(4:30)

The Senate debated on yet another sunset provision for reinstating the one percent property tax cut. This would have amended the House portion of the bill, HB 2416. Sen. Eric Oemig was the sponsor.

Substitute Senate Bill 6178 passed 27-21 and has been tossed over to the House. Advocates say that around 5,500 residents will be eligible.

(4:00 p.m.)

The Senate voted down Sen. Benton's move to eliminate the banked capacity loophole, 32-16. Seems to be along party lines. Haven't glanced at the exact vote breakdown yet.

SSB 6178 is being hashed out as I type secretly, laptops in the gallery being frowned upon almost as much as putting your boots up on the back of these benches...

It is curious even why this bill has been brought up today. Republicans I've spoken to call it smoke and mirrors to draw attention away from 6177. It seems a tactic to get GOP legislators on the record of voting against "tax relief".

At issue is whether households with incomes under fifty-seven thousand dollars a year are able to defer portions of their property tax. The taxes will be assessed on the property owners once their house is sold... with a hefty seven percent interest surcharge tacked on.

With the number of amendments being tacked onto this bill it is difficult at the moment to see what the end result will look like.

SB 6177 is still awaiting almost certain passage.

(2:00 p.m.)

The State Senate is about to come into session.

All three amendments to SB 6177 went down in committee including a sunset provision and a measure which would limit the banked capacity.

Just got through interviewing Sen. Don Benton (R-17th) and he said he would try to propose a floor amendment. The Clark County Republican was naturally gleeful at how events are unfolding.

I haven't had a chance to wander over to the House but apparently their portion of the bill passed overwhelmingly 86-8. This was the straight, plain-jane I-747 minus the banked capacity portion.

(11:00 a.m.)
The Senate Ways & Means Committee is in session and holding a public hearing on SB 6177 which reinstates Initiative 747.

Also on the agenda is Gov. Gregoire's SB 6178 which provides a "fifty percent property tax deferral for households with income of fifty-seven thousand dollars or less".

Three amendments are being offered. The first is by Sen. Eric Oemig (D-45) which, in his words given during public testimony, makes SB 6177 temporary until next legislative session where the legislation will be put before a vote of the public.

(10:00 a.m.)

It is the quiet before the storm. The legislators are in caucus. The halls of the Legislative Building are deader than disco. The only entertainment has come from overhearing a Sen. Pam Roach tirade from up in the Senate gallery over what seems to be the lack of leadership by the state GOP on some issue or the other. Nothing new there.

It looks like things are moving forward with efforts to pass the standard 1 percent cap legislation sans banking loophole. The Olympian has a fine rundown of this morning's events. "Special Session Off With a Bang"

House Speaker Frank Chopp and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, although obviously not fans of the cap, seem intent on pushing it through.

There's an old saying in the military about hurrying up and waiting. Whoever coined that phrase must have had crafting legislation in mind.

(9:00 a.m.)

Tim Eyman just gave his press conference in front of the Senate Chambers. The time and location was meant to upstage a later meeting with reporters by Democratic leadership.

Although he is disappointed at the proposed legislation, he is advocating that Republicans vote for the 1 percent cap even if it includes the banking authority loophole.

The GOP is pushing alternative legislation which includes the cap and limits banking authority.

As is no surprise the press corp was decidely hostile towards the Initiative King and needled him over the fact that I-747 did not deal directly with banking authority and the loophole has been in place since I-722 was tossed out by the State Supreme Court in 2001.

A bit of fireworks just erupted during the press scrum when Sen. Adam Kline (D-37th) crashed Tim's party by calling him a coward. Apparently the Seattle Democrat wanted Eyman's advice on what parts of the state budget he would cut and how many nursing homes needed to be shutdown.

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I am in Olympia waiting for the special session to start.

And sadly not at the Tumwater Brewery...

A couple of press conferences are scheduled by Tim Eyman and Frank Chopp around 8 and 8:30 a.m. respectively.

At the moment (7 a.m.) I'm in some coffee shop like one of those dirtbag hippies with their laptop clacking away looking self important - but oh so sexy. The indignity of it all...

Will have some posts up throughout the day hopefully; with the normal warnings over my lack of technical abilities of course.