Hopes To Keep Major Fabrication Of The Airliner In The Puget Sound Region

The Washington State Legislature during a special session Saturday overwhelmingly approved key elements of Governor Jay Inslee’s proposed package to help secure an unprecedented commitment from The Boeing Company to assemble its new 777X jetliner — and the plane’s carbon fiber wing — in Washington State.

“This is a great day for everyone in Washington,” Gov. Inslee (pictured) said. “Winning the 777X will secure tens of thousands of jobs and yield huge economic benefits for generations to come. And it will bolster our state’s legacy as the aerospace capital of the world.”
 
Inslee, who called the Legislature into special session Thursday, praised lawmakers for working quickly and in a broad bipartisan fashion to approve key measures to:

• Extend all commercial airplane tax incentives until 2040 and expand the current sales and use tax exemption on construction of buildings to manufacture “superefficient airplanes” to include all commercial airplanes and suppliers of wings and fuselages.
• Expand the state’s investment in education and workforce development to boost enrollment in aerospace fields at community and technical colleges, train workers for manufacturing of composite wings and complete the Central Sound Aerospace Training Facility in Renton.
• Streamline permitting actions that will speed up development and expansion of facilities at large manufacturing sites around the state.

“Our Legislature stepped up in a big way today to secure our state’s economic future,” Inslee said. “We should all be thankful for that.”
 
Inslee noted that the legislation includes strong contingency language to ensure that all of the 777X assembly and wing assembly remains in Washington. Specifically, the bill includes a provision that says the company will lose its preferential B&O tax rate for the 777X if any of that work is moved out of state.
 
The Governor also said he is encouraged by progress on a comprehensive transportation investment package and urged lawmakers to move quickly to reach a final agreement. He said lawmakers could consider the package later this month.
 
“Let’s get this done for all Washingtonians,” Inslee said.

FMI: www.leg.wa.gov