The Senate Transportation Committee passed a transportation package to the chamber floor last week that includes funding for widening Interstate 405, completing the west side of the State Route 520 floating bridge and what Democrats are calling a “poison pill.”

Sen. Cyrus Habib, D-Kirkland, said he approved most of the projects and revenue sources identified in the $15.1 billion package, including an 11.7-cent-per gallon gas tax increase.

“I think that the revenue source is fine, and I like the spending in general, with some exceptions,” he said.

However, Habib joined a number of Democrats on the transportation committee in voting against sending the package to the floor due to a Republican-led policy that would divert transit, pedestrian, bike path, state patrol and local improvement monies in the package to roads should Gov. Jay Inslee issue an executive order setting low-carbon fuel standards.

“All of that is put at risk because of this poison pill, because they say all of this will just be zeroed out,” Habib said of the proposed policy in the package.

Democrats were unsuccessful in removing the policy proposal or adding an amendment to examine the policy two years into the transportation package’s 16-year lifespan.

Habib said he also objects to taking sales tax collected for transportation projects out of the general fund and into more transportation projects when the state has been mandated by the Washington Supreme Court to increase education spending under the McCleary decision.

He added there is still time to amend the package before the full Senate comes to a vote.

If it’s passed, it would be the first transportation package to come out of the Senate in a decade, said Joyce Nichols, director of government affairs for the city of Bellevue, who updated the city council on its passage through committee on Monday.

Nichols reported the package includes $1.24 billion for widening I-405 — with express lanes from Bellevue to Renton — and $1.57 billion to complete the SR 520 bridge. She echoed Habib’s disappointment the package does not include constructing a full SR 520-124th Avenue Northeast interchange, the senator saying it will be critical as Bellevue redevelops in the Bel-Red area, including the Spring District.

The city government affairs director said the inclusion of a policy that would divert so much funding should Inslee use an executive order to establish a low-carbon fuel standard — while the House works toward satisfying the McCleary decision — “becomes a bargaining chip.”

Bellevue Deputy Mayor Kevin Wallace was one of more than 80 to testify before the Senate Transportation Committee in support of the transportation package, joining the mayor of Seattle and King County executive in favoring the bill, despite concerns regarding certain components.

“Overall, it’s just time to get this thing done,” Wallace said during a phone interview with the Reporter. He said he thinks the plan should focus on transportation projects, not conflict over fuel standards due to plans by Inslee to execute an executive order. “I think, from my perspective, the governor proposing to act, by executive order and not work that through the legislator, is out of bounds.”