Senate passes capital budget

The Washington state Senate unanimously passed a 2021-23 capital budget proposal during a virtual legislative debate Tuesday.

The capital budget bill now goes to the House for further consideration.

Senate Bill 5083 would allocate $6.23 billion for capital projects planned for the 2021-23 fiscal biennium, according to the bill’s text. Funding would come from state general obligation bonds and other sources, such as fees and taxes.

The state’s capital budget appropriates money for “acquiring, constructing and repairing capital assets such as land, buildings and other infrastructure improvements,” according to the bill’s text.

SB 5038’s companion, HB 1080, is scheduled for an executive session in the House Capital Budget Committee at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Sen. David Frockt, D-Seattle, is SB 5038’s primary sponsor. He said during the virtual legislative debate the governor had a “very, very bold” capital budget proposal. SB 5038 is, by far, the most aggressive and significant capital investment in history, he said.

“We’ll put thousands of Washingtonians back to work,” Frockt said. “It will grow the economy, (and) it will help us move past the COVID-driven recession.”

Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, said during the virtual legislative debate legislators from both sides of the aisle respected each other during the process of crafting SB 5038.

“We generally agree on (the) wise use of federal funds for the betterment of our state,” Schoesler said. “(This bill) leaves some bonding capacity available for the next biennium.”

Under SB 5038, $668 million would be reserved for local government infrastructure, according to a legislative document. Out of the $668 million, $440 million would support efforts to expand broadband access to rural and underserved locations in the state.

“This is one of the most significant things we can do,” Frockt said, referring to the broadband access portion in SB 5038.

Funding would also be allocated to affordable housing loans and grants, totaling $315 million, according to the document. Out of the $315 million, $205 million would go to the state’s Housing Trust Fund.

“You don’t have to go very far in my community to see the need,” Frockt said. “I’m very excited about our housing trust fund investment.”

Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, had an amendment that was adopted into SB 5038. Her amendment would extend the timeframe of the joint legislative task force on water resource mitigation to Nov. 15, 2022.

“Without this amendment, (the task force) was set to expire (when) the work has not been completed,” Warnick said.

During the Tuesday morning session, the Senate also approved these bills:

HB 1378 (in a 49-0 vote): Permits health care practitioners to virtually supervise medical assistants during telemedicine visits. Rep. Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, is the bill’s primary sponsor. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.

HB 1090 (28-21): Forbids — with a few exemptions — a person, business or state or local government entity to operate or use a contract with a private detention facility. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.

HB 1070 (36-13): Allows local tax revenue to be used for acquiring and constructing affordable housing and facilities. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk.