By Cameron Sheppard

WNPA News Service

State lawmakers passed legislation to extend tax breaks and exemptions intended to incentivize maintenance and repair work on large private airplanes in communities like Moses Lake.

Senate Bill 6068, sponsored by Sen. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, exempts maintenance, repair and alteration work done on large private airplanes owned by non residents from the sales and use tax.

The bill also will not require large private airplanes to be registered in the state of Washington if these airplanes are in the state for longer than a year for the purpose of repairs and alterations.

These tax and registration exemptions have existed since 2013, and now they could be extended for another ten years.

A tax preference performance report conducted by legislative auditors determined that the tax exemption promotes economic development as it was intended to do.

Warnick said in a hearing for the bill that she can verify the exemption does create good jobs in Moses Lake and other communities.

The bill passed in the senate by 47-1 vote on Feb. 18, and on March 11 it passed 91-6 in the house.

It now awaits the governor’s approval before becoming law.