Legislature passes $16.1 billion transportation revenue bill
The talks made progress after Gov. Jay Inslee said he would sign any deal between the two chambers, even if it included language he had opposed related to a low-carbon fuel standard — a major point of contention in the negotiations.
If a state agency adopts the standard, which requires cleaner fuels over time, all fee-based funding for transit and bike paths would instead be moved into the main transportation account.
Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, a Democrat from Seattle, said that while he supported the investments the package made on the state's roads and ferries, the provision on the low carbon fuel standard compelled him to vote against the measure.
The House rejected an amendment that would have required a referendum putting the package to a public vote, which led some lawmakers to criticize the passage of a tax increase in the middle of the night.