But at least they don't swim away or dive into the turbine intake. Johnson found that between 80 percent and 90 percent of fish entered the bypass structure - an encouraging sign for the corps, which is extending the test bypass screen to include all six turbines at the first powerhouse next year. I didn't expect to see that great of efficiency. The state Department of Revenue again is asking the Legislature to clarify the tax status of fruit packers and growers in the wake of a lawsuit that threatens their existing tax breaks. Orchardists also could face sales tax on purchases of seedlings, fertilizer and spray materials.
Growers now are exempt from both taxes.
The department's quandary stems from the state Supreme Court's decision in March to let stand an appeals court ruling that defined fruit packers as manufacturers. The decision, sought by Douglas Fruit in Pasco and Valley Fruit in Yakima, allowed those packers to take advantage of sales tax deferrals under the state's distressed-area program. But the lawsuit also unintentionally called into question the tax status of packers and their clients, the growers. The ultimate result, the Department of Revenue contends, is growers now are part of a manufacturing process and therefore no longer are eligible for the tax breaks given farmers. Packers also could suffer some additional tax burden in the wake of the court decision, but they could offset some of the cost with savings from the sales tax deferrals now available to them, Sekerak said.