Legislative Bulletin
Death By a Thousand Cuts
It’s that time of session when you can pretty much tell what bills the legislature is likely to pass and you’ve seen all of the budget drafts except for the final version. Thus, we can have a pretty good understanding of how the legislative session might shape up for the counties. While there are bills that will add resources to
State Graduated REET Bills Will Affect Counties
One option the state is considering as a method to raise new revenue is to graduate the rate of taxation based on the value of the sale for the state real estate excise tax. While the increases fund different things based on the particular bill, there are two formulas the legislature is considering. Current law is a flat 1.28% REET.
Solid Funding for Solid Waste
On April 9th, local solid waste managers, environmental public health directors, and county commissioners came to the capital to advocate for local solid waste financial assistance (LSWFA). Used for the development, implementation, and enforcement of solid waste management plans (including recycling and hazardous materials), LSWFA funding is distributed statewide to all counties. The funding source for LSWFA has been the
Fire in the Senate
A major hearing took place this week in the Senate as the Ways and Means Committee heard SB 5996 for the first time. This bill, known as the Wildfire Prevention and Suppression Act, was recently proposed and is intended to create a dedicated program for providing funding to improve the fire-fighting capabilities of our state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
