Editor’s Note: The League of Women Voters (LWV) of Washington sent this legislative newsletter on Apr. 2, 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 following the links below.

No featured action alerts this week

This Week in the Legislature

Moving From Policy Bills to Budget Reconciliation

In the week ahead, the Legislature will undergo yet another transition. The cutoff for policy bills to pass out of committee was this past Wednesday. The cutoff for bills to pass out of the fiscal and transportation committees is April 4, this coming week. Then the session will be down to brass tacks: getting the final bills passed and then focusing on budget.

This past week, the Senate passed its operating budget and the House is about to pass theirs. What happens next is that they have several weeks of floor action to finish the policy bills while the leadership negotiates the final budgets, reconciling the differences between the House and Senate. There are three budgets: operating, capital and transportation, so this process is quite complicated.

Because of this timing, there are no featured legislative Action Alerts in this newsletter. Issue Chairs describe some of the budget issues they see as well as policy recommendations in their respective weekly updates. Please check out the issues in which you have the most interest from the list below.

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 | No updates this week

Forests | Issue Overview | Read this week’s update

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

Housing and Homelessness | Issue Overview | Read this week’s update

Health Care | Issue Overview | Read this week’s update

Behavioral Health | Issue Overview | Read this week’s update

Children’s Services | Issue Overview | Read this week’s update

Early Care and Education of Young Children | Issue Overview | Read this week’s update

Criminal Justice | Issue Overview | Read this week’s update

Revenue | Issue Overview | Read this week’s update

Gun Safety | Issue Overview | Read this week’s update