Senator Maria Cantwell's Weekly Update for Washington State

Senator Maria Cantwell's Weekly Update for Washington State

Make Your Voice Heard: Help Me Keep Electricity Affordable

In his State of the Union speech, the president said lower energy prices are the key to moving our economy forward. Less than a week later, he proposed a nearly $1 billion electricity rate hike on Northwest businesses and families. Currently, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) sells surplus power and uses the revenue to lower electricity rates throughout the region. A plan included in the administration's budget proposal would restrict this practice, costing an estimated 1,120 jobs and raising Northwest power rates by $924 million over the next 10 years. About 70 percent of the electricity consumed in the State of Washington is BPA power.

The Northwest economy has already suffered enough as a result of the Western energy crisis, and as far as I'm concerned, this plan is dead on arrival. That's why I'm leading a bipartisan coalition of all eight Pacific Northwest senators in opposition to this ill-considered proposal, and I'll continue working with my colleagues to prevent anyone from short-circuiting our ability to provide the affordable electricity needed to help our region's economy grow. If you'd like to join my petition to stop the Bush budget from raising Northwest electricity rates, please go to my website at http://cantwell.senate.gov/petition/bpa.cfm and add your name and address. Please forward the petition to friends and family as well. Together, we can help stop this rate hike.

Investing in America's Rural Communities

Since 2001, the County Payments program has provided some $2 billion for schools and roads in rural communities that have lost timber income due to changes in federal forest policies. Now, the administration wants to cut off funding and instead sell off federal lands for a one-time, inadequate fix. Even after the sale of hundreds of thousands of acres of national forest lands, including 7,500 in Washington state, the Bush plan would fund the County Payments program at less than 50 percent of historic levels. I've joined Senators Larry Craig (R-ID) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) on legislation to extend the existing program. The president's shortsighted scheme to sell off public lands is a non-starter. It not only shortchanges rural communities, but also limits recreational opportunities for hunters, anglers, campers, and others who have used these lands for decades. Our state's forests are an important legacy we must protect. We shouldn't throw them away to make up for this administration's misplaced priorities.

Extending the Sales Tax Deduction to Ensure Tax Fairness

Late last month, the Senate approved a two-year extension of the sales tax deduction, previously set to expire at the end of the 2005 tax season. I've been working for years to get this deduction through Congress and put hard-earned cash back into the wallets of Washington state's consumers. In most other states, taxpayers are allowed to deduct state income taxes from their total income taxed by the federal government. However, residents of states with a higher sales tax in place of state income taxes weren't allowed a similar benefit until 2004 when I first got a deduction signed into law. Without this deduction, Washingtonians get taxed twice—once when they make a purchase and again when they file their taxes. The Senate's decision to extend the deduction through the 2007 tax year is great news, and I'll keep fighting to make sure the measure gets signed into law.

The IRS has posted tables and instructions at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040sa.pdf to help citizens take advantage of the deduction during the 2005 tax season. See page 11 for the Washington state table. There is also a fact sheet on the sales tax deduction at http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=152316,00.html.

Protecting Washington's Roadless Areas
I'm fighting to protect America's 58.5 million acres of wild forest lands from logging, road building, and other environmentally destructive economic development, and plan to reintroduce my legislation soon to make the 2001 "Roadless Rule" permanent. In 2001, the Forest Service finalized the Roadless Rule, which ended timber harvests and road construction in our nation's last remaining wild forest lands, including two million acres of inventoried roadless areas in Washington state. The Roadless Rule was developed from an extensive public outreach effort that included over 600 public meetings—at least two on every National Forest. Although less than two percent of our National Forest lands remain wild and pristine, these roadless areas are some of the most valuable regions in our country for clean drinking water, critical fish and wildlife habitat, and irreplaceable hunting and fishing, camping, and hiking opportunities. Unfortunately, last May, the Bush Administration repealed the entire 2001 Rule, opening environmentally sensitive land to damaging development. Last August, California, Oregon, and New Mexico filed a legal challenge to the administration's actions. Washington state Governor Gregoire joined the suit last week. I commend Governor Gregoire for fighting to preserve Washington state's roadless areas and plan to continue working to protect Washington's last untouched forests.
Make Your Voice Heard: Improve Our Nation's Healthcare System

All of us are impacted by the high cost of healthcare, especially in Washington state. If you're one of the many citizens concerned by rising costs or access to quality care, join the Citizen's Healthcare Working Group in Seattle on February 25 and make your voice heard. The Citizen's Healthcare Working Group was created by Congress to provide for a nationwide debate on health care and will take comments and suggestions from citizens through the internet and at community meetings. After hearing from individuals across the country, the Working Group will make final recommendations to Congress in September. Visit the Citizen's Healthcare Working Group online at http://www.citizenshealthcare.gov to comment or learn more. The Washington state event will be held on Saturday, February 25 in Seattle. Go to http://www.citizenshealthcare.gov/register/

http://cantwell.senate.gov/news/weekly_update.cfm