Transportation package approved by House

Breaking a years-long deadlock, the state House of Representatives on Friday agreed to ask voters in a few months to approve a $6 billion transportation tax hike.

"Once again, this state stands at the crossroads," said Rep. Ruth Fisher, D-Tacoma, introducing the bill. "And that crossroads is full of cars and trucks trying to make it to market."

The measure, which still faces a competing proposal from the state Senate, would:

Add eight cents tax to the price of gasoline and diesel over the next two years,

Add 1 percent to the current 6.5 percent state tax on new and used cars,

And boost truck weight fees 20 percent.

Rep. Val Ogden, D-Vancouver, said the gas tax increase adds up to about $56 a year for an average driver.

The $6 billion price tag covers 10 years. Lawmakers include a project list, which includes tens of millions of dollars for the North Spokane Corridor, widening Interstate 90, and widening the deadly Moscow-Pullman highway.

Democrats tried to paint the measure, HB 2969, as a bipartisan compromise between majority Democrats and minority Republicans.

"Last year, I kept looking above for the goddess of compromise to look down on us and smile. She did not," said Fisher. "Well, she has today."

The voting, largely along party lines, suggested otherwise. Republicans, many of whom concede that the state badly needs to fix its road and rail congestion, maintained that the bill is largely a Democratic proposal, with few of the reforms they wanted. Several predicted that the voters will shoot the measure down.

"I can tell you right now, this bill, if it goes to a vote of the people, is going to be dead on arrival," said Rep. John Ahern, R- Spokane.

Many lawmakers said the measure promises more congestion relief than it will deliver.

"You can lead," Rep. Lynn Schindler, R-Otis Orchards, told Democratic lawmakers, "but you can also lead people down a primrose path.

In the Senate, majority Democrats plan today to unveil an $8.2 billion proposal that tacks on another penny of gas tax, higher trucking fees, and a 3-cent diesel surcharge. Key senators also want the tax increase imposed from Olympia, rather than risking failure at the ballot.

To win support from auto dealers, lawmakers in the House agreed to let them charge a $35 "document fee for doing the licensing and sale paperwork. Auto dealers originally balked at a 0.8 percent hike, but agreed to an even higher 1 percent after being promised the $35 surcharge. Customers will pay both, unless the dealer waives the fee.

"Sometimes you make compromises in this game, and this is one of them," said Fisher.

"That one does bother me," said Rep. Alex Wood, D-Spokane. "But if you want the auto dealers not to fight it at the polls, this is what you have to do."

Some border-area lawmakers worry that more people would try to dodge the state's vehicle-registration laws if vehicle costs rise.

"There are ways to get around our laws," said Rep. Don Cox, R- Colfax, mentioning that two auto dealers in Pullman compete with three others in Moscow, Idaho, just eight miles away.

Some rural lawmakers said their strapped communities can't take the tax hit.

"I wish we had a problem with miners getting to work. I wish we had mines left," said Rep. Bob Sump, R-Republic. "I wish I had log trucks in my area.

The median income in congestion-plagued King County is $43,000 a year, he said. In his northeastern Washington district, it's $18,000.

"I wish I had just a little bit of the problems you folks have," he told urban lawmakers.

House Democrats said they'd taken into account many Republican concerns. Compared to earlier proposals, they lowered the proposed new gas tax, eliminated an extra tax on diesel, lowered the sales tax and agreed to send the bill to voters.

House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, named a long list of groups supporting the proposal: auto dealers, the potato commission, chambers of commerce, bankers, ports, the Sierra Club and the AFL-CIO among them.

"We cannot afford to have this state falter, stall and fall backwards," said Kessler.

Fisher had the last word on the bill.

"Let's get going with the gridlock that's not only seized the roads, but apparently seized us," she said. "Let's just vote, for crying out loud."

The bill passed, 54 to 44.

This sidebar appeared with the story:

House transportation package

Bottom line: Proposal raises $6 billion for state and local highways, ferries and transit. Gov. Gary Locke's plan is for $8.5 billion and Senate will propose an $8.2 billion package.

Taxes: Package includes a 4-cent increase in the 23-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax in October and another 4 cents a year later, a 1 percent sales surcharge on new and used cars, effective Oct. 1; and a 20 percent surcharge on gross-weight fees for commercial trucks.

Public vote: Proposal would go on the statewide ballot, probably in May or June.

Next: Senate releases a rival plan today. Negotiators will iron out differences.

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