Week 10 was the first full
week of committee hearings for bills that have passed their House of
origin. Policy committee hearings will continue until April 1st.
The first budget proposal from the House is expected that week as well. Our reciprocal funds bill (HB
1304) was passed out of the Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance
Committee to Rules this week after a very brief hearing. Public hearings
were also held on the DFI request bills, AG request bills, the credit unions’
governance proposal, and the cities’ nuisance abatement bill. The
nuisance abatement bill (SB 5694) was amended by Rep. McCaslin in the House
Local Government Committee, increasing the maximum amount of the assessment
that would be eligible for a priority lien from $2,000 to $5,000, calling into
question our neutral position on the bill.
Late this week, Rep. Reykdal
introduced HB 2201, which dedicates taxes received from lending institutions to
higher education and eliminates the first mortgage interest deduction enjoyed
by community banks. This bill is a discussion piece, and is not expected
to move beyond a public hearing in the Higher Education Committee, but still
demands a strong response.
