Washington Votes Forum

Right to Work legislation introduced in the Senate

Website Director — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:43:00 GMT

Senate Bill 5935, introduced by Senator Baumgartner on May 15th would prohibit any employer from denying employment to a person based on membership or non-membership in a labor union.

DUI Bills moved out of Senate Law & Justice Committee

Website Director — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:01:00 GMT

The Senate Law & Justice Committee passed a trio of bills requested by Governor Inslee out of Committee. Senate Bills 5912, 5915, and 5917 are part of the "DUI Package" intended to increase penalties for impaired driving and to fund DUI enforcement programs. The bills are now in the Senate Ways & Ways Committee for further consideration. Also introduced in the Special Session is Senate Bill 5932, which would lower the blood and breath alcohol limit from 0.08 to 0.05 percent. Keep up with this and other legislation by checking www.washingtonvotes.org often.

Session-End Roll Call Report, April 30, 2013

Website Director — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:42:00 GMT

Here are some notable bills that were acted on by the Legislature before it adjourned its Regular Session on Sunday, April 28, 2013. A Special Session is scheduled to begin on May 13, 2013, and WashingtonVotes.org will resume regular roll call reports at that time.

Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5024: Transportation appropriations for the 2013-15 biennium and supplemental appropriations for 2011-13. Passed the House on April 28, 2013 by a vote of 72-25.

The Senate accepted the House amendments, and the bill is headed to the Governor for signature. It now provides $8.9 billion for state transportation agencies and programs for the 2013-15 fiscal biennium to allocate money for maintenance, infrastructure, and existing large-scale projects, such as the SR 520 floating bridge and Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct tunnel. This budget also includes about $82 million for design work on the I-5 Columbia River Crossing project. The bill also modifies appropriations for the existing 2011-13 transportation budget. The transportation revenue package remains unresolved as of the close of the regular session of the Legislature.

House Bill 2058: Requiring transparency in enacted capital and transportation budgets. Passed the Senate on April 28, 2013 by a vote of 35-13.

The House passed this bill on April 27th by a vote of 92-1, and the bill has been delivered to the Governor. It requires that capital and transportation project appropriation and expenditure data be available to the public on a website. The data must be searchable by legislative district, county, and agency project identifier.

Engrossed Senate Bill 5843: Requiring legislative intent statements and expiration dates for tax preferences. Passed the House on April 26, 2013 by a vote of 67-29.

The bill passed the Senate 47-0 on March 7th. It was amended in the House and was returned to the Rules committee when the Legislature adjourned. It requires that any new tax preference legislation must include legislative intent language, effectiveness measurements, and data to facilitate the review of the preference. It creates a 10-year expiration date for new tax preferences that do not separately specify an expiration date. Taxpayers who use a new tax preference must report the amount of the tax incentive that is used to the Department of Revenue (DOR), regardless of the type of tax preference. When taxpayers who use a tax preference designate job creation or industry competitiveness as the general purpose of the new tax preference they must also file an annual survey with the DOR. The bill allows data collected by the DOR to be disclosed, unless the affected taxpayer can show economic hardship by disclosure of the data, or the tax benefit to that taxpayer is $10,000 or less for the calendar year.

Engrossed House Bill 1287: Subjecting property owned by Indian tribes to the same tax treatment as state and local governments. Passed the Senate on April 28, 2013 by a vote of 29-15.

The bill passed the House 64-29 on April 18th and was amended in the Senate. It was returned to the House Rules Committee when the Legislature adjourned. The state Constitution exempts property owned by federal, state, or local governments from property tax obligations, and the Legislature may exempt other property from taxation by statute. This legislation exempts a leasehold interest in property owned by a federally recognized Indian tribe from state property taxation, and extends the state leasehold excise tax to a private leasehold interest in property owned by a tribe. It recognizes economic development as an essential government service for purposes of qualifying tribally owned property for the state tax exemption.

Engrossed Senate Bill 5607: Authorizing a liquor license for theaters to sell beer, wine, and spirits to patrons. Passed in the Senate on April 28, 2013 by a vote of 38-9.

