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MARCH 20, 2024
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VOL. 105, NO. 12
King County's fish passage program needs $300M more funding through 2033
By Spencer Pauley The Center Square
Adobe Stock Image
Battle begins over three revenue-cutting initiatives on the ballot this November By Carleen Johnson The Center Square
Less than eight months from now, Washington state voters will – in addition to casting a ballot for president in November’s general election – decide the fate of three initiatives for repealing the state’s Climate Commitment Act and its carbon market, getting rid of the capital gains tax, and letting people opt out of the state’s long-term care program. There were six initiatives in total before the Legislature this session. Majority party Democrats held public hearings
and ultimately passed three initiatives to outline more rights for parents to oversee their kids’ schooling, ban the creation of income taxes at the state or local levels, and ease certain limits around police vehicle chases. Democratic legislative leaders explained their reasoning at a media availability event last month. “I think the three we have agreed to hear are written in such a way that it’s not clear really what they do, and the whole point is to have hearings so we can better understand those,” House Speaker Laurie
Jinkins, D-Tacoma, said in response to being asked about holding public hearings on only half of the initiatives. House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon, D-Burien, said the three measures left up to voters could have significant consequences in terms of revenue for the state. He singled out the initiative that would do away with the CCA. “We need to be clear with the voters of Washington state, that if we’re not charging
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The King County Auditor's Office has found that the county’s Fish Passage Restoration Program is at risk of missing its 10-year goal if funding shortfalls occur. Also according to the audit released Tuesday, there is no plan for dealing with any such contingency. Since the 2019-2020 budget, King County Executive Dow Constantine has spent more than $20 million on dozens of projects connected to fish passage. The 10-year work plan for fish passage originally estimated that restoring salmon access to at least half of the habitat currently blocked by county barriers would require about $150 million in funding. However, according to the audit, current estimates indicate that the program’s work plan will require $300 million of additional funding between 2023 and 2033. All King County agencies associated with the program told auditors that a major challenge to the program’s success is securing ongoing funding. King County funding for the program comes from a combination of stormwater management fees, the real estate excise tax, and the county’s parks levy. Notably, these funding sources are not dedicated solely to the program and are not sufficient to cover all of the program's project costs. The King County Fish Passage Restoration Program now plans to leverage limited county funding sources by applying for grants to fill the gap between available county funds and anticipated funding needs. On March 11, King County received some positive news regarding its fish passage goal as President Joe Biden’s announced budget request for the 2025 fiscal year includes $500 million for the construction of a downstream fish passage facility on the Green River, 35 miles southeast of Seattle. The audit notes that cost overruns are not FISH Page 3Æ