(The Center Square) – With less than three weeks left to fill a $16 billion shortfall, House Democrats advanced a bill on Saturday to increase the price of hunting and fishing licenses for the first time in over a decade.
If passed, the 38% “inflationary adjustment” would take effect July 1 after Washington state put off any hikes since 2011. According to a fiscal note, raising the rate could generate more than $100 million by 2035, but not without pricing some families out of what puts food on their table.
Democrats say Senate Bill 5583 puts the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, or WDFW, on a sustainable path forward, but Republicans argue otherwise. They say it puts all the cost on hunters and fishers despite the fiscal note assuming an 11% drop in sales due to the new price.
“The increase of these fees right now is really important for us as we start looking at a revenue crisis,” Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Anacortes, said Saturday. “The sooner we can incorporate these into our budget, into our revenue, the sooner we can still continue to help those in need.”
Rep. Matt Marshall, R-Eatonville, pushed back on the idea that the fees would support public services rather than WDFW. The wildlife department relies on that money to maintain the state’s landscape and natural habitats. Still, he cautioned the 38% hike would hit low-income residents the hardest.
With the legislative session wrapping up on April 27, state lawmakers are running out of time to fill the $16 billion shortfall they expect over the coming years. While the majority party prefers to increase taxes and fees to save services, Republicans have pleaded for cuts without much luck.
According to SB 5583, the 38% hike would take the price of the standard big game combination, with a license and tags for a deer, elk, bear and cougar, from $85 to $117.30. The combination fishing package, which includes freshwater and saltwater, would go from $45.50 to $62.79.
“There’s some concern that, given our current financial situation,” Marshall said, “some people do rely on hunting and fishing to feed their families, and we don’t want to price them out of that.”
He said that in Idaho, residents can buy a three-year fishing license for only $10 more than in Washington for a single year under the hike. However, SB 5583 does provide a 66% discount for seniors at least 70 years old, reducing the cost to $39.88 for hunting and $21.39 for fishing.
Democrats rejected several Republican amendments on Saturday. If approved, they would have phased in the 38% hike through 2029, provided reduced rates for veterans and residents below the median income for their county, increased bag limits and removed an emergency clause.
“This is an unfortunate but necessary step for us to take,” Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, D-West Seattle, argued Saturday.
The proposal now heads to the House Rules Committee, which will likely schedule a final vote on the floor in the coming weeks.
