GREG GILDAY: An update from Rep. Greg Gilday
State Representative Greg Gilday sent the following update from his official email account on Mon., Mar. 15, 2021.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
For the past couple of weeks, legislators have spent several long days and late evenings on the House floor debating and voting on bills in both the House and Senate chambers. Although technically no bill is really dead until the final gavel ends session on April 25, bills that did not make it through last week’s “House of Origin” cutoff will probably not see further action.
The 216 measures that made it through the process and were passed off the House floor will now move to the Senate for further consideration. Seven bills have already arrived on the governor’s desk for signature.
If you would like to track these bills, click here, then go to the appropriately titled column and view the list of bills selected.
Lawmakers will now head back to their respective committees to review and vet measures approved in the opposing chamber. During these final weeks of the session, we’ve got enormous challenges ahead, including passing three state budgets—operating, transportation, and capital—and deciding how to allocate the recent coronavirus relief package funds from the federally approved American Rescue Plan.
This additional funding means we’ve got more than enough money to fund the state’s priorities and policy objectives. We are also awaiting the state’s current revenue forecast on March 20th. This will give lawmakers a better sense of where our state stands financially.
Click here to read my recent opinion-editorial about new taxes and the state’s operating budgetentitled “Smart budgeting is about people, not politics.”
House floor debate | Good and bad bills
With so many bills being decided in the past couple of weeks, I’d like to share a short description of two really good pieces of legislation I supported through the legislative process. The first deals with foreclosure situations.
We’ve all occasionally heard the horror stories in the media about individuals who end up losing a condo or a home in an HOA or condo over a trivial amount of money that’s in dispute. House Bill 1482, will offer some foreclosure protection to struggling property owners in coops, homeowners associations (HOAs), condominium buildings, and other common interest communities, while also creating a way to catch up on past due amounts.
These community associations are not set up to rake in cash; the fees collected often barely cover the association’s bills. This bill does a good job at striking a balance between protecting people from getting kicked out of their homes, while still providing a clearly defined path so they get caught up on back due payments. It gives both help and structure.
Another good bill seeks to modify the property tax exemption for the value of new construction of industrial/manufacturing facilities in targeted urban areas. House Bill 1386 expands the eligibility for the targeted urban area property tax exemption (TUA) to allow cities or towns to use the program until December 2030.
And of course, along with the good, there were also some bad bills. House Bill 1236 will put many owners of rental properties in a difficult financial position by making it harder and more complicated to be a rental housing provider in our state. It will harm housing providers—many of whom depend on it as retirement or supplemental income—thereby causing them to sell and further deplete the supply of rental properties in our state.
You can watch my remarks on this measure during House floor debate by clicking here.
Another bad bill is one that would allow private citizens, through attorneys, to sue employers on behalf of the state to enforce labor and employment laws which state agencies are already responsible for enforcing. Why is House Bill 1076 bad? Because it allows attorneys to claim a large portion of any recovery—up to 40%—plus fees and costs; motivating them to seek out citizens to sue the government. With no real safeguards against frivolous lawsuits, this kind of system would be ripe for abuse—similar to what is happening in California under a similar bill.
To watch my recent legislative update on good and bad bills, click below.
10th District Virtual Town Hall Meeting | Wednesday, March 17th
Please join me and my 10th District colleagues, Sen. Ron Muzzall, R-Oak Harbor, and Rep. Dave Paul, D-Oak Harbor for a virtual town hall meeting on Wednesday, March 17, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
As many of you are already aware, the 10th District is one of only 4 legislative districts in the state represented by both parties. Thankfully, Sen. Muzzall, Rep. Paul, and I are all committed to working across the aisle to serve the best interests of our constituents.
During the virtual meeting, we’ll be giving an update on our activities and discussing issues related to the 2021 legislative session.
The conference can only accommodate the first 500 attendees. Click here to register.
You can submit questions in advance by entering them in the “questions and comments” box during registration. I look forward to talking with you during the meeting.
Phase 3 | Good news for Washingtonians
The governor has officially moved all counties in our state to Phase 3 of the state’s “Healthy Washington” reopening plan starting on March 22. This easing of the COVID-19 restrictions means that indoor spaces, like restaurants and movie theaters, can have 50% occupancy with up to 400 people for indoor and outdoor activities, such as concerts and high school graduations, as long as physical distancing and masking are enforced. Outdoor events with permanent facilities can have 25% occupancy for spectators.
Please stay in touch!
Feel free to call, write or email my office with your comments, concerns or ideas about legislation and state government. My contact information is listed below.
In your service,
Greg Gilday
