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Legislature Moves Swiftly to Extend Boeing Tax Breaks

Rachel La Corte
/
Associated Press
FILE - Washington Gov. Jay Inslee stands in front of a bust of George Washington in the Capitol rotunda as he speaks to reporters on Friday, Nov. 8, 2013, in Olympia, Wash.

Washington lawmakers have moved swiftly to extend aerospace tax breaks in a bid to satisfy Boeing Co.

The Legislature gave final approval Saturday of a bill to extend the tax incentives all the way to 2040. The benefits have a projected value of $9 billion.

Even though the tax breaks weren't set to expire for several more years, Gov. Jay Inslee called the Legislature back to Olympia this week for a special session dedicated to the Boeing bills. Along with the tax package, lawmakers voted to spend millions of dollars on worker-training programs and an effort to aid permitting for large aerospace manufacturing sites.

Inslee says the bills are necessary in order to win the manufacturing work that will come with Boeing's new 777X production.