WAWG
Compiled by Diana Carlen
WAWG Lobbyist
House Proposal
House Democrats released their proposed supplemental budget early this week and voted it off the floor Thursday by a vote of 50-47. The House proposal raises teacher starting salaries from $35,000 to $40,000 per year and offers teachers a $650 annual bonus for continuing professional certification. The budget proposes paying for salary increases by ending the following six tax breaks:
• Limit Exemption: REET on Foreclosure Sales – $34.4 million
• Limit Exemption: Sales Tax for Non-Residents – $21.9 million
• Repeal Exemption: Sales Tax on Bottled Water – $23.2 million
• Repeal Preferential B&O Rate: Resellers of Prescription Drugs – $17.6 million
• Repeal Preferential B&O Rate: International Investment Services – $16.3 million
• Repeal Preferential B&O Rate: Travel Agents and Tour Operators – $6.1 million
The proposal also taps the state’s emergency rainy day fund to pay for fire suppression efforts from last year as well as funding for homeless programs. A three-fifths vote of the Legislature is required to use money from the rainy day fund.
House Budget Items Dealing With Agriculture
Department of Agriculture
Asian Gypsy Moth Eradication – $4,852,000 – The Asian gypsy moth is a nonnative moth that feeds on most of the native trees of Washington. With this one-time funding, the Washington State Department of Agriculture will design and implement an eradication program for the Asian gypsy moth to take place in the spring of 2016 and spring of 2017. (General Fund-State; General Fund-Federal)
Applicator Training $500,000 – One-time funding is provided to train applicators of crop protection products to enhance protection of workers and communities. (General Fund-State)
Apple Maggot Control $122,000 – Ongoing funding is provided for control procedures and inspections at compost facilities in areas currently free of apple maggots which receive municipal solid waste from apple maggot quarantine areas. (General Fund-State)
Conservation Commission
Fire Recovery – $9,800,000 – One-time funding is provided for Firewise contracts as well as a state match for federal funds that will assist private landowners with re-seeding, fencing, replacement of agricultural and other property infrastructure related to natural resource management, soil stabilization, and partial funding of conservation district staff time to coordinate with other entities assisting with wildfire recovery efforts. (Disaster Response Account-State)
Food Policy Forum – $50,000 – One-time funding is provided for the Conservation Commission to convene and facilitate a food policy forum.
Department of Health
Good Neighbor Communication Project – $178,000- Funding is provided for the Department of Health to develop a communication project to notify neighbors of pesticide applications that occur through drift-prone application methods. (General Fund-State)
Washington State University
Organic Agriculture Systems – $624,000 – Funding is provided to develop an Organic Agriculture Systems Program located in Everett. (General Fund-State)
Department of Early Learning
Seasonal Child Care – $1,693,000 – The Seasonal Child Care program provides licensed child care for children whose parents work in agricultural settings. Funding is provided to support 12-month eligibility for this population consistent with families in the Working Connections Child Care Program. (General Fund-State)
Department of Fish & Wildlife
Cougar Depredation – $50,000 – Ongoing funding is provided to pay claims for confirmed cougar depredations on livestock. (General Fund-State)
Conflict Transformation Capacity – $475,000 – Ongoing funding is provided for the department to establish a work unit to engage and empower diverse stakeholders in decisions about fish and wildlife. (General Fund-State)
Livestock Damage Prevention – $300,000 – Ongoing funding is provided for cost-share partnerships between WDFW and landowners through Livestock Damage Prevention Cooperative agreements. The agreements are part of WDFW’s efforts to help landowners implement measures to reduce the potential for wolf-livestock conflict. (General Fund-State)
Senate Proposal
Senate Republicans released a supplemental budget proposal Wednesday that focuses spending on wildfires and mental health, while also restoring money to charter schools to keep the schools open in Washington. The Senate budget does not raise any taxes or eliminate any tax breaks.
It does not tap into the state’s “rainy day” fund, which House Democrats have proposed using to pay for homeless programs. Instead, the Senate is narrowly focusing on youth homelessness by adding about 52 temporary youth shelter beds.
Both supplemental budgets pay for wildfire costs from last year’s season — the Senate includes $173 million, while the House proposal is about $190 million.
The Senate Ways & Means Committee voted out the proposal on Thursday evening and plan to vote it off the floor today.
Senate Budget Items Dealing With Agriculture
Department of Agriculture
Asian Gypsy Moth Eradication – $5,375,000
Apple Maggot Control – $122,000
Industrial Hemp – $145,000 – Pursuant to SB 6206, one-time funding is provided for WSDA to adopt rules to set a license application fee, a license fee and a license renewal fee for industrial hemp research and to adopt rules for an industrial hemp see certification program.
Dairy Groundwater Discharge Permit – $100,000 – One time funding is provided for WSDA (in cooperation with Ecology) to provide recommendations to the Legislature by July 31, 2017 on the role, scope and associated costs of providing a state groundwater discharge permit for dairy farmers.
Conservation Commission (added in Ways & Means)
$8,800,000 of disaster response account to State Conservation Commission for state match of federal dollars to assist private landowners with re-seeding, fencing, replacement of agricultural and other property infrastructure for wildfire recovery efforts.
Department of Fish and Wildlife
Species Status/F&W Commission – $546,000 – One-time funding is provided to WDFW to consider petitions for de-listing a state endangered species on a regional basis.
Ecology
Dairy Groundwater Discharge Permit – $83,000 – Funding is provided for the development of a state general groundwater discharge permit for dairy farms that elect to obtain permit coverage under the sole authority of state law.
Washington State University
$135,000 funding is provided for honey bee biology research position at WSU.