Upset with WA Gov. Inslee’s COVID powers? This may be your 1 chance to tell lawmakers

For months Tri-Citians have complained to the wrong people about Gov. Jay Inslee’s COVID mandates.

City, county and school officials have had to bear the brunt of community frustration over mask rules and other COVID restrictions, even though they have no control over them.

But this week, citizens will have the rare opportunity to take their concerns to those who truly have the ability to rein in a governor’s emergency powers — the state Legislature.

On Friday, Jan. 28, at 10:30 a.m., the Senate State Government & Elections committee will hold a public hearing on SB 5909 on the legislative oversight of those emergency powers.

This likely will be the only chance for public comments on the bill this legislative session.

If you have been angry about kids wearing masks in schools, or are concerned that businesses could be closed again solely by an executive decision — you should participate.

What’s bizarre is that for all the outrage spouted on social media over Inslee’s mandates, just 12 people had signed up to testify as of Wednesday morning.

Such low interest won’t make much of an impression. Some bills —like HB 1838 that’s affecting farmers — had 115 people wanting to testify to lawmakers. It was so many that the hearing was continued for an extra day.

So if Tri-Citians want to speak at the Friday hearing, they can register online to give remote testimony through the WA Senate Committee Sign In page.

That same site also provides instructions on how to submit written testimony, as well as how to give your position on a bill without testifying.

When it comes to giving state legislators more control in emergency situations, SB 5909 is pretty toothless. It is sponsored by majority-party Democrats, which is why it’s made it this far in the legislative process.

Other proposals, like SB 5039 and HB 1772, would have automatically ended the governor’s emergency powers after 30 days and 60 days, respectively. But those bills haven’t gone anywhere.

SB 5909 would set up a process so that legislative leaders can vote to end an emergency proclamation if it has been in place for more than 90 days when the Legislature is out of session.

That, unfortunately, isn’t all that different from the current rules.

For months after the 2020 lockdown, Republican leadership wanted to call a special session so legislators could weigh in on Inslee’s mandates. But the Democrats didn’t let that happen.

But still, the significance of SB 5909 goes beyond its written intent.

This is the first time citizens will be able to have a meaningful, statewide debate on the governor’s superpowers.

As SB 5909 moves along in the legislative process, it will certainly attract amendments so there is also the possibility it could be stronger in the end.

In a state emergency, decisions must be made as quickly as possible. That’s why in 1969 legislators gave the governor sweeping authority to take charge in times of crisis.

But at the time they were thinking more along the lines of short-term emergencies like power outages and natural disasters. Nobody considered a pandemic that lasts for months or even years.

We have said before that Washington state is supposed to have three branches of government, but when it comes to managing COVID, the Legislature has become an insignificant limb.

This imbalance must be adjusted.

No one elected official should have that much power over people’s lives for an indefinite period of time.

If state legislators ever get the chance to weigh in on COVID mandates, it could be they would not change the governor’s strategy. Even so, at least our elected representatives would have a say in the decision.

As it is now, legislators continue to be shut out — and who knows how long that might continue?

It is imperative that Tri-Citians don’t pass up their one opportunity this session to give legislators the earful they’ve been giving local elected officials.