The Times/News presents a weekly summary of actions on bills by Highline-area legislators.

For complete information, go to www.WashingtonVotes.org -- a free, non-partisan website with plain-English explanations of bills and a record of each legislator’s votes -- which is the source for this report.

Highline is represented by:

District 11 -- Sen. Margarita Prentice; Rep. Zack Hudgins, Rep. Bob Hasagawa.

District 33 -- Sen. Karen Keiser; Rep. Shay Schual-Berke, Rep. Dave Upthegrove.

District 34 -- Sen. Erik Poulsen; Rep. Eileen Cody, Rep. Joe McDermott.

All are Democrats.

Final 2006 Roll Call --

Through March 8

Senate Bill 6386 -- The 2006 supplemental budget adds $522 million in spending, raising the total 2005-07 biennium budget to $26.5 billion. The budget increases spending in a number of areas, including health care subsidies, teacher pay, and unfunded pension liabilities. The budget also puts away nearly $1 billion in earmarked reserves for planned spending in specific areas.

Passed the Senate 27-21. Prentice, Keiser, Poulsen voted yes.

Passed the House 55-43. Hudgins, Hasegawa, Schual-Berke, Upthegrove, Cody, McDermott voted yes.

SB 6896 -- Raises the state spending limit to allow for an increase in spending in the 2005-07 biennium. Appropriates several hundred million dollars into specific reserve accounts for health care, education, and pension spending in the 2007-09 biennium.

Passed the Senate 25-22. Prentice, Keiser, Poulsen voted yes.

Passed the House 51-47. Hudgins, Hasegawa, Schual-Berke, Upthegrove, Cody, McDermott voted yes.

House Bill 3317 -- Makes a person’s 5th offense of driving under the influence of alcohol a felony, subject to 22 months in jail and mandatory treatment while incarcerated. The bill is effective starting July 2007.

Passed the Senate 45-0. Prentice, Keiser, Poulsen voted yes.

Passed the House 98-0. Hudgins, Hasegawa, Schual-Berke, Upthegrove, Cody, McDermott voted yes.

HB 2871 -- Creates a Puget Sound Regional Transportation Commission for Snohomish, King, and Pierce Counties. The commission would develop a regional transportation plan for approval by the legislature in 2007, and would develop a funding package to be submitted to voters for approval or rejection.

Passed the Senate 38-7. Prentice, Keiser, Poulsen voted yes.

Passed the House 70-28. Hudgins, Hasegawa, Schual-Berke, Upthegrove,

HB 2572 -- Provides premium subsidies to eligible employees who are employed by a small business that offers health coverage equivalent to the state Basic Health Plan. The small business will pay at least 40% of the monthly premium cost for the employee. The Senate had approved an earlier version of the bill that would have provided subsidies to employees who have Health Savings Account plans, would have removed Health Savings Account plans from the community rating pool, and would have loosened state regulations to allow health insurers to offer more affordable health plans. The House voted 56 to 42 to remove those amendments.

Passed the Senate 25-23. Prentice, Keiser, Poulsen voted yes.

SB 6428 -- Requires manufacturers of computer monitors, desktop computers, laptop or portable computers, and televisions used in Washington to participate in and pay for the recycling of their products.

Passed the Senate 38-11. Prentice, Keiser, Poulsen voted yes.

SB 6475 -- Establishes three alternatives for assessing student performance and aptitude: (1) A comparison of the student's grades to the grades of a group of students in the same school who took the same courses, but who met or slightly exceeded the state standard on the high school WASL; (2) An evaluation of a collection of work samples or collection of evidence; (3) a collection of work samples submitted by students in an state-approved career and technical program. Also allow a student's score on the mathematics portion of certain college entrance examinations to be used as an alternative assessment to the WASL for high school graduation.

Passed the Senate 38-8. Prentice, Keiser, Poulsen voted yes.