Assistant County Manager Robert Gelder shared a wrap-up of the legislative session with Thurston’s Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) on Wednesday, March 13.
The 2024 regular legislative session adjourned Sine Die (concluding without a specified period) last week on Thursday, March 7.
The Legislature passed three supplemental budgets: operating, capital, and transportation. Gelder shared some of the notable parts of the budget.
“Of note, in the operating budget, there was $4.4 million to eliminate the local government’s 25% required match for Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA). There is also $1.5 million in one-time funding for technical assistance for the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment or BEAD program grantees, which mirrors the capital budget where they appropriated $95.6 million in federal funding for that same program,” Gelder said.
Other highlights of the session included the passage of three out of six citizen Initiatives (I):
The other three initiatives on the November ballot will repeal the capital gains tax, allow more opt-outs from the state’s long-term care program, and repeal the Climate Commitment Act.
According to the agenda document, in 2024, all of the House and one-half of the Senate positions will be up for election, in addition to all of the statewide offices.
“There are a lot of moving parts at the end of any legislative session-- we have many individuals who have indicated that the legislators, both Senate and in the House, will not be returning to their positions next year,” Gelder said.
The following legislators are not returning to their positions:
Gelder also said that some legislators are running for higher office but if they are not elected to that post, they will retain their seats in the legislature. These legislators include:
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here