Tag Archives: Senate Transportation Committee

Baby steps toward transportation reform

The Senate Transportation Committee last week approved my Senate Bill 5886. It asks the Washington State Department of Transportation to increase their sale of surplus properties and gives them additional tools to do so. The increased sales will return needed dollars to the Motor Vehicle Account for future transportation uses. On certain facility-managed properties, the monies from the sale of these properties will go into a special account to help replace many of our aging transportation buildings, some of which date back to the 1930s. Continue reading →

Push for transportation reform begins with committee hearing on King bill

Senator Curtis King Sen. Curtis King today began the Majority Coalition Caucus’ drive toward reforming the state’s transportation system by testifying in favor of his bill to return sales tax collected on transportation projects to the transportation budget, rather than diverting it to the general fund. According to King, Senate Bill 6102 – which received a public hearing in the Senate Ways and Means Committee – would actually implement something that most people believe is already happening.

“There’s a general assumption in Washington that taxes collected on transportation projects go back into the transportation budget, but that’s simply not always the case,” said King, R-Yakima, and co-chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. “My bill would help reaffirm the state’s commitment to transportation as well as help the public regain confidence that we’re being honest stewards of their tax dollars.” Continue reading →

Reforms are the cornerstone of the 2014 session

The 2014 legislative session began today, and my priorities this year continue to be reforming state government to make it more efficient, more effective and less costly to taxpayers. In even years such as this, the session lasts only 60 days which leaves very little time to get a great deal of work accomplished. However, I am excited about the coming challenges we’ll be facing and working collaboratively with my Democrat colleagues to find amicable solutions to our state’s problems.

Perhaps the biggest issue we’ll face this year is in the area of transportation. I serve as co-chair of the Senate Transportation Committee and have been extremely active during the 2013 interim working on transportation issues. The Majority Coalition Caucus (MCC) held ten “feedback forums” in ten different Washington cities last fall to listen to your concerns regarding transportation. That feedback helped shape our MCC transportation proposal which begins with a series of much-needed reforms. You can find our list of proposed reforms here. Continue reading →

King urges Governor to come clean on carbon fuel tax

Sen. Curtis King, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, called on Governor Inslee to come clean with the Legislature on his future intentions to impose a carbon fuel tax through executive order.

“This is an issue of trust. We cannot ask the people of Washington and our job creators to support a 10-cent gas tax if the governor plans to add more taxes. The governor is about to give his state of the state address, so now is the time to be open and direct about his plans.”

Transportation co-chair says MCC is encouraged by transportation progress

Senator Curtis King Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, and co-chair of the Washington State Senate Transportation Committee, indicated at the conclusion of the November special session that he is looking forward to continuing the discussion with members of the Legislature and is hopeful that agreement can be reached soon.

“Earlier this year, the Majority Coalition Caucus made a commitment to listen to taxpayers, businesses, local governments, and others around the state to hear what they want from a potential transportation package,” King said. “We visited 10 cities all over Washington and heard a variety of opinions on a host of transportation-related issues, and it’s now our responsibility to do our due diligence and consider all that input without rushing through it.” Continue reading →

King, Eide call first five transportation feedback forums a “great success”

After establishing the goal of listening to the public’s input on transportation issues at venues across Washington, state transportation leaders are now halfway through their ten-city tour and are calling the feedback forums a great success.

“At the forum in Pasco last week, the governor made an appearance and was impressed by the level of engagement from citizens across Washington,” said Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, and co-chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. “We’ve heard the calls for more revenue and we’ve heard the calls for no gas tax increases, but perhaps the clearest message we’ve heard is that the state’s transportation system needs help, and that some of our reforms would do a lot to restore the public’s confidence in that agency. Continue reading →

Senate transportation feedback forum in Spokane relocated to Spokane Valley

Senator Curtis King Proving to be even more popular than expected, the Senate transportation feedback forums being hosted by Senate Transportation Committee co-chairs, Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, and Sen. Tracey Eide, D-Federal Way, have attracted hundreds of area residents to the Bellevue location and most recently, to the Snohomish County location in Everett. Because of the overwhelming response, transportation leaders have decided to move the Oct. 2 forum from Greater Spokane Inc. in downtown Spokane to the theater at Central Valley High School in Spokane Valley.

“In Bellevue, we saw close to 400 people pack themselves into a school gymnasium,” King said. “It was standing room only, and the same was true for the Everett location. Hundreds of people turned out, which made us realize that some of the other facilities may not be large enough to handle the crowd. I’ve said it before, but it’s a good day in state government when we have to make room for more citizens due to the overwhelming turnout.” Continue reading →

Dates set for bipartisan statewide transportation forums

Senate Transportation Committee co-chairs Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, and Sen. Tracey Eide, D-Federal Way, today announced the dates and cities that will be included in a statewide listening tour aimed at gathering input from Washington residents on building a new package of transportation projects.

Beginning on Sept. 17 in Bellevue, legislators will hold at least one public meeting in each of the Department of Transportation’s six regions. Each meeting will begin at 6 p.m. and last until 9 p.m. and feature presentations from regional transportation officials, as well as opportunity for public comment. Continue reading →

King announces listening tour to discuss MCC reform ideas

Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, announced today that he’s delivered a letter to Washington State Department of Transportation Secretary Lynn Peterson, requesting her agency’s cooperation in coordinating a series of public meetings around the state. King, who serves as co-chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, said he and his colleagues in the Senate’s Majority Coalition Caucus would like to gather as much input as possible from Washington residents and WSDOT officials in various regions around the state in order to craft a viable transportation package that could be supported by lawmakers as well as taxpayers.

Continue reading →

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