The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Last week, the Washington State Senate approved a pretty significant gas tax increase for the state’s drivers. If the bill is approved by the state house and signed into law, the new gas taxes will be phased in over three years. You can read the details in the WNPA article on this page.

The money will go toward a bunch of high-profile projects, including the 520 floating bridge in Seattle, I-405 east of Seattle, I-5 near Tacoma and I-90 through Snoqualmie Pass. The east side of the state is not being totally left out. A long awaited north-south freeway in Spokane made the list, as did widening of Highway 12 west of Walla Walla. A chunk of the money will go toward public transit and bike paths.

This all sounds reasonable to me, I guess; if you want good roads, you gotta pay for them.

As the WNPA piece pointed out, the bulk of the support in the Senate for the gas tax increase came from Republicans. Most Democrats opposed it because it included language that would limit the state’s ability to impose restrictions on greenhouse gasses. The Senate vote was 27-22, and our own state senator, Mike Hewitt, voted Yea.

But as I Googled around trying to learn more about the transportation bill, I found something interesting. It seems that, in January, the Washington State Senate passed a rule that any proposed tax increase must receive a two-thirds yes vote in that body to pass. Here’s what the Seattle Times had to say:

“Shortly before the vote, (Lt. Gov. Brad) Owen (a Democrat, who presides over the Senate as its president) said he wouldn’t enforce a Senate rule established by the GOP in January that would require a two-thirds majority vote for any new taxes.

“‘The president (Owen, referring to himself) has previously stated, the Senate cannot pass a rule that violates the state constitution,’ Owen told lawmakers Monday. ‘Perhaps that statement should be clarified to read, the Senate may adopt an unconstitutional rule, but the president will not enforce it.’”

So let me get this straight: The Washington State Senate, which has a Republican majority, passed a rule that would make itself appear to be highly fiscally responsible. Then, six weeks later, knowing that the rule can’t be enforced, they went ahead and violated it?

Hmmmm. I wonder if they knew that rule couldn’t be enforced when they created it.