Benton's effort to call a special session pays off

November 20, 2007

OLYMPIA…Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, who has been pushing hard for a special session to reenact I-747’s property tax limit since the Supreme Court's decision, was gratified to hear the Governor's call for a special session last night.   

Benton started a petition last week to gain legislators' support for a special session. He also sent a letter to the Senate Rules Committee urging them to approve his resolution for the Legislature to call itself into special session on Nov. 29.   

Under the Washington State Constitution, the Legislature has this power with a two-thirds majority vote. The procedure is established in Rule 29 of the Joint Rules of the Senate and House of Representatives. 

In his letter to the members of the Senate Rules Committee, Benton said, “If there ever was an emerging issue that truly called for a special session, this is it.” 

Benton also had drafted the Senate Concurrent Resolution needed to convene the special session and sent it with his letter to the Senate Rules Committee members. 

During the 2007 session, Benton introduced a bill to preserve the I-747 property tax limit. He wanted to put the cap in place and not wait on the outcome of the state’s appeal to the Washington State Supreme Court.  

The court finally issued its ruling on Nov. 8, throwing the measure out on a technicality. 

Benton’s measure, Senate Bill 5001, was not given a hearing by the Senate Democrat majority and died in committee. 

I-747 capped state and local property tax collections to 1 percent over the previous year’s. It was approved by voters in 2001 with a 58 percent “yes” vote. At the time of the vote, the limit was 6 percent. 

Without the cap, Benton warned his fellow legislators “that local governments could not only increase property taxes to the 6 percent limit, they could actually increase them by much more by tapping their banked capacity.” 

Banked capacity means local taxing districts have had the 6 percent taxing authority all along, and they can now tap it. 

-30-

Additional contact Penny Drost at (360) 786-7522
or penny.drost@leg.wa.gov