Oregon Public Broadcasting

Austin Jenkins joins me now to talk about some issues specific to Southwest Washington and the Oregon border.

Let's start with the Columbia River crossing project. Is funding for that on the agenda this year?

Austin Jenkins: Geoff, it really isn't. Last year lawmakers wrote and passed a two-year transportation budget. The big projects in that budget are the replacement of Seattle's wobbly Alaskan Way Viaduct and the 520 bridge in Seattle. Both of those are considered top priority safety projects. And they really have sucked up the money and the bandwith available for mega-transportation projects, at least for now.

There's also the issue that Washington and Oregon are still struggling to get on the same page about the specifics of the Columbia River crossing - both design-wise and funding-wise.

It seems like next year perhaps this project will be higher on the radar screens, but I'm not anticipating much progress this year.

Geoff Norcross: Representative Deb Wallace, a Democrat from Vancouver, is proposing to eliminate the sales tax exemption that Oregon shoppers enjoy when they shop in Washington state. What's the thinking behind that proposal?

Austin Jenkins: Well, this is something Wallace introduced last year and it stalled out in committee. Her argument is that because Washington state is so sales tax dependent - we don't have an income tax - and because the state is in such fiscal dire shape that Washington can no longer afford to forgo those tax dollars from Oregon shoppers.

She's estimating closing that loophole could bring in about half a billion dollars over a decade. She would maintain the exemption for bigger ticket purchases like boats and cars.

Geoff Norcross: What's been the reaction?

Austin Jenkins: State Senator Joe Zarelli, a Republican from Southwest Washington thinks this will do more harm than good.

He argued this week that charging sales tax or even raising sin taxes - like the tax on cigarettes in Washington - will simply hurt small businesses.

He talked about small convenience stores and how he believes that they would see business fall off if the state starts charging Oregonians sales tax or if the legislature raises the tax on cigarettes or - as some have suggested - decides to tax candy and gum.

Geoff Norcross: Of course hanging over all of this is the suddenly hot 3rd Congressional District race now that Democratic Congressman Brian Baird has announced he's not running for re-election. How will that impact what's happening in Olympia?

Austin Jenkins: Well you make a good point. Both Representative Wallace and Representative Jamie Herrera, a Republican, have announced they're running for Congress.

That's liable to create some tension within the Southwest Washington legisaltive delegation. And it may make it harder for those lawmakers to work together this year because there will be this political undercurrent.

That's on top of the fact that this year all House members and half the state senators are up for re-election. So election year politics are definitely in the air as lawmakers convene here in Olympia.

Geoff Norcross: Thanks for the update Austin.  You can get updates from the Washington Legislature through Austin’s blog, The Washington Ledge .