OLYMPIA — Funding for a new bridge across the Elwha River on U.S. Highway 101 west of Port Angeles has been included in the state Department of Transportation proposed biennial budget, said state Rep. Mike Chapman.
“It was the next bridge on the cycle. It already was slated to be in 2018-19 budget,” and now is in the 2017-19 transportation budget, Chapman, a Democrat form Port Angeles, said Friday.
The funding — some $25 million for a new bridge — will be included in the transportation budget that legislators will vote upon in the spring.
In the meantime, Chapman and fellow representatives of Legislative District 24 have penned a letter to Judy Clibborn, chair of the House Transportation Committee, requesting a budget proviso that would guarantee that the funding would be included in the next two-year cycle.
“The proviso guarantees it won’t be bumped,” said Chapman who signed the letter with Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Sequim and Sen. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim.
The three legislators represent the district that covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County.
The piers of the aging Elwha River bridge, which was built in 1926 on the primary highway between the West End and the rest of the state, have been undercut as changing flows following the 2012 removal of Elwha dam have scoured the river bottom.
State Department of Transportation crews are monitoring the bridge and have set out possible alternatives for replacing or repairing it.
Communities across the North Olympic Peninsula have shown support for an option of replacing the bridge while keeping the present one in use so that no detours are necessary.
“We want to see a replacement and that the bridge stays open until the new bridge is open,” said Chapman, the lead on the budget proviso letter.
“It is up in the air if the road will be realigned or how much,” Chapman added, saying that the final alignment depends on planning and permitting.
Steelhead bill dropped
A bill concerning steelhead that had caused consternation on the West End has been dropped for this session, Van De Wege said.
SB 5302 would have created a recreational steelhead fishery pilot project. It included a provision for limiting the number of fishing guide tags sold.
“If you live in Forks, you could get one very easily,” Van De Wege said, but “some of the community thought that it would limit Forks guides’ ability to get tags. That wasn’t the case.”
The bill did not get a hearing.
“We’ve decided to move on this year and not run the bill. There was too much confusion in the Forks community… . We’ll do a better job of reaching out” in the future, Van De Wege said.
Dental health
A bill co-sponsored by Chapman to allow dental health aide therapists (DHAT) to provide services on tribal reservations where a licensed dentist provides supervision has been passed by both houses and awaits the governor’s signature.
This bill, now titled SSB 5079, changes current law, which requires state authorization of a DHAT practice for tribes to receive federal funding for dental services needed for tribal members.
Work on public education funding continues after the Senate sent a bill to the House and did not act on extending the levy cliff.
The two houses differ substantially on how to fulfill the state Supreme Court’s McCleary decision ruling that orders the state to pay for basic education.
“I think it’s become apparent that it’s going to be an end-game type thing,” Van De Wege said.
“The Republicans stuck by their proposal to not raise any more money for the schools.”
The Senate version also allow people to work as teachers without being certified, legislators said.
The two chambers will negotiate a compromise in the coming weeks, legislators said.
“The good news is that they put something forward that we can start taking about,” Tharinger said.
Said Van De Wege: “The frustration is that we are really wide apart. It’s going to take some time to get agreement.
“Hopefully, we will be able to get to a point of seeing new revenue.
“Especially with the uncertainty at the federal level, a lot of people are fearful and looking to the state for help” with funding for mental health and other health care, developmental disabilities, the needs of the elderly, early child development and higher education, he said
He said that with fear of federal action and uncertainty at the state level, many fear the McCleary funding solution will impact them.
Minimum wage hike
Van De Wege said he has talked with restaurant owners and other business people on the North Olympic Peninsula concerned about tourism and the minimum wage hike.
The Washington State Tourism Alliance has brought up a proposal to tax members and receive a match from the state to fund a statewide effort to get people to come to Washington state, he said.
Tharinger, who chairs the House Capital Budget Committee, said that “one of the big issues is that there is a record number of bonds passed by public school districts” all of which receive some state matching funds.
The state’s obligation at this point is about $1.2 billion, Tharinger said.
“That will take up half of the capital budget,” he said.
Cap equalization
Tharinger, who sits on the Health Care & Wellness committee, said the panel heard a bill Friday that would equalize the cap on fines for assisted living, adult family homes and nursing homes.
Presently, the cap is $3,000 for adult family homes and nursing homes but only $100 for assisted living facilities, Tharinger said.
The bill would set a $3,000 cap for all three.
Chapman’s first bill
Chapman announced that he passed his first bill last week.
HB 1283, of which Chapman was the prime sponsor, passed the House 98-0, he said.
The legislation eliminates the requirement that advance taxes must be collected before any document is filed with the county auditor to divide, alter or adjust real property boundary lines.
Modern technology has made the process of changing boundary lines more efficient, Chapman said.
“In the past, county assessors required property owners to submit their request six months before the boundary lines were officially changed. Now, documents are required to be submitted before the 15th of the prior month. The bill is updating an archaic law.
“The bill does not eliminate laws,” Chapman said. “It simply allows counties to collect taxes in due course.”
Chapman said that when new members pass their first bill, they go through a “traditional hazing process.
“People speak against it and everybody votes against it and then they vote however they want to vote.
“It’s kind of a rite of passage that you get to go through.”
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Executive Editor Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3530 or at lleach@peninsuladailynews.com.