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February 13, 2025

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Greetings from Olympia!  This update is part of my ongoing effort to keep you informed as we wade through bills, committee hearings, and occasional snow flurries here at the state capitol.  I am continuing my efforts to fight for our way of life, and hope you find the following information helpful.

We had a public hearing last week in the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee for my wolf bill to give more local control over wolf management and wolf-livestock interactions. The committee also heard my seatmate, Rep. Andrew Engell’s bill to down-list wolve to “sensitive” from “endangered.” Again, his bill would give WDFW more options when managing wolves. This is a good first step to action being taken.

We joined Sen. Shelly Short in a press release this week. You can read that release here.

You can also view WDFW’s Wolf Management presentation given to the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee here. And view the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Gray Wolf Update presented to the committee here. It is encouraging to have the tribes’ support for local wolf management.

Taxing your miles!
Originally known as the Vehicle Miles Travelled Tax (VMT), it has been rebranded after much public pushback. It is now called the Road Usage Charge (RUC). House Bill 1921 creates a 2.6 cent per-mile road usage charge that is meant for preservation and maintenance of highways AND a road usage charge assessment that is 10 percent of the road usage charge amount less a credit for fuel charges paid.  The assessment supports rail, bicycle, pedestrian, and public transportation.  This is a two-tax program. Here are some more details (always subject to change as the bill goes through the legislative process):

• All electric and hybrid vehicles are subject to mandatory fees starting July 1, 2029.
• Internal combustion engines start July 1, 2031 through a phased approach based on the fuel economy rating of the engine with the more fuel efficient vehicles starting first and changing each year until all are covered in 2035.
• Payment will be at the time of vehicle registration and transfer/sale of the vehicle.  Yet, registration of the vehicle will not be denied if the odometer reading is not available.
• The road usage charge will be reduced by a fee credit in the amount of the fuel tax either constructively calculated or actual for the vehicle’s fuel usage.  The credit is nontransferable to future years. This “calculation” will be determined by the same government that couldn’t figure out Climate Commitment Act (CCA) rebates for farmers, as they were REQUIRED TO DO BY LAW! I have serious concerns with this aspect.
• The department is granted authority to adopt rules for implementation and enforcement, including using third-party tax collectors and options for tracking other than odometer readings. I also have serious concerns about this privacy aspect.
• There is a 200 miles standard deduction authorized every 12 months for travel on roads that are out of state/not public roadways.
• There will be a public outreach and education program created by DOL and the Transportation Commission.
• The Washington State Transportation Commission shall pursue federal grant programs.

Taxing vehicle miles travelled hurts drivers in rural districts disproportionately who often have to drive miles for groceries, school and school activities, work, and more. This tax proposal also does NOT eliminate the gas tax.

Judicial Reform
We have an issue with judges in our state retiring or resigning in the middle of their term, and then having their replacement appointed by the governor. This allows the appointee to run in the next election as an incumbent, where they almost never lose. Over half our state Supreme Court judges were appointed and nearly 80% of our Court of Appeals judges.

My legislation, House Bill 1928 and House Bill 1929, require a two-thirds vote of the Washington State Senate for Supreme Court and Court of Appeals gubernatorial appointments, respectively. House Joint Resolution 4203 is the vehicle that allows for the required constitutional amendment to change the appointee process.

As I said in a recent press release:

“The judiciary is supposed to be an impartial check on the two other branches of government. The high number of judges retiring mid-term creates an appearance that these retirements are politically calculated and undermines the public’s trust and confidence in the judiciary,” explained Abell. “Requiring legislative confirmation is an important step to strengthening the public’s trust and confidence in our judiciary. It will help prevent future governors and their political parties from stacking the bench in their favor. This is legislation that is good for Washington, regardless of political affiliation.”

You can read that press release here:

WA State Supreme Court judge appointees should have Senate confirmation

Thank you for reading my email update and for the many comments, questions, and concerns expressed to me over the past month. The 7th Legislative District is known for being a very involved citizenry. You are continuing this tradition. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Hunter Abell