Washington Business 2019 Legislative Review & Vote Record | Page 27

issue area reports | infrastructure
E2SHB 2042
green transportation
package
Passed/AWB Supported
Rep. Jake Fey, D-Tacoma, at left, chats with Rep. Keith Goehner, R-Dryden. Fey chairs the House
Transportation Committee, and Goehner is also a committee member.
infrastructure/
transportation
ESHB 1160
biennial transportation
budget
Passed/AWB Supported
AW B supported Eng rossed Substitute
Hou s e Bi l l 1 16 0, s p on s or e d b y R ep.
Jake Fey, D-Tacoma, which made $9.8
billion in transportation appropriations
for the 2019-20 biennium. The two-year
budget provided additional investments
f o r a n e w 14 4 - c a r h y b r i d e l e c t r i c
ferr y, conversion of an existing ferr y,
a nd t er m i n a l i mprovement s . It a l s o
provided $35 million for re-opening a
project office for the replacement of an
I-5 bridge crossing in Vancouver. Most
i mp or t a nt ly, t r a n sp or t at ion lea der s
maintained the commitments to the 2015
Connecting Wa shing ton package a nd
even accelerated a few key infrastructure
Bill considered as part of
AWB’s voting record
projects including t he SR 167/SR 509
Gateway a nd I-90 Sno qu a l m ie Pa s s .
While there was a lot of discussion on
advancing a new statewide transportation
revenue package this session, the votes
n e v e r m a t e r i a l i z e d . H o w e v e r, t h e
discussion is expected to continue and
we could see another revenue proposal
next year. ESHB 1160 passed the Senate
unanimously and passed in the House
96-2. The governor sig ned the bill but
made several vetoes including one that
caused the Legislature to file a lawsuit
claiming the governor overstepped his
aut horit y by st rik ing a single ph ra se
rather than a full section. The governor
a l s o d i re c t e d t he Wa sh i n g t on St at e
Depa r tment of Tra nspor tation to use
funds from five transportation projects
on f i sh ba r r ier r emo v a l i n s t e a d , a n
action that drew a public rebuke from
Rep. Fey, who is chairman of the House
Transportation Committee, and may lead
to a court challenge.
Favorable outcome for
Washington businesses
Rep. Jake Fey, D-Tacoma, introduced a
green transportation package this session
that was adopted by lawmakers. Engrossed
Second Substitute House Bill 2042 was an
omnibus bill that contained several poli-
cies regarding electric vehicles, alternative
fuels, and transit programs. The bill also
contained a major expansion to the com-
mercial vehicle alternative fuel incentive
program. In 2015, AWB established the pro-
gram to incentivize employers to convert
commercial vehicle fleets to an alternative
fuel and it was used in response to more
structured, top-down mandates opposed
by the business community. The program
was funded at $60 million over the next 10
years. This year, AWB’s Alternative Fuels
Task Force asked transportation leaders
to overhaul the program to streamline the
application process and improve demand.
The bill adds an infrastructure category
for funding eligibility, eliminates the pro-
gram’s sunset date and instead bases the
existence of the program on available fund-
ing, expands some service eligibility, and
requires stakeholder input on a new appli-
cation process. The bill was adopted by the
House 91-7 and passed in the Senate 31-17.
ESSB 5825
toll authorization
Passed/AWB Neutral
Leg islators adopted a broad toll
authorization bill regarding I-405, SR 167,
and the new SR 167/SR 509 Gateway project
funded in the Connecting Washing ton
package in 2015. Engrossed Substitute
Missed Opportunities
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