WA state Democrats preparing to hold hearings for 4 of 6 ballot initiatives
Initiatives to repeal major Democratic policies in Washington state might see some action in the Legislature soon, according to Democratic leaders at a news conference Wednesday.
Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig, D-Spokane, said there are only two initiatives that will not get hearings and will head directly to the ballot for voters in November: one to repeal the state’s capital gains tax and the other to repeal sections of the Climate Commitment Act.
“I think we can definitively say we’re not going to have hearings on these two initiatives that roll back progress and really would harm our state,” Billig said.
The six initiatives are sponsored by Let’s Go Washington and have all been certified by the Secretary of State.
For weeks, Republicans have repeatedly called on the majority party to hold hearings for the initiatives, but Democrats have said they are considering the legal and financial ramifications of the initiatives before they hold any public hearings.
Billig noted in the news conference that repealing the capital gains tax would be “devastating” to funding for childcare in the midst of a childcare crisis. Repealing portions of the CCA would also devastate a major revenue source for transportation in the state, he said.
Estimates from the Department of Revenue last week showed a nearly $6 billion cut to the Education Legacy Trust Account and the Common School Construction Fund over five years if the capital gains tax is repealed.
Democrats are still discussing what to do on the other initiatives and waiting on a fiscal note for the initiative to repeal the WA Cares Fund, said Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma. She said she expects the estimated blow to revenue from that initiative to be devastating as well.
Tuesday cutoff
Tuesday was the last day House and Senate lawmakers could pass bills from their respective chambers before they can no longer be considered for the 2024 legislative session, leading some to question why Senators chose a bill to adopt an official state name as the clock ran out before the 5 p.m. deadline.
Sponsored by Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, SB 5595 would officially make “The Evergreen State” the state motto. The legislation was brought to the floor shortly after 4 p.m. and passed in a matter of minutes with a 47-2 vote, ending the Senate’s floor session for the day.
Meanwhile, House lawmakers pulled a bill to regulate rent increases statewide to the floor at 5 p.m. and extended their time on the floor to debate the proposal for nearly an hour.
HB 2114 passed with a 54-43 vote and will now head to the Senate where a companion bill previously stalled in committee. It is unclear if the House version of the bill will be able to make it out of the Senate committee.
There were 167 Democrat-sponsored bills and 94 Republican-sponsored pieces of legislation that made the cutoff, according to Senate Republicans.
Republican House Minority Leader Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn, told reporters in a news conference Wednesday that Republicans were “pleased that some really bad bills died, but a little frustrated that a few other bills made it through” including the rent stabilization proposal and a proposal to allow striking workers access to unemployment benefits.
Republicans are staying focused on their priorities such as public safety, affordability and education, according to Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia. Braun said as budgets start to be released in the next week that will be their focus along with moving other bills through committee.
House and Senate lawmakers spent several late nights on the debate floor ahead of Tuesday, but not all legislation made the cutoff. Bills with fiscal notes may still have a chance of survival if they are needed to implement the budget, which is due to be released in coming weeks.
Bills passed by the first chamber will now head to committees in the opposite chamber for consideration. The next deadline for lawmakers to move policy bills out of committee is Feb. 21.
Here are some of the bills that did not make the cutoff:
Housing
HB 2126 – Sponsored by Rep. Sam Low, R-Lake Stevens, this bill would have allowed for the expansion of Accessory Dwelling Units in rural areas and would have allowed ADUs to be built “on any size lot, regardless of existing zoning restrictions” in rural Washington counties. The legislation passed out of executive session in the House Housing Committee on Jan. 18, but was never brought forward for a floor vote.
SB 6212 – Introduced by Sen. Sharon Shewmake, D-Bellingham, this legislation would have required landlords to report on-time payments to credit agencies every month for renters upon request. The bill passed out of executive session in the Senate Housing Committee on Jan. 31, but never made it to the floor for a debate.
A House version of the bill was introduced and passed out of the House Housing Committee this year but also was not brought to a floor vote.
HB 2113 – Sponsored by Rep. Jessica Bateman, D-Olympia, this bill aimed to hold cities accountable for not allowing middle housing or ADUs. Also known as the Housing Accountability Act, the bill did not make it to the floor for a vote this session.
SB 6136 – Sponsored by Sen. Patty Kuderer, D-Bellevue, and six other Senate Democrats, this legislation would have made residential landlords subject to the state B&O tax starting Jan. 1, 2025. Commercial landlords would be subject to the tax starting Jan. 1, 2027. Revenue from the taxes would go into the Home Security Fund to support the Eviction Prevention Rental Assistance Program. Under the law, residential landlords who participate in a rent stabilization program, which would cap rent increases at 5% yearly, would not be subject to the B&O tax.
The bill stalled in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
Water Quality
HB 1365 – First introduced during the 2023 session, this bill had bipartisan support last year and during this year’s session but did not make it to a floor vote this year. The bill aimed to improve Puget Sound water quality by requiring annual reports for operators of wastewater systems to look at “each discharge of untreated sewage, partially treated sewage, or mixtures of untreated stormwater and sewage.” The bill was sponsored both years by Rep. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy.
Sick leave
HB 1991 – Sponsored by Rep. Mary Fosse, D-Everett, this legislation would have expanded the use of paid sick leave in Washington state. Under the bill, the definition of “family member” would have been expanded to allow workers time off to care for “additional specified persons experiencing a mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition, or needing medical diagnosis, treatment, or preventative care.” Employees would have been able to also use paid sick leave for public emergencies that close schools.
Pledge of allegiance
SB 6205 – Under this legislation, students in Washington would have been required to learn about the meaning and history of the pledge of allegiance. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Jim McCune, R-Graham, and passed out of the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee.
