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24th GOP

Bills open for Public Hearing April 1, 9 am

Public Hearing
  1. HB 1851 – Implementing the first approach skills training program. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  2. ESB 5015 – Reestablishing the productivity board. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  3. 2SSB 5048 – Eliminating college in the high school fees. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  4. SB 5084 – Creating a separate fund for the purposes of self-insured pensions and assessments. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  5. ESSB 5102 – Concerning school library information and technology programs. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  6. 2SSB 5103 – Concerning payment to acute care hospitals for difficult to discharge medicaid patients. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  7. 2SSB 5128 – Concerning jury diversity. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  8. ESB 5130 – Concerning assisted outpatient treatment. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  9. 2SSB 5134 – Concerning reentry services and supports. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  10. 2SSB 5225 – Increasing access to the working connections child care program. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  11. SSB 5238 – Expanding collective bargaining for employees who are enrolled in academic programs at public institutions of higher education. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  12. E2SSB 5243 – Concerning high school and beyond planning. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  13. 2SSB 5263 – Concerning access to psilocybin services by individuals 21 years of age and older. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  14. 2SSB 5269 – Concerning Washington state manufacturing. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  15. E2SSB 5278 – Implementing audit recommendations to reduce barriers to home care aide certification. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  16. 2SSB 5290 – Concerning consolidating local permit review processes. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  17. E2SSB 5311 – Concerning special education funding formula. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  18. E2SSB 5315 – Concerning nonpublic agencies operating special education programs for students with disabilities. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  19. SB 5316 – Concerning background check and licensing fees for programs administered by the department of children, youth, and families. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  20. SSB 5318 – Limiting estate recovery. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  21. ESB 5355 – Mandating instruction on sex trafficking prevention and identification for students in grades seven through 12. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  22. SB 5369 – Reassessing standards for polychlorinated biphenyls in consumer products. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  23. SSB 5388 – Concerning improving diversity in clinical trials. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  24. SSB 5415 – Concerning public defense services for persons committed as not guilty by reason of insanity. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  25. 2SSB 5425 – Concerning fire protection sprinkler system contractors. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  26. 2SSB 5438 – Facilitating supportive relationships with family and significant individuals within the behavioral health system. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  27. E2SSB 5440 – Providing timely competency evaluations and restoration services to persons suffering from behavioral health disorders. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  28. 2SSB 5454 – Concerning industrial insurance coverage for posttraumatic stress disorders affecting registered nurses. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  29. SSB 5499 – Concerning the multistate nurse licensure compact. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  30. 2SSB 5502 – Ensuring access to substance use disorder treatment. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  31. ESSB 5515 – Protecting children from child abuse and neglect. (REVISED FOR ENGROSSED: Protecting children from child abuse and neglect at residential facilities and residential private schools.) (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  32. 2SSB 5518 – Concerning cybersecurity. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  33. SSB 5523 – Addressing the forensic pathologist shortage. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  34. 2SSB 5532 – Providing enhanced payment to low volume, small rural hospitals. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  35. ESB 5534 – Concerning workforce education investment accountability and oversight board staffing changes. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  36. E2SSB 5536 – Concerning controlled substances, counterfeit substances, and legend drug possession and treatment. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  37. 2SSB 5555 – Creating the profession of certified peer specialists. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  38. E2SSB 5580 – Improving maternal health outcomes. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  39. E2SSB 5582 – Reducing barriers and expanding educational opportunities to increase the supply of nurses in Washington. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
  40. SB 5683 – Concerning child-specific foster care licenses for placement of Indian children. (Remote Testimony Available). – Testify
Possible Executive Session
  1. 2SSB 5046 – Concerning postconviction access to counsel.
  2. SB 5066 – Concerning health care benefit managers.
  3. E2SSB 5080 – Expanding and improving the social equity in cannabis program.
  4. SB 5131 – Concerning money received by the department of corrections on behalf of inmates from family or other outside sources for the purchase of commissary items.
  5. SSB 5358 – Expanding veterans’ services and programs.
  6. SSB 5386 – Reducing administrative complexity by increasing transparency of revenue flows for activities funded by document recording fees.
  7. ESB 5592 – Requiring semiautomatic external defibrillator at fitness centers.
  8. SSB 5687 – Creating and supporting postsecondary wrestling grant programs.
Sue Forde

2nd Bill Cutoff has passed – time to weigh in

A Message from WA State Representative J. T. Wilcox, House Republican Leader:

February 24th was the fiscal committee cutoff, our second deadline of the legislative session. Our next deadline is house of origin cutoff on March 8, which means a lot of time voting on bills from now until then. I discuss both of these cutoffs in my video update. 

