Partners for Our Children

Sponsored by Rep. Ormsby, SHB 2034 eliminates preferential tax rates for travel agents, tour operators, and resellers of prescription drugs. It also repeals the tax emption for bottled water and for nonresident sales tax. It narrows the high technology tax credit for research and development and expires the high technology sales and use tax deferral program on July 1, 2013 (a year earlier than was originally scheduled). It also narrows the use tax exemption for extracted fuel.

The bill appropriates $168.6 million from the Education Legacy Trust Account for K-12 Public education. Funding goes to the Transitional Bilingual program; counseling support staff; full-day kindergarten; Materials, Supplies & Operating Costs; and increased instructional hours. $78.7 million is appropriated for higher education, the bulk of which provides increases in base funding and expansions for computer science and engineering enrollments.