Lifeboat One Step Closer to Floating

Today the state House passed Senate Bill 5433, the bill that came out of negotiations in both branches of the state legislature to try and save the King County budget. The final version sent off to the governor allows the county to impose a .1 percent sales tax, with voter approval, and gives more flexibility on how money currently collected for things like mental health programs is used.

The bill is a very watered-down version of the one floated earlier by Rep. Ross Hunter, a man often mentioned in discussions of likely Executive candidates. Even so, it passed in a squeaker 52 to 46. They just do not like doing favors for us down there in Oly. Exactly how this will impact those lifeboat programs remains to be seen.