A shorter legislative session could be the key to the Legislature accomplishing its goals in 2018. Lisa Thatcher discusses some potential issues the Legislature may need to address during the sixty-day session.

Looking Ahead at the 2018 Legislative Session Transcript

Ashley: Lisa, thank you for joining me today to talk about the 2018 Legislative Session and what members need to know.

So, we previously discussed the 2017 Legislation Session and elections, but we’re only a few months away from 2018.

What does the Legislature need to accomplish in that period of time?

It’s a shorter legislative session, so what does the Legislature need to accomplish in that period of time?

Lisa: Well on a supplemental budget year, which we’re in, going into 2018, as you said it’s a sixty-day session, they really don’t have to do a lot, meaning it’s not like the previous session where they absolutely had to pass an Operating Budget. This is just an opportunity for them to do a Supplemental Budget, which is a tweaking.

They may be dealing with a Capital Budget during the next session. Generally, Transportation Budget is again just a supplemental. The short session is designed just to tweak what they did during the last long legislative session.

So there isn’t anything they have to get done. I don’t think that we’ll see this kind of pressure for additional revenue, although there have been discussions that they may need some additional money for McCleary—where would that come from.

Again, picking up and talking to legislators so far, I don’t think services, like the B&O service is going to be a hit. I don’t think they’ll revisit sales tax on professional services.

I think what we’ll see is maybe some interest on a carbon tax; that’s been around for a couple years so I think that that discussion about new revenue, maybe for a carbon tax, will be before the Legislature next year.

Ashley: Ok. Well great, thank you.