Tag Archives: Washington State Legislature

King says Senate tax-bill message is ‘We just want your money’

The Washington State Senate today passed Senate Bill 6143, which would create or raise 21 separate taxes. Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, issued this statement after the measure passed by a vote of 25-23.

“Before the passage of this tax package and the budget it would support, the Legislature had been saying it was going to start holding government accountable. Instead, those who receive tax incentives to help grow our economy would be held accountable. The state has outspent its revenues over the last several years, but we won’t recognize that fact. Instead, we are holding small businesses and private citizens accountable by forcing them to pay for what we have done. Continue reading →

Bill to create anti-gang law ready to pass Senate with King’s support

House Bill 2414, which would create a criminal street gang activity nuisance law, was made eligible today by the Senate Rules Committee for a vote by the full Senate. The measure’s chief supporter in the upper chamber of the Legislature, Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, said such a law would give law-abiding citizens another tool to help combat gang activity in their neighborhoods.

“We’ve been fighting the expanding gang presence in our district for some time now, and this bill will make it easier for private individuals to take action,” King said. “We need all the help we can get to combat this scourge and this bill will certainly do that.” Continue reading →

King says stimulus vote keeps Valley Mall interchange on track

Sen. Curtis King says the Valley Mall Boulevard/Interstate 82 interchange project, which was at risk of being delayed to 2016, will remain on schedule now that the Legislature has passed a bill to appropriate about $340 million in federal transportation stimulus money.

“Representatives Johnson and Ross helped move the bill out of the House of Representatives, the Senate caught it at mid-afternoon and now it’s off to the governor’s desk. It’s been a joint effort that I appreciate very much,” said King, R-Yakima. “One of my three goals for this legislative session was to keep the Valley Mall interchange on track. The votes today mean the project will stay on schedule to go out for bid in October.” Continue reading →

King says lawmakers shouldn’t wait to address predicted deficit

The Legislature should be willing to reopen the two-year state operating budget approved in 2007 if that’s what it takes to bring spending more in line with revenue, said Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima.

The state’s quarterly revenue forecast was released this afternoon. It predicts the state treasury will take in $423 million less in revenue during the 2007-09 biennium than expected in the previous quarterly forecast, from November. Continue reading →

King votes to reinstate I-747 taxpayer protection on first day as senator

In his first voting session as a lawmaker, Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, joined a majority of Republicans and Democrats in the Senate to approve a bill reinstating the state’s 1 percent property tax levy limit.

King and other legislators met in special session today at the Capitol to reenact the tax increase cap created by Initiative 747, which had been overturned by the state Supreme Court on a technicality earlier this month. Continue reading →