OLYMPIA — Rep. Lynn Kessler’s bill to repeal a $5 parking fee at state parks that sailed through the House of Representatives last week was abruptly killed Thursday night by a Senate committee chairman.
Kessler was livid Thursday night and vowed to revive the parking fee repeal as part of upcoming budget talks.
Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle, adjourned the final scheduled meeting of the Senate Natural Resources, Ocean and Recreation Committee without acting on Kessler’s bill, HB 2416.
Kessler’s measure, which she calls her priority of the session, sailed through the House 94-2.
She was steaming after getting word that Jacobsen had blocked the bill. He promised to allow a vote, she said.
“He lied to me. He totally lied,” she said in an interview.
“I have total support for this bill and Jacobsen killed it. I’m disappointed, but there’s ‘more than one way to skin a cat.”‘
Kessler’s 24th District includes Clallam and Jefferson counties, and part of Grays Harbor County.
Senator opposes repeal
Jacobsen denied that he lied to Kessler.
“She never asked me to pass the bill,” Jacobsen said.
“She said she wanted it and I nodded. Nodded as in ‘I understand.’ I never said I would have a vote.”
He said he opposes repeal for a variety of reasons, but assumes Kessler will be able to circumvent his action.
“I don’t think it was good public policy,” he said in an interview Thursday night.
“People say we’ll find this money next year (to replace the lost revenue), but natural resources agencies have steadily lost general fund support.
“I just tried to get real.”
Kessler, D-Hoquiam, is a senior member of the Appropriations Committee. She said she probably will request a budget proviso that bans state parks from collecting a day-use fee for the next fiscal year.
The state budget will have about $3 million in general tax money available to replace the lost parking fee revenue, she said.
Lawmakers then would have to revisit the issue in 2007 and find a permanent revenue source for parks support.
Another route she didn’t mention is her bill can be declared “necessary to implement the budget” and could be pulled directly to the Senate floor from committee.
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Associated Press writer David Ammons, in Olympia, contributed to this report.
