The Senate Ways & Means Committee this evening advanced a few budget-related bills to the Rules Committee, most notably the Jobs Act being pushed by the House of Representatives.

House Bill 2561 was sent out of committee on a voice vote but not before being amended to include a funding source.

The bill would send to voters a ballot measure to authorize the issuance of $505 million in bonds to finance an array of energy efficiency improvements to public schools and buildings on public college and university campuses.

It is believed it would ultimately save school districts $126 million annually in reduced operational costs. It is believed the environmental benefit would reduce harmful emissions by an amount equivalent to removing 130,000 vehicles from the road each year. Rep. Hans Dunshee, a Snohomish Democrat who sponsored the bill, said it would support 30,000 jobs.

The committee amended the bill to require the temporary sales tax on bottled water included in the Legislature's proposed revenue package to be made permanent. After three years tax proceeds would go toward retiring the bond debt.