The 2015 legislative session is finally over. This marathon session of “governance” is the longest session in state history!

What happened?

  • Democrats and Republicans finally came together to fund a two-year state operating budget. A deal was cut, compromises were made, and a state government shutdown was averted.
  • A 16-year, $16 billion transportation revenue package was passed. The revenue bill, which passed two weeks ago, included 6% for multimodal funding (the House Democrats’ proposal last year was around 7%) and local taxing authority for Sound Transit 3 and Community Transit. It also gives cities authority to raise vehicle license fees up to $50 over time. We covered the package here.
  • The spending and bonding bills for the transportation revenue package were one of the last items to pass this legislative session, having been held up by late night operating budget disagreements. The bonding bill authorizes the sale of bonds primarily for megaprojects like SR 520. The spending bill (or, as we call it around the office, the “earmark bill”) allows for actual disbursement of funds associated with the package. Both pieces of legislation, free of tax increases, passed overwhelmingly on Friday. The Governor is signing the bills at 3:30 pm this Wednesday at the University of Washington campus.

 

With the 2015 session finally over, you’ll get a break from our #waleg emails and actions alerts. You’re welcome. But our work is far from over. Our policy and advocacy shop is focusing its efforts on the upcoming Move Seattle Levy and the exciting possibilities for massive transit expansion through Sound Transit 3.

With this multi-year transportation package done, it will allow us to sharpen our efforts in future legislative sessions on creative policy ideas, such as expanding the Commute Trip Reduction program.

Thanks for sticking with us — and for all that you did for transit!

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