Below is the statement by Sen. Linda Evans Parlette concernin the Public Facilities District Bill. It has failed to pass the Senate. I'm disappointed by very pleased Sen Parlette and Reps. Amstrong and Condotta made the effort and got as far as they did.  It was a long shot but well worth the effort to avoid what I believe we now have to endure. Jim Russell

Parlette statement on Public Facilities District bill

Yesterday the state Senate sent House Bill 2145, the measure that would have paid bondholders affected by the Greater Wenatchee Public Facilities District default, to the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Because the measure lacked enough support to be voted out of the committee, it is not expected to receive further consideration.

Sen. Linda Evans Parlette, R-Wenatchee, issued this statement regarding the status of the bill.

“This issue was a very important one, both on the local level and for our state, which was working diligently to avoid a municipal default. The state Treasurer requested the bill for that very reason – in fact, the default may have already affected borrowing rates for several local entities across Washington. In all likelihood, its impact will continue to grow.

“We knew from the start that it would be an uphill battle to pass this bill, due to the complexity of the issue and the short time frame we were working under. In the end, it simply did not have enough votes to pass.

“With all the work that went into this bill, I would be remiss if I did not thank the Chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee for his willingness to hold a hearing on the initial bill, as well as all of the members of the Senate for their time and consideration of this difficult issue. While the bill did not pass, I believe that there is value in the discussions it created.”