LEGISLATURE 2023-24: Legislative Newsletter (Feb. 26, 2023/LWVWA)

Editor’s Note: The League of Women Voters (LWV) of Washington uploaded this legislative newsletter to their website on Feb. 26, 2023. Our mission at the Voter Interests Project is to monitor elected officials and ballot measures; we generally do not report on the activities of non-profit organizations. However, the LWV Whidbey Island chapter conducts candidate forums during most election cycles, and are therefore of particular interest to voters. The LWV of Washington’s website states, “The League is a Nonpartisan Source You Can Trust”; however, the LWV does take positions on public policy. Our observation is that their policy positions inform their management of voter forums. Therefore, we believe it to be of interest to our readers to know the positions for which the LWV advocates.

Action Alerts

Click on the links below to learn more about bills currently being reviewed in the state legislature. You can “take action” on these most pressing bills by sending a suggested, editable email to legislators, encouraging them to vote to promote the League issue in question.

Stop Utility Cutoffs During Heat Emergencies

HB 1329 (preventing utility shutoffs during heat alerts) prohibits utilities and landlords from terminating
water or electric service to any residential user during days for which the National Weather Service has
issued certain heat-related alerts. If service is already disconnected, it requires a prompt and reasonable
attempt to reconnect service for the time of the heat event, provided the user agrees to a payment plan.

Click here to ask your WA state representative to VOTE FOR HB 1329

Hold Police Accountable for Misconduct

People who are harmed by police misconduct should be able recover damages, just like victims of other
types of harm. HB 1025, the Access to Fairness Act, allows people to recover damages when the police
violate their constitutional rights. It eliminates the doctrine of qualified immunity that has been applied to
make it almost impossible for victims of police violence to obtain justice.

Click here to ask your representatives to vote YES on HB 1025.

This Week in the Legislature

Getting Close to the Halfway Point

We’ve passed two important cutoff dates:

Last Friday, February 17—the last day non-fiscal bills could be considered and passed out of their
respective policy committees in the house of origin;

This past Friday, February 24—fiscal cutoff, the last day bills from House fiscal committees and Senate
Ways & Means and Transportation committees could be passed out of those committees in the house of
origin.

Starting on Monday, February 27, legislators will be very busy voting on bills on the floor, through March 8. That is another significant deadline, the last day to pass bills in their houses of origin. The House and Senate rules committees will consider all bills passed from the policy and fiscal committees and decide whether and in what order to schedule them on the floors of both chambers. Then, bills that have survived in their houses of origin, will move to the other chamber, and the process begins again with policy and fiscal committees.

Much of the action next week will take place on the floors of the House and Senate, with legislators voting on bills. At this time we do not have precise information as to what bills will be voted on or when. As we move forward this week and the following week, the number of “live” bills will probably decrease as voting continues.

Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this note; there you can click on the yellow triangles to get access
to information about bills you are following, and how to support or oppose them.

There are several other ways you can follow the hearings and legislative process:

Via TVW (Washington State’s public affairs TV network), and
On the Washington State Legislature website.

Check out the weekly updates for each issue (below) for information on how to testify, and how to sign on PRO or CON to proposed legislation.

The 2023 Legislative Issues

LWVWA Legislative Issues From the 2023 Washington State Legislative Session

Click on an issue to learn more about session results on bills the League supported and “This Week’s Updates” to read the issue chair’s report on this past week.

Democracy

Elections | Issue Overview | Read this week’s update

Money in Politics | Issue Overview | Read this week’s update

Education | Issue Overview | Read this week’s update

Redistricting | Issue Overview | New task force underway – see updates

Environment

Climate Crisis and Energy | Issue Overview | Read this week ‘s update

Forests | Issue Overview | No updates this week

Growth Management | Issue Overview | Read this week’s update

Solid Waste Management | Issue Overview | Read this week’s update

Transportation | Issue Overview | Read this week’s update

Social and Economic Policy