Less Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom - 2014 Legislative Session Day 51

The following bills passed of the House Floor today ….

Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6020 passed 92 to 4 with 2 excused.
Engrossed House Bill 2797 passed 90 to 7 with 1 excused.
Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2762 passed 73 to 24 with 1 excused.
Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 6002 passed 53 to 44 with 1 excused.

Less Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom - 2014 Legislative Session Day 47

The House Appropriations Committee passed the proposed Supplemental Budget out of committee today with a 17 to 14 vote. There are several areas of the budget that are problematic, so I voted no on the proposed budget amendment

Less Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom - 2014 Legislative Session Day 45

The Appropriations Committee is meeting tonight at 6:30 PM to hear testimony on the House Proposed Operating Budget. The current proposal (it’s subject to amendment) is expected to receive Executive Action on Friday of this week and may see Floor Action as early as next Tuesday.

You can review the proposed budget and other documents here … leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/budget/detail/2014/ho2014p.as...p.asp

Less Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom - 2014 Legislative Session Day 10

My final committee meeting of the day is in the Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and Information Technology where we’re getting briefed by the Department of Corrections. Among the issues being discussed is the DOC budget, implementation of the budget provisions contained in the 2013-15 Operating Budget, capacity and current prison population, and implementation of Senate Bill 6204 from 2012.

Less Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom - 2014 Legislative Session Day 2

In the Appropriations Committee today we’re getting briefed on four separate issues that have budgetary impacts. First, OFM is presenting the Governor’s proposed Supplemental Operating Budget. Next is a briefing regarding the Governor’s proposal regarding the purchasing of behavior health services. The third briefing is related to the Governor’s State Health Innovation Plan. The final briefing of the day relates to changes to the Children’s Long-term Impatient Program.

Less Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom - 2014 Legislative Session Day 1

In today’s Appropriations Committee we’re getting briefed and hearing testimony on the Governor’s Supplemental Budget proposal … ugh!

Less Government, Lower Taxes and More Freedom -

theolympiareport.com/state-revenue-growing-but-not...plans

"Last year’s budget pumped an additional $1 billion into K-12 education, but it did so largely by diverting money from other programs and using temporary accounting gimmicks." - Rep Ross Hunter

Finally, a little honesty.

June 29th - 2013 Second Special Session

Friday morning and we’re on the House Floor for what hopes to be the last day in 2013. After caucusing for 90 minutes, we began voting on bills.

Second Substitute Senate Bill 5367 passed 80 to 2 with 15 excused.
Senate Bill 5644 passed 77 to 5 with 15 excused.
Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5036 passed 79 to 4 with 14 excused.
Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5035 (Capital Budget) passed 79 to 4 with 14 excused.

After running the Capital Budget, the Legislature reached Sine Die … let’s hope it’s for real this time. I’m looking forward to being home and thank everyone for their prayers and support over the last 6 months.

June 28th - 2013 Second Special Session

As the House begins its debate on the negotiated budget, I think it’s important to inform the citizens of Washington about a few of the provisions in it. First and foremost, the most important thing to remember in all the news articles and reports is that the revenue forecast projects an additional $2.0 billion in revenue. Now, understanding the state has $2.0 billion more to spend than the last biennium, let’s compare the Washington State Republican Party’s Platform to the negotiated, compromise Operating Budget the House. The Preamble to the State Party Platform specifically calls for"low taxes” yet the proposed Operating Budget includes two tax increases totaling approximately $246.8 million. Section 7 of the State Party Platform recognizes the"unalienable right of human life, from conception to natural death, yet the compromise budget includes between $16 and $25 million to Planned Parenthood for services, including publicly funded abortions and Plan B. Section 9 of the State Party Platform calls for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare); unfortunately, the compromise budget fully implements Obamacare in Washington State. While these are more than enough reason to vote no on the negotiated budget, there’s more.

The budget also relies on the sweeping of funds and temporary transfers to balance the budget to the tune of approximately $500 million. In addition, the budget relies on an additional $2.3 billion in federal dollars … that’s right, the state has decided to rely on the federal government to fund programs. I guess they forgot the federal government currently faces approximately $150 trillion in unfunded liabilities.

I’ll be voting no on this budget as it fails to reduce government, lower taxes or expand freedom for the citizens of Washington State.

June 25th - 2013 Second Special Legislative Session

Rule 12 of the 2013-14 Legislative Manual for the House of Representatives requires 24 hours to pass before a budget bill can be placed on the Third Reading Calendar for final passage. This requirement can be waived by a 2/3rd vote of the House or a suspension of the rules.

