Governor Gregoire Signs Aerospace Business Bill, Spends Day in Northwest Washington

For Immediate Release: March 23, 2006

Bill will keep Washington�s aerospace industry competitive


FERNDALE � Governor Chris Gregoire today brought the Capitol to northwest Washington as she traveled to Mukilteo, Bellingham and Ferndale to take action on legislation.

At the Future of Flight Aviation Center in Mukilteo, Governor Gregoire signed into law a bill she requested to provide excise tax relief to aerospace businesses (HB 2466). Governor Gregoire signed the bill after speaking at a ceremony for the delivery of AeroMexico�s first Boeing 777 at the Boeing Delivery Center at Paine Field.

�Winning the next generation of Boeing aircraft was an enormous accomplishment for Washington � winning the supplier base is the next hurdle. This bill is key to that recruitment,� said Governor Gregoire in Mukilteo. �The aerospace industry operates in a global economy and in order to keep our state�s aerospace industry competitive, we must help companies at all levels of the aerospace supply chain.�

In Bellingham, the Governor signed a bill to create the Local Infrastructure Financing Tool (LIFT) to help local governments promote economic development (HB 2673). The Governor issued a partial veto on the bill, on Section 702, which would have authorized a study on similar local financing programs in other states.

In Bellingham, she also participated in the commissioning of the newest Coast Guard Cutter Terrapin, as the sponsor of the ship.

Governor Gregoire, at the Alcoa Intalco Works facility in Ferndale, signed a bill that extends tax relief for aluminum smelters (HB 2348). Under current law, tax incentives for aluminum smelters will expire in January 2007; the bill extends those incentives until 2012. Due to electricity rate increases and decreases in the price of aluminum, employment in the aluminum smelter industry in Washington has dropped 81% since 1998. With this bill, Intalco and the Wenatchee smelter will be able to request better electricity rates from the BPA and continue operations.

For information on all bill action, please visit Governor Gregoire's website or the Washington Legislature website.

Legislation signed today by Governor Gregoire:

House Bills:

�2348, 2466, 2640, 2673, 2817 and 3113.


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