Whereas the long and complicated Senate Bill 5803 from Senator Ed Murray attempts to implement the recommendations of the Rice-Stanton Regional Transportation Commission (http://www.psrtc.wa.gov), this much shorter bill HB 2102 from Rep. Fred Jarrett sets up a task force to write the implementing legislation during 2007 in time for the 2008 Legislative session.
Both bills concede going forward with the Legislatively scheduled November 2007 election to put billions in new transportation spending in front of Puget Sound voters, billions that are a result of the existing planning system that the RTC heavily criticizes as inadequate.
If this plan passes to double Sound Transit's taxes, add another penny to the already rising gasoline tax, and add a new regional MVET, then it is unclear to me exactly what the new RTC will need to do in the way of planning.
Hmmmm .... Could Legislative transportation leadership be thinking the chances are slim that the November 2007 tax hike approval will actually happen?