The bill was amended in the House and passed on April 15th by a vote of 84-11. The Senate refused to accept the amendments at first, but concurred after the House insisted on its position. This act creates a theater beer, wine, and spirits license. In order to obtain this license from the Liquor Control Board (LCB), a theater cannot have more than 120 seats per screen. It must provide tabletop accommodations for in-theater dining, and it must comply with the same meal preparation and service requirements as restaurant licensees. The annual fee is $2,000 and permits theaters to sell beer, wine, and spirits to be consumed on theater premises. An alcohol control plan must be submitted to the LCB at the time of application for the license if minors will ever be present at the theater.

Second Substitute House Bill 1195: Changing primary election requirements when there are no more than two candidates for an office. Passed in the Senate on April 28, 2013 by a vote of 45-3.

The bill was amended in the Senate, and the House accepted those amendments, voting for final passage 94-1. It repeals the laws prohibiting a special primary election in an odd numbered year for partisan offices that will be voted on for a full term in an even numbered year, if there are no more than two candidates. It also expands the prohibition against primary elections for local offices, when there are no more than two candidates, to include all non-partisan offices.

Weekly Roll Call Report for April 26, 2013

Website Director — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:32:00 GMT

This is the last weekly report for the Regular Session of the Legislature, which ends on Sunday, April 28th. We will compile another Roll Call Report immediately following adjournment. Of course, if the Legislature goes into Special Session, additional roll calls will be compiled.

Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2038: Eliminating tax preferences and making temporary taxes permanent for education funding. Passed the House on April 24, 2013 by a vote of 50-47.

This bill eliminates certain tax preferences and extends temporary taxes in order to raise more than $900 million in additional funds, which would go to the education legacy trust account for K-12 and higher education. It makes permanent the 0.3 percent business and occupation (B&O) surtax on service businesses; eliminates the preferential B&O tax rate of 0.275 percent for travel agents and tour operators, eliminates the preferential B&O tax rate of 0.138 percent for resellers of prescription drugs; and repeals the sales and use tax exemption for bottled water. It also changes the nonresident sales and use tax exemption for tangible personal property into a remittance program and narrows the high technology tax credit for research and development. Under the act the high technology sales and use tax deferral program will expire on July 1, 2013. As amended and passed, the bill does not impose an additional per-barrel tax on beer.

Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5895: Funding education. Passed the Senate on April 23, 2013 by a vote of 25-23.

This bill exempts state education costs from the state expenditure limit for the years 2015 to 2023, including the costs of court rulings imposing new state costs, expenditures of extraordinary revenue growth, and the cost of extraordinary growth in the caseloads of state entitlement programs. It increases funds in the education legacy trust account

by shifting receipts from real estate excise taxes, public utility taxes, solid waste collection taxes, and unclaimed state lottery prizes to the fund. If federal law or court decisions allow states to collect sales taxes on out-of-state Internet sales, any additional revenue must be deposited in the education legacy trust account. It also declares it is the intent of the legislature that first priority for the state's general obligation bond capacity must be to support the state assistance program for school districts in the construction and ownership of local school facilities; and to meet its obligation to fund the common school system of the state by reducing future debt service payments by the state.

Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5024: Transportation appropriations for the 2013-15 biennium and supplemental appropriations for 2011-13. Passed the Senate on April 19. 2013 by a vote of 47-0.

This is the Senate version of the transportation budget that provides $8.7 billion for state transportation agencies and programs for the 2013-15 fiscal biennium that allocates money for maintenance, infrastructure, and existing large-scale projects such as the SR 520 floating bridge and Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct tunnel ($900 million). This budget also includes about &82 million for design work on the I-5 Columbia River Crossing project. The bill also modifies appropriations for the existing the 2011-13 transportation budget.

Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5905: Making public employees eligible for insurance benefits under the federal Affordable Care Act. Passed the Senate on April 22, 2013 by a vote of 25-23.