You know what's in the pending 2013-15 budget, right? | Washington Policy Center:: www.washingtonpolicy.org/blog/post/you-know-whats-...right

"With a 2013-15 budget deal "imminent" one of the remaining questions left to be answered is whether lawmakers and the public will be provided adequate time to review the details before a vote on final passage occurs. We believe at a minimum the time provided for budget transparency should be at least 24 hrs."

June 25th - 2013 Second Special Legislative Session

Rule 12 of the 2013-14 Legislative Manual for the House of Representatives requires 24 hours to pass before a budget bill can be placed on the Third Reading Calendar for final passage. This requirement can be waived by a 2/3rd vote of the House or a suspension of the rules.

You know what's in the pending 2013-15 budget, right? | Washington Policy Center:: www.washingtonpolicy.org/blog/post/you-know-whats-...right

"With a 2013-15 budget deal "imminent" one of the remaining questions left to be answered is whether lawmakers and the public will be provided adequate time to review the details before a vote on final passage occurs. We believe at a minimum the time provided for budget transparency should be at least 24 hrs."

Libertarian Party of Washington Calls on Legislature to Repeal Medicaid Expansion, Nullify Affordable Care Act | Washington State Wire - News of Capitol Importance

washingtonstatewire.com/blog/libertarian-party-of-...e-act

"Washington State Wire is an independent nonpartisan news gathering organization focusing on Washington state government and the policies that affect Washington residents’ daily lives."

I've had a few people ask me why I voted against the House Democrat Operating Budget ... well, one of the reasons is the Medicaid Expansion that is contained in the budget. It's also in the Senate's Budget. Here's a great piece explaining the proposed expansion.

April 12th - 2013 Regular Legislative Session Day 89

After spending the morning in Caucus discussing a number of bills, we broke for lunch and then considered several bills for passage.

Engrossed Senate Bill 5236 passed 53 to 42 with 3 excused.
Senate Bill 5797 passed 94 to 1 with 3 excused.
Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5082 passed 95 to 0 with 3 excused.
Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5110 passed 57 to 37 with 4 excused.
Senate Bill 5302 passed 94 to 0 with 4 excused.
Substitute Senate Bill 5316 passed 94 to 0 with 4 excused.
Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5324 passed 94 to 0 with 4 excused.
Substitute Senate Bill 5332 passed 54 to 40 with 4 excused.
Substitute Senate Bill 5568 passed 94 to 4 with 4 excused.
Substitute Senate Bill 5615 passed 73 to 21 with 4 excused.
Second Substitute Senate Bill 5624 passed 57 to 38 with 3 excused.
Senate Bill 5692 passed 95 to 0 with 3 excused.
Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5723 passed 94 to 2 with 2 excused.
Substitute Senate Bill 5767 passed 96 to 0 with 2 excused.
Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5849 passed 84 to 12 with 2 excused.
Engrossed Substitute Senate Concurrent Resolution 8401 passed 84 to 11 with 1 absent and 2 excused.

After debating and passing these bills, we returned to Caucus to discuss all the proposed amendments to the Democrat Operating Budget. There were 27 proposed amendments to the budget, with 10 of the proposed amendments ultimately withdrawn from consideration. The Democrat’s House Operating Budget is predicated on a $1.3 billion tax increase and $2.1 billion in growth, totaling a $3.445 Billion increase over the 2011-13 Biennium. Many of our citizens would enjoy a 1% increase to their personal budgets, yet the State Operating Budget is growing by approximately 11%.

The House Republicans put forth a series of amendments aimed at reducing regulations and increasing economic development, yet each and every one of those amendments were defeated. These amendments included 90-day permitting by state agencies and a rule-writing moratorium. I guess a rule-writing moratorium was acceptable to former Governor Gregoire (yes, she issued an Executive Order requiring as much), but not to the House Democrats.

I am saddened to report the House Democrat Operating Budget, tax increases and all, passed 54 to 43 with 1 excused. Folks the no votes on the budget represent a bipartisan"no” vote, while the"yes” vote was 100% Democrat.

April 11th - 2013 Regular Legislative Session Day 88

We’re on the House Floor again this morning voting on a number Senate Bills.

Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5053 passed 96 to 1 with 1 excused.
Senate Bill 5810 passed 97 to 0 with 1 excused.
Senate Bill 5025 passed 89 to 8 with 1 excused.
Senate Bill 5142 passed 67 to 30 with 1 excused.
Substitute Senate Bill 5165 passed 72 to 25 with 1 excused.
Senate Bill 5212 passed 97 to 0 with 1 excused.
Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5215 passed 97 to 0 with 1 excused.
Senate Bill 5235 passed 81 to 16 with 1 excused.
Substitute Senate Bill 5274 passed 96 to 0 with 1 excused.
Substitute Senate Bill 5308 passed 97 to 0 with 1 excused.
Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5389 passed 95 to 2 with 1 excused.
Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5267 passed 87 to 10 with 1 excused.

At 3:30 today, the House Appropriations Committee will begin considering the House Democrat Budget for Executive Action. We expect it to be a long hearing.

April 10th - 2013 Regular Legislative Session Day 87

We spent the morning getting briefed on the proposed striking amendment to the Senate Operating Budget (ESSB 5034), which amounts to the House Democrat Majority’s proposed budget. We were also briefed on the latest draft of the Capital Budget, most of which remains unclear given the recent Federal District Court dealing with fish passage.

I’m now in the House Appropriations Committee meeting hearing the Democrat’s proposed Operating Budget, embodied in a striking amendment. The Democrat’s proposed budget totals $34,845.7 Billion for Fiscal Year 13-15, which is approximately $3,554.7 Billion more than the Fiscal Year 2011-13 budget or an 11% increase to the state General Fund. The Democrat’s proposed budget was released to the public at 12:30 PM this afternoon and three hours later we’re receiving testimony on it.

We’ve been told the Democrats plan on taking Executive Action to move the bill out of committee tomorrow (Thursday) with the plan being to pass the Operating Budget off the House Floor sometime on Friday. That means from the time the proposed budget was released to the public and subsequently passed on the House Floor, the total amount of time the public was provided to review and comment was less than 60 hours.

April 8th - 2013 Regular Legislative Session Day 85

We received word today that the House Appropriations Committee will be hearing the Operating Budget on Wednesday at 3:30 PM. Here’s the best part … we’re not hearing the budget passed by the Senate last week, we’re hearing a striking amendment that encompasses the House Democrat’s budget AND the proposed striking amendment won’t be available for public review until 12:30 on Wednesday. This will be a 400-plus page bill and 3 hours for the public and legislators to review it. How’s that for open government?

March 22nd - 2013 Regular Legislative Session Day 68

Just another example of the different feel this Legislative Session has, there were a lot of committee meetings cancelled this week and there have been several"work sessions” scheduled for next week. I had no committee work today, so I’m working through some budgetary issues. I’m looking forward to seeing Molly and Tiffany tonight … it’s been a long week.

The revenue forecast this week was mixed, so it will be interesting to see what kind and how many tax increases the House Democrat Majority bring forward in the coming weeks. The fact remains the same; the taxpayers of Washington State do not need to send more money to Olympia. The Legislature must return to the Priorities of Government and prioritize spending based on the Constitution.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

February 5th - 2013 Regular Legislative Session Day 23

In the Appropriations Committee today we’re getting briefed on Early Childhood Learning and then considering HB 1226 for Executive Action. We’ve almost completed all the briefings on the various state agency’s budgets and programs and will move into hearing bills later this week.

#Appropriations #HB #1226 #state #agency #budget #programs #hearings #Rep #David #Taylor #15th #District
https://chumly.com/n/19f421f

February 4th - 2013 Regular Legislative Session Day 22

Today in the House Appropriations Committee we’re getting briefed on the Department of Corrections, Judicial Agencies and the interaction between the Operating and Capital Budgets. It’s been a busy day, but it’s almost over.

I can’t express how thankful I am for all the email and phone calls I’ve received from everyone in support of the Legislation we’ve introduced as part of the Freedom Agenda. Thank you!

#Appropriations #Corrections #Judicial #Operating #Capital #Budget #Freedom #Agenda #Rep #David #Taylor #15th #District
https://chumly.com/n/19eea23

December 17, 2012

Gregoire budget proposes fuel tax to help school transpo - The Politics Blog - The Olympian - Olympia, Washington news, weather and sports:: www.theolympian.com/2012/12/18/2357689/gregoire-bu....html

There's really not much new being proposed by outgoing Governor Gregoire ... tax increases, cuts to levy equalization and full implementation of Obamacare. In the words of William Wallace (from the Braveheart) ... "Are you ready for a war!"

#William #Wallace #fuel #tax #levy #equalization #Gregoire #budget #Rep #David #Taylor #15th #District
https://chumly.com/n/18dd39a