MARCH 3, 2000  -  LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

! ! SUCCESSFUL PROGRESS ! !

 SSB 5924 NOW ESSB 5924 AFTER AMENDMENT AND PASSAGE BY HOUSE THIS AFTERNOON

 -  NEXT STEP IS CONCURRENCE BY THE SENATE WITH THE HOUSE VERSION  -
- ACT NOW - CALL AND E-MAIL YOUR SENATOR IMMEDIATELY - GET SUPPORT PLEDGE -
*  KEEP SEEKING HELP NOW FROM ALL BANK EXECUTIVES YOU KNOW  *

Success was achieved with House passage this afternoon, as per the
one-paragraph e-mail I received right afterwards from Ruth Kagi (one of my
32nd District Representatives, quite possibly from her desk on the Floor):

"Dear Jim,    Sorry -- I hit the wrong button!  We defeated Brad Benson's
amendment but accepted one that 'requires one member of the real estate
commission to be doing work concerning appraisals for tax purposes.' The
bill passed 67 to 30.  Congratulations!  Ruth".

BUT, eight more days of hard legislative work lie ahead.  "Engrossed" by
the House Amendment, ESSB 5924 now goes back to the Senate for its
concurrence.  WBA will be waiting!  The bill can be stopped through any
number of ways.  Appraisers now need to get to their Senators right away
to urge their vote to concur with the House version, ESSB 5924.  ACOW's
team feels happy to recommend to appraisers that they send this message to
their Senators.  TODAY, your appraisal profession needs you to OBTAIN A
PLEDGE FROM YOUR OWN SENATOR TO VOTE FOR PASSAGE OF 
ESSB 5924 on the Concurrence Calendar. 

If we all work hard and persevere, then ESSB 5924 will soon be on to the
Governor's desk.  Of course, that also starts a new period of more hard
work.  But, no one ever told you that all appraiser assignments were easy.
This certainly has not been easy for TK or the rest of the ACOW team, but
he and many of you have done a great job so far.  Just keep the bullets
(calls and e-mails) flying.  The best defense is a good offense!

Senators may not know of the surprise attack on now ESSB 5924 by WBA's
Tuesday letter.  Appraisers must ask their Senators to concur with the
House-passed version, and to reject absolutely any amendment(s) which
might be proposed by or for anyone.  Any amendment at all could kill the
bill!  Failure of the Senate to concur would send ESSB 5924 back to the
House.  With only one week left in the session, there is no time for back
and forth negotiations.  Conference committees on more high profile bills
will fill more hours than are available for the next seven days.

ACOW and many individual appraisers went full bore this week.  All our
stops were pulled out.  TK and appraisers in general worked this very hard
all week, with no let up.  It paid off.  TK and all of us are to be
congratulated.  Thank you for your fine part in the effort.  BUT, we must
keep it up!

ACOW, along with all other stakeholders as well as Legislative Members
themselves, now are operating under the pressures that mount when any
legislative session goes into a rush as a scheduled cut off (deadline)
becomes imminent.  Especially so when time gets short before the opposite
house cut off and even adjournment looms on the horizon.  The first is
tomorrow at 5:00 p.m., and the closing bell rings on next Friday evening
at midnight. 

Try to have your telephone calls sent to the floor if the Senate is in
session.  If they are in Caucus, or otherwise unavailable, leave details in
a concise message.  Do not leave vague messages, nor expect a telephone
call back.  You will be fortunate to get an e-mail reply.  "Ulcer time"
is too short for all concerned to get everything done.  Some things just
do not.  A call followed up with an e-mail is the best tactic.

After this Legislative session adjourns and after the subsequent
Governor's bill signing period closes, ACOW will plan what comes next at
its March 9 and April 6 meetings, and following the next REAAC meeting
(tentatively planned for Friday, April 7 or 14).  Conversations with
Representative Brad Benson and other Legislative members with
appraiser-related concerns, Assessors, WBA, the Departments of
Agriculture, Licensing and Revenue, and with appraisers themselves all are
likely possibilities for openers.

Hope that many of you will be able to make the effort next Thursday, March
9, to attend the ACOW meeting at 5:00 p.m. at the Department of
Assessments, Commercial Division, in Room 853 of the King County
Administration Building, 500 Fourth Avenue in Downtown Seattle
(TB=Downtown Seattle (ix)-D5 or 565-A6, just off of the west side of I-5
at the James Street Exit).  Parking is available in the County lot on the
south side of the towering King County Jail. 

The April 6 meeting will be at the office of Market Value Systems, 321
Burnett Avenue South, Suite 308, in Downtown Renton (TB=656-C3, just
northeast of I-405 from the SR-167 Exit).  This is a change in location
from the schedule announced in the Bulletin of November 4, 1999, posted on
www.acow-wa.org as ACOW seeks the "right" location just south of Seattle
proper for its meetings in even-numbered months.

Thanks again to all who have helped so far, please keep at it.  Everyone
else, please jump in and get involved.

. . . JIM

 MESSAGES ARE A MUST

Contacting your own Senators and Representatives is essential.  Phone and FAX numbers, E-mail and Post Office Addressees, bill copies and any other information which you need can be found by calling the Legislative Hot Line at 1-800-562-6000.  The illustrative model e-mail address for "Your Favorite Legislator" is legislator_yo@leg.wa.gov.  Use the WEB at www.leg.wa.gov for LEGInfo, or access by FTP at ftp.leg.wa.gov or by E-mail at ftpmail@leg.wa.gov.  

APPRAISAL NEWS IN WASHINGTON STATE

See ACOW on the Web at www.acow-wa.org for government and public relations related to appraising.  Request ACOW E-mail from bf777@scn.org until a listserve is implemented.  Sending fewer faxes will help to stretch ACOW's resources.  No part of this effort is too small to matter.  

Go to http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/Appraisers-WA to subscribe to newsgroup postings for appraisal business matters of interest in Washington State.  Stay abreast of who has or needs what in comparables.  See what's hot, and what's rot.

PLEASE HELP OUR PROFESSION NOW!

GET INVOLVED, ACOW NEEDS YOU!