2017 Legislative Agenda

Below is the final version of the King County Democrats 2017 Legislative Agenda as adopted by the King County Democratic Central Committee at its Nov 22nd Executive Board meeting at 7 PM in Renton.

King County Democrats 2017 Legislative Agenda

(printable version)

1. Revenue & Tax Reform:
   • Pass a capital gains tax and other progressive new revenue to fulfill the state’s paramount duty to amply fund
     Basic Education in compliance with the McCleary decision (Budget)
   • Close corporate & special interest tax exemptions that lack accountable performance objectives and results
   • Oppose raising the state sales tax; repeal Tim Eyman’s 1% lid on property tax increases
   • Require Legislature to adopt a Tax Expenditure Budget as part of the biennial budget appropriation process
   • Create an ongoing bipartisan Washington State Tax Structure Advisory Commission
2. Education:
   • Increase school construction funding to lower class sizes (Capital Budget)
   • Fully fund affordable access to higher education (Budget)
   • Eliminate high-stakes testing as a high school graduation requirement; reduce required testing to the
     minimum required by federal law
   • Restore a fair and accessible nonprofit GED test
   • Oppose any revenue-neutral “levy swap” until significant progressive revenue is raised
   • Eliminate the school funding “levy cliff” so school districts can hire fall 2017 staff
3. Election Reform:
   • Pass the Voting Rights Act
   • Require campaign disclosure of “dark money” and “grey money”
   • Automatically register U.S. citizens to vote when they apply for a WA driver’s license or ID (opt out)
   • Adequately Fund the Public Disclosure Commission; require lobbyists to file online
4. Environment:
   • Support a meaningful price on carbon pollution in WA State based on economic and racial justice
   • Defend renewable energy standards and solar production initiatives
   • Oppose fossil fuel export facilities and improve fossil fuel transportation safety
   • Support cleaning up Puget Sound waters and habitat, especially polluted runoff
5. Labor:
   • Pass wage theft bills
   • Strengthen Equal Pay Act and include pay equity provisions
6. Housing and Human Services:
   • Increase the social safety net, especially mental health/substance abuse treatment services
   • Increase homeless and low-income housing trust fund to $200 million (Capital Budget)
   • Disallow rental discrimination based on Sec. 8, government or other sources of income
   • Restore local authority over ability to regulate rents
7. Criminal Justice:
   • Address police lethal use of force by removing “malice” and “in good faith” criteria for prosecution
   • Pass criminal and juvenile justice reform, including restorative justice, Legal Financial Obligations, Ban the
     Box on applications and Racial Impact Statements
   • Create a civilian review board for all sentences over 15 years to decide if safe to return to the community
   • Support earning state higher ed and vocational tech credentials in prisons
   • Ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; prevent unsafe child access to guns
8. Health Care:
   • Pass the Reproductive Health Act
   • Support Healthcare for All Washington by 2020 legislation
   • Pass workable medical cannabis legislation that respects the needs of patients

Adopted November 22, 2016 King County Democrats, www.kcdems.org