In the middle of next week, we will hit the midway point of the 105-day legislative session. Below, I share my thoughts on some of the storylines, to date, and what to expect moving forward.  

No meaningful tax relief

One legislative priority for House Republicans is making life more affordable for Washingtonians. We have introduced bills to provide sales tax (House Bill 1704) and property tax (House Bill 1483) relief and to expand the Working Families Tax Credit (House Bill 1000).

Like last year, Democrats are not open to providing meaningful tax relief — despite another budget surplus. Instead, they are considering legislation that would increase property taxes and create a new per-mile charge on vehicle usage. House Republicans oppose these measures and others that would make life more expensive. 

No emergency powers reform 

Despite bipartisan support in the past, the majority party has no interest in common-sense, balanced emergency powers reform. House Bill 1535, sponsored by Rep. Chris Corry, could not even get a public hearing.

The Legislature is attempting to address some of the consequences of the governor’s decisions, including student learning loss. I highlighted K-12 education back on February 10, including House Republican proposals for special education funding, dual credit programs, school safety and school choice. 

It’s also time to end the vaccine mandate for state employees, something King County and Seattle announced earlier this month. This mandate should have never been imposed in the first place and has negatively impacted some state services.  

Emergency powers reform is an issue House Republicans have been talking about since the summer of 2020. And we will continue to. You can learn more here. 

Democrats are divided on public safety 

The majority party passed disastrous policing policies in 2021 that made our communities less safe. Through bipartisan efforts, we were able to fix some of those mistakes last year. However, one big problem remains: law enforcement limits on vehicular pursuits.

Anyone looking at this objectively understands that limiting vehicular pursuits empowers criminals and endangers communities. It was nice to see editorial boards weigh in this week, including The Columbian and Tri-City Herald.

This experiment has clearly failed. At least 20 House Democrats understand this fact. That’s the number of co-sponsors for bipartisan legislation that would fix the problem: House Bill 1363. In its original form, this measure would have restored the initial threshold to begin a vehicle pursuit to reasonable suspicion.

Unfortunately, House Bill 1363 was amended and watered down before it passed out of the House Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry Committee last week. From there, it was referred to the House Transportation Committee, where it received a public hearing on Monday. The measure passed out of that committee yesterday in its amended form. 

The legislation is still alive and the debate continues. We need to convince more Democrats to support the original version. It’s not just Republicans who are pushing for this outcome. Concerned citizens, law enforcement, local elected officials and business groups know how important this is for public safety. 

House Republican priorities

In addition to making life more affordable, House Republicans are focused on public safety, housing and empowering families. While some of our agenda bills have advanced this legislative session, many did not. Please visit this webpage to see a list of our priority bills and where they stand in the legislative process.  

We recently updated our list of good and bad bills based on what happened in fiscal committees this week. You can find that list here. 

Bipartisan opportunities   

Despite some disappointments and uncertainty, I also see bipartisan opportunities — especially in the areas of housing, mental health, workforce issues, salmon recovery and budget development. The next few weeks will reveal just how much we can accomplish. 

On housing, House Republican bills to expedite housing permits (House Bill 1401) and split lots (House Bill 1245) are alive — as are other bipartisan measures. Unfortunately, our Homes for Heroes (House Bill 1633) legislation died in a fiscal committee.  

As in years past, our ranking members on the House Transportation and Capital Budget committees — Reps. Andrew Barkis and Mike Steele — are involved with the development of their respective budgets. They will again influence these state spending plans. While the operating budget isn’t developed in the same bipartisan process, House Republicans will again offer real solutions and contrast in the upcoming weeks.

In closing, to sign up for The Week Ahead calendar we send out, please visit this link. 

Sincerely,

Rep. J.T. Wilcox
House Republican Leader
(360) 786-7912
JT.Wilcox@leg.wa.gov

Sue Forde

Weekly Report for Feb. 26, 2023 from CAPR

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

CAPR-bills-for-week-of-feb.-26-2023Download

24th GOP

Good Bills to Support

Thanks to WSRP Olympia Watch for providing this information!

24th GOP

Bad Bills moving forward

Thanks to WSRP Olympia Watch for providing this information!