This bill establishes and takes steps to implement the following goals: for school districts and the state to take advantage of the federal Affordable Care Act, including the Washington health benefits exchange, premium tax credits, and subsidies to make more affordable health benefit plans available to part-time public employees and to provide more affordable options for low income, part-time employees. A portion of the resulting savings would be dedicated to reimbursing premium or out-of-pocket costs, or to compensation increases. A portion of the savings from reduced state spending for part-time employees' health benefits would also be dedicated to other public school needs. Beginning with the 2013-14 school year, school districts must identify opportunities for using the health plans, premium credits, and subsidies available through the Washington health benefit exchange to provide affordable health insurance benefits for part-time employees.

Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5851: Establishing a defined contributions retirement plan for public employees. Passed the Senate on April 25, 2013 by a vote of 25-22.

This bill creates a new retirement plan, the Washington Public Employees Savings

Plan (PESP), as a defined contribution plan option for employees who were first hired in an eligible position on or after July 1, 2014. Members of existing retirement plans as of July 1, 2014, have the option to make an irrevocable choice to transfer to PESP between January 1, 2015, and July 1, 2015. Under the new plan, members must contribute to their defined contribution accounts at a rate equal to 5 percent of salary up to age 35 and 7.5 percent beginning at age 35. Public employers must contribute to members' accounts at a rate equal to 80 percent of the employee contribution rate. The department of retirement systems will be responsible for the administration and management of the savings

Plan, and the State Investment Board will develop investment options for PESP member accounts. The act takes effect July 1, 2014, however, the legislature retains the right to alter or abolish these benefits any time before July 1, 2014.

Weekly Roll Call Report for April 19, 2013

Website Director — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:19:00 GMT

The legislature passed numerous bills this week to meet the cut-off for all legislation, except for state budget and finance measures. The Regular Session of the Legislature will end on April 28th. Here is a selection of bills that are of interest:

Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1864: Transportation appropriations for the 2013-15 biennium and supplemental appropriations for the 2011-2013 fiscal period. Passed the House on April 16, 2013 by a vote of 68-28.

This is the House version of the Transportation Budget that makes appropriations for state transportation agencies and programs for 2013-15, as well as supplemental and revised appropriations for the 2011-13 biennium. Notable items include $1.27 billion for extensions of Highways 167 and 509, which are considered key for moving freight to the Port of Tacoma and around SeaTac airport; $675 million for widening I-405 between Lynnwood and Renton; $420 million for the North Spokane Corridor; $175 million for roads serving Joint Base Lewis McCord; $135 million for widening I-90 east of Snoqualmie Pass; and an additional $100 million to the new Highway 520 bridge. An amendment to the bill requires that sufficient funding must be in place before construction on any part of State Route 520 between Interstate 5 and the western landing of the floating bridge begins.

Substitute House Bill 1001: Allowing beer and wine sales at movie theaters. Passed the Senate on April 12, 2013 by a vote of 27-21. The bill has passed both houses and is subject to concurrence on amendments before it goes to the Governor.

The bill creates a theater license to sell beer, including strong beer, and wine, at retail for consumption on theater premises. The annual fee for such license is $400. No food requirements are specified. A Senate amendment specifies that only theaters with four or fewer screens are eligible for the license. "Theater" is defined as a place of business where motion pictures or other primarily non-participatory entertainment are shown.

The House and Senate also passed SB 5607, which creates a spirits, beer and wine license for dinner theaters with 120 seats or fewer per screen. A full meal must be served in such theaters to be eligible for the license.

Substitute Senate Bill 5437: Increasing the penalties for boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Passed the House on April 17, 2013 by a vote of 84-13. The bill has passed both houses.

The bill raises boating under the influence of alcohol, marijuana or any

drug from a misdemeanor to a gross misdemeanor offense with a penalty of $1,000. A person is considered under the influence if, within two hours of operating a vessel he or she has a blood or breath alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent or higher; a THC (marijuana) concentration of 5.0 nanograms per milliliter or higher; or is otherwise under the influence of or affected by intoxicating liquor, marijuana, or any drug. The bill also revises boating safety requirements with a penalty of $500 for violations.

