Bill to fund state fairgrounds criticized

The state Attorney General's Office on Friday advised Gov. Gary Locke's office to throw out his proposed plan to help fund state fairgrounds.

Locke had proposed using $2 million per year in excess money from lottery games, car rental taxes and restaurant taxes - all from King County - that currently pays for the bonds that built Safeco Field in Seattle.

At a hearing Friday, Locke aide Chris Hedrick told the Senate Agriculture and International Trade committee that the Attorney General's Office thought the plan was unfair to King County taxpayers.

A legislative task force recommended last year that the state provide $3 million per year to fairgrounds statewide. Bills have been introduced in the Senate and House to do just that, taking the money from the state's general fund.

Officials from the Washington state Fair Association testified Friday in hopes of persuading the ag and trade committee to support the Senate spending bill.

Association President E. Lee Graham told the committee that the task force looked at 11 other possible sources of state money for fairgrounds.

"But the key point was stability" that the general fund provides, said Heather Hansen, another association representative.

Hearings are expected on the both the Senate and House bills.

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