by Sue | Feb 27, 2023 | 2023 Olympia Bills to Watch, Alerts about pending WA State Legislation
There are still many bills heading through the committees toward a debate and vote on the floors of the House and Senate – and time to let your voice be heard as the highest authority – the voting citizen.
Following are the bills affecting us all – both bad and good – from the Citizens’ Alliance for Property Rights (CAPR). You can click on the links as indicated to make your comments heard. Please do your part in letting our elected representatives (who represent YOU), what your thoughts are and urge them to vote wisely.
If you’d like to receive daily reports from CAPR to your email box directly, you can get CAPR Legislative alerts by going to CAPR.us/LEG
and click on the links to weigh in on those of highest importance to you!
by Sue | Jan 18, 2021 | 2021 Olympia Bills to Watch, Alerts about pending WA State Legislation
from WashingtonVotes.org
Governor Inslee sworn in for third consecutive term, vows a “new normal” for the people of the state – Senate Democrats pass measure to extend his emergency orders indefinitely
Governor Inslee took the oath of office for his third consecutive four-year term on Wednesday in the Capitol building, along with other state elected officials, wearing masks and physically distanced. Others, like Attorney General Ferguson who is also entering his third four-year term, were sworn in online. Governor Inslee is the first Washington governor to be elected for a third term since Republican Dan Evans in the 1970s.
Rather than delivering his inaugural address before the traditional assembly of lawmakers, state elected officials, and state supreme court justices, Governor Inslee presented his remarks in a pre-recorded 20-minute video posted online.
The governor’s speech touched on economic recovery, education, homelessness and the need to overhaul the state’s mental health system. He also declared his continued commitment to fighting climate change. ”We cannot let the short-term crisis of COVID-19 blind us to the long-term health cataclysm that is climate change,“ he said.
Governor Inslee also emphasized that Washingtonians should not expect their lives to return to normal after the COVID-19 epidemic is under control. “We are not going back to normal. We are going forward toward a new normal. We are on a path in this legislative session to a more just normal, a healthier normal. And we’re not just talking about the pandemic.”
State lawmakers continue to introduce new bills this week at a brisk pace—nearly 500 so far, as Washington’s 105-day regular session gets underway in a mostly online format. Legislative actions, including floor debates, committee hearings, and public testimony are conducted remotely, using online tools in keeping with the restrictions on gatherings imposed by Governor Inslee’s emergency orders.
These restrictions are likely to continue for the foreseeable future, as Senate Democrats on Wednesday pushed through a measure that would extend all of the governor’s emergency proclamations indefinitely.
Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 8402 would continue the restrictions ordered by Governor Inslee until the governor declares an end to the state of emergency or the legislature repeals his orders. (Reps. Chapman, Tharinger, and Sen. Van deWege voted for this.)
The measure passed along straight party lines by 28-19 votes, with all Democrats voting “yes” and all Republicans voting “no.” Two senators were excused. The House, which is controlled by Democrats with a 57-41 majority, is expected to vote on the resolution later today, Friday.
During the debate on the measure—carried out remotely via online tools, Republicans brought up their concerns about extending the governor’s emergency orders indefinitely. Sen. Judy Warnick (R-Moses Lake), who voted against the resolution, said in an interview with The Everett Herald that lawmakers came to Olympia to help the governor “work our way as a state, through the situation that we’re in with this pandemic. He’s been doing it all on his own.”
Sen. Mark Schoesler (R-Ritzville) also voted against the resolution. “We came to Olympia to be able to do the right thing,” he said. “Instead, the majority gives the governor continued dictatorial powers.”
A Republican proposal to extend the proclamations only until January 27th failed, along with an amendment to move each region in the state to Phase 2 of the Healthy Washington Roadmap to Recovery plan by January 18 before extending any proclamations.
WashingtonVotes.org is a free service provided by Washington Policy Center and is the go-to tracking tool to keep up with all the action in Olympia, especially during this mostly virtual session. Please check in often and follow us on Facebook and Twitter at #waleg.
(Reprinted from Washington Votes.org with permission)
by Sue | Mar 11, 2020 | Alerts about pending WA State Legislation, Olympia News and Views
by Susan Shotthafer
While the MAT clinic and corona virus monopolized the attention of many local residents, below, you will find an example of last week’s Democrat destruction to Washington State, traditional American values, and our Judeo-Christian culture. This is a partial list of over 200 proposed, quite reasonable, but rejected Republican amendments to the Comprehensive Sex Education (CSE) Bill. The Washington Votes website https://www.washingtonvotes.org/ reports Republicans submitted over 200 amendments to this CSE bill that passed on a 56-40 party line vote. (more…)
by Sue | Feb 25, 2020 | Alerts about pending WA State Legislation, Olympia News and Views
by Ruth Peterson
Last Wednesday was a very important cutoff date that killed a lot of bills. Many were very good bills, but some that were terrible were killed as well. There are also some of both still alive. I mainly focus on the bad bills in my newsletters, because my emails are already quite long – you’d be reading into tomorrow, if I covered everything! Also note the next cutoff dates. Friday, the 28th is the cutoff for anything in a policy committee and the fiscal committee cutoff is Monday the 2nd. Both the Senate and the House go back to the floor full time on Tuesday, the 3rd. (more…)
by Ruth Peterson | Feb 11, 2020 | Alerts about pending WA State Legislation
by Ruth Peterson
Before I get started on the list of bills, there are three things you need to know up front.
- Friday was the cutoff for all policy bills to get out of committee in their “house of origin”. That means that senate bills had to have executive action to be moved to the Senate Rules Committee and the house bills have to be moved to House Rules. If you are following any bills, you can look them up to check the status. If they are still in committee, they are probably dead. That goes for all bills except those in the finance or budget committees (Ways & Means, Appropriations, Finance, or Transportation). Those bills have until Tuesday night. On Wednesday, we go to the floor all day every day, and they will start voting on all the bills that are still alive. You can find more information about the bills that are on the floor, ready for a vote here https://app.leg.wa.gov/far/House/Calendar and here – https://app.leg.wa.gov/far/Senate/Calendar
- NO bill is truly dead until the last gavel goes down on sine die – March 12. Even though bills that did not make cutoff are not likely to pass, I’ve seen dead bills come back alive in the wee hours of the morning on the last days of session.
- Remember that bill I talked about that increases B&O taxes on your doctors, veterinarians, dentists, therapists, etc (SB 6492)? It passed both chambers and the Governor will sign it tomorrow – Monday, the 10th. They couldn’t wait to raise our taxes. It’s number one priority for them – well maybe on par with the firearms bills and sexual education. It’s another brutal year for anyone who doesn’t believe in an expanded government.
(more…)
by Sue | Feb 7, 2020 | Alerts about pending WA State Legislation
CALL THE HOTLINE IN OLYMPIA & LET THEM KNOW YOU SUPPORT THESE BILLS: 800 562 6000.
While the Democrats – who control the State Legislature, the State Senate and the Governor – madly push forward huge tax bills and take our individual rights, making the “State” both “parent” and “overseer”, the Republicans have written bills (most of which will never see the light of day :”because” they are in the minority, to bring a more safe and affordable life to each of us, and to make government more accountable to “we the people”, whom they are supposed to serve.
Following are several bills which I urge you to support by writing or calling Olympia. Call the HOTLINE – it’s quick and easy – and let our legislators know you want these bills passed. (more…)
