A statewide transportation funding package passed from the House Tuesday night no longer contains a controversial six-cent-per-gallon tax on exported fuel. However, House Republicans say the new proposal offered by Democrats might be even worse.
Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska threatened to retaliate against Washington state if they were forced to pay the export tax. House Democrats responded by passing an amendment that removes the tax proposal.
However, the amendment makes up for that loss by transferring funds from the state’s Public Works Assistance Account – a move Republicans, such as Representative Mike Steele, say could be catastrophic for local governments:
“There’s nothing more disruptive than the sweep that’s occurring in this amendment. Taking 100-million dollars from the Public Works Trust Fund will devastate projects across Washington state.”
Steele is the ranking Republican on the House Capital Budget Committee, which oversees allocations for the Public Works account:
“We have a pipeline, Mr. Speaker, of over a billion dollars’ worth of projects the next two to four years. And yet, here we are tonight on the floor of this House, contemplating taking away one of the most vital tools that local jurisdictions, counties, and cities, have to finance very real projects.”
Democrats approved the amendment, and the transportation package passed the House and was sent to the Senate late Tuesday without Republican support.