S-0698.2/91       _______________________________________________

 

                           SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 8216

                  _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

 

By Senators Patterson, Vognild, Craswell and Nelson.

 

Read first time January 28, 1991.  Referred to Committee on Transportation.Permitting motor vehicle taxes to be used for transportation purposes.


     BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, IN LEGISLATIVE SESSION ASSEMBLED:

     THAT, At the next general election to be held in this state there shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the state for their approval and ratification, or rejection, an amendment to Article II, section 40 (Amendment 18) of the state Constitution to read as follows:

 

     Article II, section 40.  All fees collected by the State of Washington as license fees for motor vehicles, driver's license fees, any excise tax imposed on motor vehicles or the use thereof, fines, forfeitures, or other monetary penalties related to the operation of a motor vehicle on the highways of the state, motor vehicle title fees, and all other fees related to motor vehicles, and all excise taxes collected by the State of Washington on the sale, distribution, or use of motor vehicle fuel, all earnings on investment of those fees and taxes, and all other state revenue intended to be used for ((highway)) transportation purposes, shall be paid into the state treasury and placed in a special fund to be used exclusively for ((highway)) transportation purposes.  Such ((highway)) transportation purposes shall be construed to include the following:

     (a) The necessary operating, engineering, and legal expenses connected with the administration of public transportation systems, state highways, county roads, and city streets;

     (b) The construction, reconstruction, maintenance, repair, and betterment of public transportation systems, state highways, county roads, ((bridges, and)) city streets((;)), and bridges, including the cost and expense of (1) acquisition of rights‑of‑way, (2) installing, maintaining, and operating traffic signs and signal lights, (3) policing by the state of public highways, (4) operation of movable span bridges, (5) operation of ferries which are a part of any public transportation system, state highway, county road, or city street;

     (c) The payment or refunding of any obligation of the State of Washington, or any political subdivision thereof, for which any of the revenues described in section 1 may ((have been)) be legally pledged, or were legally pledged ((prior to the effective date of this act)) before December 7, 1944;

     (d) Refunds authorized by law for taxes paid on motor vehicle fuels;

     (e) The cost of collection of any revenues described in this section:

     PROVIDED, That this section shall not be construed to include revenue from general or special taxes or excises not levied primarily for ((highway)) transportation purposes((, or apply to vehicle operator's license fees or any excise tax imposed on motor vehicles or the use thereof in lieu of a property tax thereon, or fees for certificates of ownership of motor vehicles)).

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the secretary of state shall cause notice of the foregoing constitutional amendment to be published at least four times during the four weeks next preceding the election in every legal newspaper in the state.