This Washington
Hans Bonds: Rep. Hans Dunshee's Bill Takes Center Stage in Special Session
State Rep. Hans Dunshee's (D-44) bill to float $861 million in bonds is taking center stage in this week's special session.
Earlier this afternoon, the House passed Dunshee's “Jobs Act of 2010” by a vote of 54-39—the first bill the House passed during this special session. It had also been the first bill passed by the House during regular session, but it remained in limbo in the Senate for the next two months.
The House passed it again today more confident that it will have traction because jobs is the governor's mantra during the special session.
“I think a lot of people looked at the [regular] session and said: ‘Oh, we haven’t done anything about jobs,’” said Rep. Dunshee. ““We got our heads a little deep in the budget disseminations, and now we’ve got to do something about jobs.”
Rep. Hans Dunshee in Olympia after today's vote, Photo Camden Swita
Dunshee believes his bill could create up to 38,000 jobs throughout the state by retrofitting public facilities to make them more energy efficient, thus saving an estimated $190 million in energy costs to taxpayers. $861 million in general obligation bonds would be sold to jumpstart the projects, which would be carried out by private businesses.
Opponents and skeptics say that if the bonds were issued, a decision that would be made by the voters in November, it would weaken Washington’s bond rating because the state’s debt limit, set by the constitution, would have to be raised.
And, if Washington’s bond rating is decreased, said Rep. Skip Priest (R-30), it would ultimately harm Washington school districts because they’d have to pay higher interest rates when they issue their own school bonds.
Sen. Lisa Brown (D-3), Senate Majority leader, and Karina Shagren, spokeswoman for Gregoire’s office, said the Governor and Senate Democrats join Republicans in their concern about the scale of the bill and the idea of raising the state’s constitutionally set debt limit.
Sen. Brown said Dunshee’s bill must contain a way to generate revenue to pay for interest on the bonds, which it currently does not, or else it’s a “no go” in the Senate.
“There are a lot of revenue sources out there,” she said. “The House is currently saying that the jobs [created by this act] will generate sales tax,” which will in turn finance the bonds through the State’s General Fund. But, she continued, Senate Democrats want the General Fund, which funds public education and health and human services, untouched by the Jobs Act.
Rep. Dunshee acknowledges their concern, and said the bill might shrink so that only schools are retrofitted, rather than all public facilities as it is written now.
“We want to do real jobs, they want to do some tax cuts for businesses,” he said. “They have to do the Jobs Act for us to do that stuff, [and we’re trying] to figure out a way to make it acceptable to them.”
Ironing out the details of that could happen soon, or could take until the end of the week or more, said Dunshee.
The Governor is still interested in exploring the proposal as part of a “comprehensive jobs package” to move this special session, which she wants to conclude on Sunday, said Shagren.
Earlier this afternoon, the House passed Dunshee's “Jobs Act of 2010” by a vote of 54-39—the first bill the House passed during this special session. It had also been the first bill passed by the House during regular session, but it remained in limbo in the Senate for the next two months.
The House passed it again today more confident that it will have traction because jobs is the governor's mantra during the special session.
“I think a lot of people looked at the [regular] session and said: ‘Oh, we haven’t done anything about jobs,’” said Rep. Dunshee. ““We got our heads a little deep in the budget disseminations, and now we’ve got to do something about jobs.”
Rep. Hans Dunshee in Olympia after today's vote, Photo Camden Swita
Dunshee believes his bill could create up to 38,000 jobs throughout the state by retrofitting public facilities to make them more energy efficient, thus saving an estimated $190 million in energy costs to taxpayers. $861 million in general obligation bonds would be sold to jumpstart the projects, which would be carried out by private businesses.
Opponents and skeptics say that if the bonds were issued, a decision that would be made by the voters in November, it would weaken Washington’s bond rating because the state’s debt limit, set by the constitution, would have to be raised.
And, if Washington’s bond rating is decreased, said Rep. Skip Priest (R-30), it would ultimately harm Washington school districts because they’d have to pay higher interest rates when they issue their own school bonds.
Sen. Lisa Brown (D-3), Senate Majority leader, and Karina Shagren, spokeswoman for Gregoire’s office, said the Governor and Senate Democrats join Republicans in their concern about the scale of the bill and the idea of raising the state’s constitutionally set debt limit.
Sen. Brown said Dunshee’s bill must contain a way to generate revenue to pay for interest on the bonds, which it currently does not, or else it’s a “no go” in the Senate.
“There are a lot of revenue sources out there,” she said. “The House is currently saying that the jobs [created by this act] will generate sales tax,” which will in turn finance the bonds through the State’s General Fund. But, she continued, Senate Democrats want the General Fund, which funds public education and health and human services, untouched by the Jobs Act.
Rep. Dunshee acknowledges their concern, and said the bill might shrink so that only schools are retrofitted, rather than all public facilities as it is written now.
“We want to do real jobs, they want to do some tax cuts for businesses,” he said. “They have to do the Jobs Act for us to do that stuff, [and we’re trying] to figure out a way to make it acceptable to them.”
Ironing out the details of that could happen soon, or could take until the end of the week or more, said Dunshee.
The Governor is still interested in exploring the proposal as part of a “comprehensive jobs package” to move this special session, which she wants to conclude on Sunday, said Shagren.