  • HB 1024: Requiring an incarcerated person participating in a Correctional Industries work program be paid no less than minimum wage.
  • HB 1025: Eliminating Qualified Immunity for Police Officers
    • Scheduled for Executive Session in the House Committee on Approprations at 9AM
  • HB 1045: Would establish a basic income pilot program.
  • HB 1095: Extend Unemployment Benefits to those not allowed to be employed
  • HB 1143 : Would establish significant new requirements to legally purchase or transfer a firearm, including a new permit requirement with fingerprinting, in addition to a background check.
  • HB 1174: Would require each city, county, and tribal jail to establish a “Jail Voting Plan” to provide resources to help incarcerated individuals vote.
  • HB 1181: Would add a climate change element to the Growth Management Act and require policies to reduce vehicle miles traveled.
  • HB 1244: Would increase the cap on local school enrichment levies to $3,000 per pupil (same as Seattle).
  • HB 1282: Would require contractors on covered projects to provide certain environmental, health, labor, and HR data about construction materials used.
  • HB 1388: Would establish annual rent increase maximum and authorise the Attorney General to enforce the bill.
  • HB 1389: Rent Control, to reduce rental properties and drive housing prices even higher
  • HB 1391: Would eliminate consumer choice in energy
  • HB 1473:Would create a Wealth Tax on WA residents.
  • HB 1832: Pay per mile road usage fee
  • SB 5078: Makes the firearms industry subject to the state’s public nuisance laws, creates a private right of action for those who suffered harm as a result of a firearm industry member’s acts.
  • SB 5082: Would abolish advisory votes which were approved by voters through I-960 in 2007.
  • SB 5209: Would require anyone who is legally eligible to register to vote in Washington state to do so and submit a ballot.
  • SB 5232: Imposes a 10-day waiting period for all firearms purchases, requires completion of certified firearms training before a purchase may occur.
  • SB 5237: Creating complaint procedures and removing local control over school curriculum
  • SB 5241: Imposes extensive requirements for mergers, acquisitions, or contracting affiliations between hospitals, hospital systems, or provider organizations. Subjects them to AG oversight for 10 years. No material change transaction can take place if it reduces reproductive or gender affirming care (among other things).
  • SB 5417: Employer Political & Religious Speech …aka Employer Gag Order bill
  • SB 5427: Creates a hate crimes & bias hotline through the Attorney General’s office
  • SB 5441: School district curriculum
  • SB 5427: Creates a hate crimes & bias hotline through the Attorney General’s office
  • SB 5462: Inclusive learning standards
  • SB 5489: The SHIELD act for abortion and gender affirming healthcare. Creates a private right of action for interference with protected health care services
  • SB 5557: Pay equity for part-time faculty (raises part-time faculty/adjunct pay to 85% of full-time faculty pay)
  • SB 5599: Gives Gender affirming care to runaway teens, including surgical procedures, without parental consent
  • SJR 8202: Abortion constitutional amendment.

Sue Forde

End of first legislative deadline cutoff

This in from State Representative and House GOP Leader J.T. Wilcox:

State lawmakers reached their first deadline of the legislative session today: policy committee cutoff. This means all bills needed to pass out of their respective policy committees in their house of origin by today, or they are considered “dead.” Although, no bill is ever officially “dead” until the gavel drops on the last day. 

These deadlines are helpful to state lawmakers, constituents and stakeholders engaged in the legislative process. Each one helps narrow down the universe of legislation being considered. You can find the 2023 Session Cutoff Calendar here. 

Next Friday is fiscal committee cutoff. The Week Ahead calendar can be found on this webpage. 

A list of good and bad bills 

I am often asked to share a list of good and bad bills. This seems like a simple request, but it can be complicated because people have different views on what’s good and bad. With that caveat, you can find a recently updated list here.

I discuss some of these bills — including updates on vehicular pursuit, salmon recovery and House Republican housing solutions — in my weekly video update. You can find House Republican priorities, including bill numbers and descriptions, on this webpage. The Ledger

Another question I get is: “Where can I find more information?” My answer is: The Ledger. 

The Ledger is a legislative news aggregator that is updated daily. This platform was created for anyone who wants to stay apprised of what’s happening in the Legislature and state government. I again encourage you to bookmark and share the link. 

Participating in the legislative process | new video and webpage

Rep. Peter Abbarno recently created this video which explains how to communicate with state lawmakers and participate in the legislative process. This new webpage has both Peter’s video and simple, step-by-step instructions. Both are great resources.    

Some people like to come to Olympia, meet with state lawmakers and testify in person. Others don’t have the time or perhaps don’t want to navigate the Capitol. Either way, you can make a difference in the Legislature. 

Day of Remembrance 

In closing, the House paused to observe Day of Remembrance on Thursday. Republicans and Democrats provided floor speeches in support of House Resolution 4615, including Reps. Drew Stokesbary and Stephanie McClintock. The resolution honors Japanese Americans who suffered relocation and internment during World War II. I take this day very seriously. No one should think that this injustice could never happen again or that it couldn’t happen to them. You can watch the day’s ceremonies here. 

