LEGISLATURE 2023-24: Legislative Newsletter (Jan. 29. 2023/LWVWA)

Editor’s Note: The League of Women Voters (LWV) of Washington sent this legislative newsletter on Jan. 29, 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.

Urge your Legislators to Abolish Advisory Votes

SB 5082, Abolish Advisory Votes, has been placed on second reading by Senate Rules Committee. This is as far as it got last year. This year, please urge your Senator to support this bill, and Representatives to support its companion HB 1158, which is still in committee. It needs to be put to a Senate floor vote. Required to appear first on the ballot, Advisory Votes, which are costly and confusing, are a barrier to fully voting the ballot. They are non-binding, and are not really a vote. The bill includes other, simpler ways to include fiscal information when needed. As a constituent, please urge your Senator and Representatives to support Abolish Advisory Votes out of committee and to the floor for a vote!

Click here to ask your Legislators to bring SB 5082/ HB 1158 to a floor vote.

Support Increasing access to the provisions of the Death with Dignity Act.

Sign in Pro on SB 5179 (Increasing access to the provisions of the Death with Dignity Act). This bill will face opposition by some on religious grounds and by some in the disability community. The bill was passed by initiative in 2007. This simply allows more access to EXISTING provisions in the law. The League has supported this bill over many years.

Click here to sign in PRO on SB 5179

Support Traffic Safety for All

The Traffic Safety for All bill helps law enforcement officers focus on traffic stops related to road safety issues such as impaired driving, distracted driving, and speeding – the leading causes of traffic accidents. It also reduces a key contributor to racial and socioeconomic disparities in the criminal justice system caused by unnecessary low-level traffic stops that can lead to debt, involvement with the criminal legal system, and even death. And, it makes our communities safer by providing funds for people to repair their vehicles and take other steps to comply with our traffic laws.

Click here to Sign in PRO on HB 1513

This Week in the Legislature

More, More, More!

Bills, that is. Many bills, both new and refiled from last year, are making their way through policy committees. Our Advocacy team members were very involved delivering testimony in public hearings on a wide range of areas, within our three areas of Democracy, Climate Crisis and Energy, and Social and Economic Policy. Some of the areas where we testified this week are mail-in ballots from overseas, improved voting rights, and voter registration in the Democracy area. In the Climate Crisis and Energy area we testified on protecting carbon stored in forests, reducing plastic pollution, and creating a climate corps for young adults as workforce development. Social and Economic Policy testimony included extended foster care for young adults, regulation of rent increases, and a tax credit for working families. All of our testimony is based on League positions carefully researched and approved by our membership.

The first cutoff for this session, Feb. 17th, is about 2 ½ weeks away. At that time most bills that have not been approved by the policy committees will be eliminated from consideration for this session.

Events

Democracy Lobby Week, Feb. 6-10, is almost here. There is still time to join, and take advantage of an opportunity to meet with your legislators, in the company of fellow constituents. The week includes five evening programs, containing lots of information about the League’s priority legislation for this session, and tips for advocating with your representatives and senators. Click here to sign up!

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 | 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