OLYMPIA — The state would tax the pharmaceutical industry in order to pay for a prescription drug take-back program under a bill introduced by a North Olympic Peninsula legislator last week.
Introduced by Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, HB 2006 would raise an estimated $1.2 million a biennium for the program. Additional money raised would help fund the state’s Basic Health Program.
The bill gets rid of a “pharmaceutical industry tax preference,” Van De Wege said in a statement.
Starting a statewide program to dispose of unused prescription drugs has been a goal of Van De Wege’s this legislative session.
He introduced a similar bill earlier in the session, but it failed to make it out of committee by a House deadline for policy matters.
That bill would have required the industry to pay for the program but didn’t address a new tax.
The deadline doesn’t apply to bills to fiscal matters, which allowed the Van De Wege to resurrect the legislation because it addresses taxes.
Support for program
“There’s a lot of support for a statewide program to collect and dispose of unwanted medications,” Van De Wege said.
“From law enforcement departments to public health agencies, there is agreement that it’s way past time to do this, and taxpayers shouldn’t be stuck with the bill.”
Van De Wege said earlier in the session that such a statewide program was needed to keep prescription drugs out of the hands of juveniles and to prevent people from using prescription drugs for recreational purposes.
The House majority whip represents the 24th District — consisting of Clallam and Jefferson counties and a part of Grays Harbor County — along with Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, and Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Sequim.
One of Tharinger’s bills, which would create the Puget Sound Corps, passed the House in a 67-30 vote.
The corps’ purpose would be to do environmental restoration work in Puget Sound.
Logging fee
Hargrove introduced a bill last week that would create a new fee on logging operations that divert or restrict the flow of water.
The fee would be used to pay for the state Fish and Wildlife Department’s hydraulic project approval program.
Several of Hargrove’s bills passed the Senate last week.
The legislation, which also must be approved by the House, includes:
■ SB 5722, authorizing the use of local sales taxes to support chemical dependency or mental health programs.
The bill passed 40-8.
■ SB 5691, to eliminate benefits for permanent partial disability for victims of criminal acts.
The bill passed 46-2.
■ SB 5452, to expedite Medicaid benefits for people with mental health or chemical dependencies in state institutions.
The bill passed 48-0.
■ SB 5300, encouraging the use of natural resources from Washington state in the construction of public buildings.
The bill passed 46-2.
■ SB 5201, making it a gross misdemeanor to start a fire on state land managed by Fish and Wildlife unless the fire is used for a barbecue, campfire or for habitat management.
The bill passed 49-0.
■ SB 5114, allowing only one qualified expert to conduct a mental health examination of a defendant, unless the defendant is charged with aggravated murder.
The bill passed 39-9.
■ SB 5025, to make prison inmates ineligible for penalty awards when a public entity fails to fulfill their public records requests in a timely manner.
The bill passed 45-4.
■ SB 5656, creating a state Indian Child Welfare Act.
The bill passed 46-1.
■ SB 5242, requiring law enforcement to be trained how not to profile motorcycle riders.
The bill passed 48-0.
Here’s how Hargrove voted last week on some of the more noteworthy legislation:
■ SB 5566, to reduce long-term disability payments for injured workers.
The bill passed 34-15; Hargrove voted yes.
■ SB 5575, to allow biomass energy facilities that burn wood manufacturing byproducts, untreated wooden construction debris, yard and food waste, biosolids, liquors from algae to be considered renewable energy.
The bill passed 28-19; Hargrove voted yes.
■ SB 5545, to allow law enforcement to record a conversation with the consent of only one party when there is probable cause to believe the conversation involves the commercial sexual abuse of a minor.
The bill passed 48-0; Hargrove voted yes.
■ SB 5445, creating a health benefit exchange.
The bill passed 27-22; Hargrove voted yes.
■ SB 5439, imposing fees of up to $300,000 per day for companies responsible for oil spills.
The bill passed 28-19; Hargrove voted yes.
■ SB 5156, authorizing liquor sales in airport lounges.
The bill passed 41-4; Hargrove voted no.
■ SB 5073, allowing users of marijuana for medical purposes to be protected from arrest if they posses no more than 15 plants and 24 ounces of marijuana.
The bill passed 29-20; Hargrove voted no.
Noteworthy House bills
Some of the noteworthy bills passed in the House last week include:
■ HB 1820, to create a division of Indian Education in the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The bill passed 74-23; Tharinger and Van De Wege voted yes.
■ HB 1849, creating a state education council to redesign the state’s education system.
The bill passed 64-32; Tharinger and Van De Wege voted yes.
■ HB 1740, to create a state health benefit exchange.
The bill passed 79-18; Tharinger and Van De Wege voted yes.
■ HB 1339, to apply the infraction of second-degree negligent driving when a “vulnerable user” of a public way is seriously injured or killed.
The bill passed 59-39; Tharinger and Van De Wege voted yes.
■ HB 1172, to allow beer and wine tasting at farmers markets.
The bill passed 77-21; Tharinger voted yes and Van De Wege voted no.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
