special edition 2017 45