Sincerely,

Rep. J.T. Wilcox
House Republican Leader
(360) 786-7912
JT.Wilcox@leg.wa.gov

Sue Forde

Upcoming Bills for Feb. 8, 2023

Public hearings in the State Legislature for February 8, 2023 include the following, with recommended “pros” or “cons” and reasoning from Influencing Olympia, a grassroots citizen organization tracking a number of bills that will affect our lives.

Please take the time to click on the “One Click” button at minimum to get your voice heard for a “pro” or a “con”. If you have time and inclination, you could take it a step further in giving written testimony and/or in-person testimony. If our legislators don’t hear from us, they majority Democrats believe they are on the right track, and will pass some of these bad bills, or kill some of the good ones.

Click on the link below to access a pdf listing of the bills for tomorrow. You can increase the size to more easily read each one by clicking on the + at the top of the page. You can also click on the “One Click” link, which will take you directly to the bill’s page, where you can click on “pro” or “con”, and submit it quickly.

Bills for Wed 2.8.2023Download
Sue Forde

Bills needing your attention at the State Legislature

So far since the Legislature began on January 9th, there have been over 1,475 bills submitted to various committees.  We’ll be continuing to cover the ones that are the best and the worst, for your input.  It is very important to try and stop bad bills from getting out of committee, so time is of the essence in commenting or just giving a “pro” or “con” message on each of them.  Sending a message to our legislators DOES make a difference; when they hear from a lot of us, they tend to listen, realizing the bills won’t fly under the radar.  Here are several bills that need our attention from the WA State Republican Party.  (You can follow more bills from this source here: Olympia Watch)

From Olympia Watch:

This week in Olympia, Democrats continue to push terrible bills that will increase taxes even further, further harm ‘affordable housing’ goals, and cement election fraud into Washington’s elections.

Along with their terrible bills, Democrats are ignoring bipartisan common-sense bills, along with Republican sponsored bills, that would help get our state moving in the right direction.

Republicans and Democrats have been able to come together to support bipartisan police pursuit reforms along with Emergency Powers reforms to bring back legislative oversight on the Emergency process. These bills are being blocked by Democrat leadership – further proof that if our state is to champion bipartisanship, we need a Republican majority. 

Instead, Democrats are fighting to implement bills like:

It is imperative that you TAKE ACTION and register a CON position to stop radical Democrats in Olympia from making these bad bills LAW. You can view a full and updating list of bad bills on our Olympia Watch page.  Scroll down the page and click on “bad bills” and “good bills” with easy access to weigh in with our legislators.

Democrat Senator Manka Dhingra was appointed as Chair of the Law and Justice Committee, and is single handedly STOPPING police pursuit reform from being heard. Reach out to Senator Dhingra here and ask her to move on this important and bipartisan bill!  We’d also ask that you register your PRO position here on this good piece of legislation coming out of Olympia.

From Influencing Olympia:

A Great Article on HB 1333: Domestic Terrorism Bill in WA State by Wes Cormier in the GHWeekly.

Especially bad bills are SB 5489 and SB 5599 – allowing children to come to Washington State for “gender-affirming” surgery without permission or knowledge of their parents. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE and other bills, and an easy way to comment on them.

24th GOP

Sequim Rescinds Request for Mobile Showers

The Sequim City Council proposal for mobile showers for the homeless community has been rescinded; https://www.sequimgazette.com/news/sequim-councilor-rescinds-request-for-mobile-showers-in-city/

Rather than dealing with the problems of homelessness and looking at viable solutions, the Sequim City Council seems to be hanging on to ways to add more of a burden on the taxpayers to provide “free” solutions – like this mobile shower “solution”. Fortunately, it has failed. There have been so many “ideas” that don’t deal with the problem in a realistic manner: Ideas that have been tossed forward like allowing tents to be put up on private individuals front yards (without homeowner input); or the city paying to rent a room from homeowners for a onetime payment (with no thought about liability issues). And now they are looking to “throw up some housing”.

Who will pay for this? All this after voting to raise the sales tax rate by a percent to help solve the problem of homelessness.

We need to stop throwing money randomly at the problem and take a hard look at what needs to be fixed. Find viable solutions to help people become productive members of society. There are so many jobs that are open, with no one willing to work. We need to give hand ups, not hand outs. We need to address the mental health crisis and have resources for people who aren’t able to live on their own. We need to help those who are living with addiction who desire to get clean but have no idea how to begin. We need to reduce property taxes, regulations for building, open land resources, and reduce the cost of government fees in order to build.

In Sequim, we have Serenity House, Oxford House, and Sarge’s in Forks (which has now expanded to Port Angeles and Sequim with their new Minsky Place property), to name a few. Let’s support organizations like these that have an already successful track record and others like them.

It is time to get involved.