Senate Bill 5258: Requiring top-five sponsor identification when political committee advertising costs on ballot measures reach a cumulative $1,000. Passed the House on April 15, 2013 by a vote of 72-25. The bill has passed both houses and is on its way to the Governor.

The bill provides that a political committee must list the names of its five largest contributors on broadcasted or written advertising that supports or opposes a ballot measure when the cumulative value of the committee's advertisements about that ballot measure is at least $1,000. Yard signs, and other forms of advertising where identification is impractical, such as campaign buttons, balloons, pens, pencils, skywriting, and inscriptions, are exempt from the sponsor identification requirement.

Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1971: Revising the funding and taxation of communications services. Passed the House on April 16, 2013 by a vote of 74-22.

This bill requires retailers of prepaid wireless telephone services to collect and remit

the state Enhanced 911 tax, which is 25 cents per line, in addition to the 70 cents local governments are allowed to charge. The bill also allows retailers of prepaid wireless services to charge an additional 5 cents per transaction to offset the cost of collecting the tax. It repeals the taxes funding the Washington Telephone Assistance and

Telecommunications Relay Service programs and requires the programs to be

funded by State General Fund appropriations. The bill also repeals the state and local sales and use tax exemption for local residential landline service, which has been in effect since 1983.

Here's how the State Operating Budget Proposals stack up so far:

VotingMan — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 13:37:00 GMT

April 12, 2013 Weekly Roll Call Report

Website Director — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:35:00 GMT

As the Legislature is heading down the stretch toward adjournment of the Regular Session on April 28th, here are some bills of interest that passed this week.

Substitute Senate Bill 5891: Streamlining the process for technology expenditures by state agencies. Passed the Senate on April 5, 2013 by a vote of 25-23.

This bill will allow state agencies to make strategic investments in technology innovation by granting the Technology Services Board the authority to approve projects by the Department of Enterprise Services relating to the state data center without going through competitive contracting procedures. It also provides that competitive purchasing statutes do not apply to Information Technology (IT) purchases by state agencies if the purchase is $100,000 or less, the purchase is approved by the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), and the agency director and OCIO prepare a public document providing a detailed justification.

Substitute Senate Bill 5077: Changing gender-specific terms in state statutes to gender-neutral terms. Passed the House on April 9, 2013 by a vote of 70-22. The bill has passed both houses and is on its way to the Governor.

This bill amends existing statutes to make gender-specific terms gender-neutral. For example, references to ombudsman are changed to ombuds, chairman is changed to chair, fisherman is changed to fisher, freshman is changed to first-year student, and the phrases "he or she" or "his or her" are used. Since 1983 state law requires that all statutes must be written in gender-neutral terms unless a specification of gender is intended, and in 2007 the legislature directed the Code Reviser to develop and implement a plan to correct gender-specific references throughout Washington’s statutes.

Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5458: Labeling new building materials that contain asbestos. Passed the House on April 9, 2013 by a vote of 65-28. The bill has passed both houses and is on its way to the Governor.

The bill requires that, effective January 1, 2014, the manufacture, wholesale, and distribution of asbestos–containing building material, including stock on hand, must be labeled. The new state labeling requirement mandates label placement in a prominent location adjacent to the product name or description on the exterior of the wrapping and packaging used for storage, shipment, and sale. A second label must also be placed on the outside of the building material itself, unless the building material is a liquid, a paste, sand, or gravel. The Department of Ecology and local air authorities are granted enforcement authority, and violators are subject to penalties of up to $10,000 per day per violation.

Senate Bill 5627: Establishing a new excise tax fee structure for commuter airlines. Passed the House on April 9, 2013 by a vote of 71-22. The bill has passed both houses and is on its way to the Governor.

The bill adds a separate schedule for commuter air carriers that are not considered airplane companies to the excise tax statutes, with payment amounts based on weight and ranging from $500 to $4,000 per year. Under existing law, the tax is a fixed charge that varies based on the type of aircraft. Annual charges range from $20 to $125. The tax is levied in lieu of the personal property tax.

Substitute Senate Bill 5761: Imposing a new fee on specified outdoor advertising signs. Passed the House on April 9, 2013 by a vote of 57-36. The bill has passed both houses and is on its way to the Governor.

