County fairs around the state of Washington would get more money under a proposal unanimously passed by the state Senate on Wednesday.
Moses Lake Republican Sen. Judy Warnick said the amount of money the state provides fairs hasn’t changed since it was set at $2 million in 1998. Her bill adds another $500,000 to that total.
The measure would also change the way the state provides money for fairs and other agricultural expositions, putting the money the events collect in sales taxes into a special fund that could then be paid out to the fairs.
Warnick’s original bill called for putting the money from fair sales taxes into a special account that could not be used for other purposes. However, a successful amendment by Spokane Democrat Sen. Andy Billig puts the money in a special fund within the state’s General Fund, but doesn’t keep lawmakers from moving it for other purposes in tight budget times.
Even with the change in budget language, Warnick says the bill would help struggling fairs.
It now goes to the House, where similar legislation that failed to get hearing. (Spokesman-Review)
