Legislature's session leaves little help for counties

Jana Mathia, Gazette Reporter | May 02, 20190

Zak Kennedy, lobbyist for counties at the state legislature, did not have many good things to report to Whitman County Commissioners Monday morning about the fate of county interesst in the legislative session which closed at midnight Sunday.

“Almost the worst case scenario all the way across,” he reported to commissioners via phone at the end of a workshop session.

Kennedy is one of the lobbyists who call commissioners to report on what is happening at the state level and how it will affect the counties. He noted with $4 billion in extra taxes and a lot of last minute bills going through, things are not encouraging.

“Nobody is really talking about the huge additional taxes. And, you know, they’re not talking about the fact that this really is not a sustainable budget,” Kennedy said.

He noted that unless all revenues―including sales taxes, housing and business―stay the same, he does not see how there won’t be a budget shortfall. He predicted the 2020 session will be “pretty bleak” dealing with the bottom of the biennium.

Of the items to get through in the last 36 hours, all the climate control stuff the governor wanted was included.

“We’re going to see definite increase in fuel tax,” he said. “Probably have the highest fuel tax in the nation at that point.”

Commissioners and county staff who were in Olympia last week noted they had no indication there would be a rush to pass so much at the end until Friday and there was talk of many things being done in secret before final approval.

The transportation package was one item that changed, some with Republican negotiation.

“I’m still trying to wade through all that because they changed it numerous times,” Kennedy said of the 280-page package. One of the compromises was a lot of the major roads on the west side will become toll roads.

Kennedy noted the Republican caucus was just glad to be at the table.

“Not a friendly negotiation,” he said.

He is looking forward to analysis reports coming from the Washington Policy Center and WSAC delving into the fallout and implications from all the bills.

“We’re trying to figure out how bad this is going to stink,” he said.

For Kennedy and other county lobbyists, the focus for next year is on getting legislators to identify the counties and county government, the people who implement their policies, as a priority in the budget making process. He stated counties really do the majority of the work and get the short end of the stick.