February 20th - 2013 Regular Legislative Session Day 38

We’re hearing six bills in the Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government today and may take Executive Action on several bills. Substitute House Bill 1017 establishes minimum energy efficiency standards for battery charger systems, battery backup, and uninterruptible power supplies and establishes minimum water conservation standards for water closets, urinals, showerheads, and various types of faucets.

Substitute House Bill 1060 establishes that, for the purpose of an offender score, an out-of-state felony conviction for which there is no clearly comparable offense under Washington law will be scored as a class C felony equivalent.

Substitute House Bill 1158 modifies provisions governing direct petitions for annexation of unincorporated areas by cities; expands the Adjutant General's authority, with regard to real property owned or used by the state for military purposes, to permit the Adjutant General to file a petition seeking annexation of state military property to a city or town under certain conditions.

House Bill 1159 increases the number of statutorily authorized superior court judges in Whatcom County from three to four.

House Bill 1175 increases the number of statutorily authorized superior court judges in Benton and Franklin counties, jointly, from six to seven.

Substitute House Bill 1199 provides the Department of Fish and Wildlife with the authority to issue two new fees related to hunter education training programs; establishes the age of 8 as the minimum age to purchase hunting licenses and enroll in a hunter education training program; and establishes the age of 14 as the minimum age to hunt unaccompanied on most lands.

#Appropriations #Subcommittee #General #Government #House #Bill #1017 #1060 #1158 #1159 #1175 #1199 #Rep #David #Taylor #15th #District
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Post from davidtaylor at CHUM.LY

2011 Legislative Session:: House land-use bill a head-scratcher : Sports Yakima: http://sportsyakima.com/2011/02/house-land-use-bill-a-head-scratcher/

 

A head scratcher, huh? The WA State Department of Natural Resources manages over 600,000 of agricultural lands in Washington State. The question here is whether the PUBLIC wants their tax money spent purchasing and managing agricultural lands by the Department of Natural Resources. Why not sell those properties not being used for "active forestry"? According to the Office of Financial Management, selling those parcels not used for active forestry would generate approximately $440 million dollars and remove the long-term costs of managing (or mismanaging) these lands.

 

Utah and Idaho have both passed similar measures, but according to Mr. Sandsberry, passing a similar law in Washington "would be a huge mistake". Why? Kittitas County is approximately 75% publicly owned. Yakima County 76%, Klickitat County 75% and Skamania County 95% publicly owned. The local tax payers are left with the burden of paying the cost of providing police and medical services to these areas. At what point should the state and federal government get out of the landowner business.

 

I would note that the state and federal government really don't own the land; they manage it on behalf of the public. After all, it was public money that purchased the land, but I digress ...

 

According to Mr. Sandsberry, "selling off DNR lands to the highest bidder is, at best, knee-jerk shortsightedness that would unravel years of land-management policy." The author assumes state and federal agencies actually have a land management policy beyond purchasing additional, trading for additional or otherwise encumbering private lands to the benefit of the public without compensation.

 

Finally, Mr. Sandsberry suggests "generating a states-rights land-use argument will only raise the decibel level of that disturbing corner of the populace already afflicted with anti-government, the-feds-are-using-mind-control-through-my-cell-phone, secessionists-in-armed-compounds paranoia." Wow, I didn't realize that believing in the US Constitution and specifically the 9th and 10th amendments made someone "anti-government" and"paranoid". I guess someone should tell Judge Vinson, who ruled Obamacare was unconstitutional, he's "anti-government" and"paranoid".

 

Just a thought ....

 

#David #Taylor #15th #District #State #Rep #HB #1199 #Obamacare

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