Legislature Passes School Levy Bill Sought by Districts

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The Legislature has passed a measure delaying a deadline for a reduction in the amount of money school districts can collect through local property tax levies.

The House passed the measure addressing the so-called "levy cliff" on an 87-10 vote Thursday, just after the Senate passed the bill on a bipartisan 48-1 vote the night before. The measure now heads to Gov. Jay Inslee for his signature.

School districts had faced a reduction in the amount they can collect through local levies starting next year, but the measure passed by lawmakers pushes that deadline off until 2019. The levy issue is part of a broader discussion surrounding education funding, an issue for which the state is currently being held in contempt by the state Supreme Court.