A major economic development bill moves forward in the Senate. HB 327 is packed with tax breaks and incentives to spur on economic activity. The Senate version has adopted more than two dozen amendments loading up this bill with more "goodies" than the House had placed on its version.
Senator John Griesheimer of Washington, the Senate sponsor, just wants to get to a House-Senate conference in which the differences can be ironed out. He doubts too many of the Senate amendments will survive. Griesheimer says this "Christmas tree" bill that now contains so much for so many special interests cannot possibly survive in its present form.
He says that by placing all the amendments on the Senate version, lawmakers can say to the various special interests that they did their best, but just couldn’t take it all the way. Before Senators can send the bill to the House-Senate conference, the loaded up bill will first have to clear a financial oversight committee.