The bill requires the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to establish and charge an annual fee for type 4 and 5 signs not to exceed $150. WSDOT must establish exemptions from payment of the annual fee for signs that do not generate rental income. Type 4 signs are signs located within 12 air miles of the advertised activity. Type 5 signs display a message of specific interest to the traveling public, such as food and lodging or vehicle services. The bill also increases the size of the required weatherproof label containing the sign's identification number from 16 to 28 square inches.

March 15, 2013 Weekly Roll Call Report

Website Director — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:15:00 GMT

Each Friday, WashingtonVotes.org compiles the legislative roll calls for the top five or so bills passed by one or both chambers of the legislature during the previous week. To see how individual legislators voted, just use the "Look Up Your Legislator's Votes" feature at the top of the home page. This week, both houses of the legislature passed a flurry of bills ahead of the cut-off date for bills in the originating house. Here are some of the bills that have been in the news lately:

Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1817: Higher education financial aid to undocumented students. Passed the House on March 13, 2013 by a vote of 77-20.

This bill expands eligibility for the higher education State Need Grant to individuals with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival status (DACA, also known as the “Dream Act.”) Students are eligible if they have either completed the full senior year of high school and obtained a diploma at a Washington high school or received the equivalent of a diploma; lived in Washington for at least three years immediately prior to receiving the diploma or its equivalent; and continuously lived in the state after receiving the diploma or its equivalent and until being admitted to the institution of higher education.

Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5193. Gray Wolf conflict management. Passed the Senate on March 13, 2013 by a vote of 28-21.

The bill, as proposed, included designation of the gray wolf as a big game animal, which would have promoted “lethal removal” by hunting or otherwise killing them. A floor amendment removed this language, and the bill now deals primarily with compensation for livestock and crop damage. It authorizes the Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) to pay not more than $50,000 per year for claims. Ten dollars is added to each initial and renewal fee for the existing fish and wildlife related special plates. The added revenue from the additional $10 is deposited to the State Wildlife Account and dedicated to funding wolf management activities.

Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1625. Limiting tow truck operator rates. Passed the House on March 9, 2013 by a vote of 91-7.

The bill sets a cap on the rates and fees that tow truck operators may charge for

towing operations, storage of vehicles, and after-hours releases. These rates and fees are based on a schedule negotiated with the Washington State Patrol and Department of Licensing. There had been some concerns that the cap would actually allow operators to raise their rates in some locations beyond current limits, but the bill was amended to provide that local limits, if valid under existing law, remain enforceable if they were adopted before January 1, 2013.

Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1944: Vehicle registration and license plate fraud Passed the House on March 9, 2013 by a vote of 87-11.

The bill specifically prohibits the use of “flipper” license plate frames as seen in some of the James Bond films. These devices reportedly have become more prevalent with the advent of electronic tolling. The bill makes it unlawful in general to display license plates that do not match the registration, and encourages citizens to report to law enforcement when they see such devices.

Substitute House Bill 1413: Establishing the Voting Rights Act of 2013. Passed the House on March 7, 2013 by a vote of 53-44.

The bill prohibits elections from being applied in a way that denies minorities an equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice or to influence the outcome of an election. To accomplish this, political subdivisions are authorized to change their election systems. This includes changing from at-large elections to district-based elections, or changing from district-based elections to a different district-based election plan. In implementing a district-based election system, the districts may not be drawn in a way that would deny minorities an equal opportunity to elect candidates of its choice or influence election outcomes.

Engrossed House Bill 1267: Changing the time periods for voter registration. Passed the House on March 7, 2013 by a vote of 64-33.

The original bill had proposed allowing voter registration up to 5:00 p.m. on election day. (Same-day registration.) As amended and passed, the bill changes on-line registration from 29 to 11 days, mail-in registration from 29 to 28 days, and in-person from 8 to 11 days before an election.

Substitute House Bill 1283: Changing compulsory school attendance requirements. Passed the House on March 8, 2013 by a vote of 74-23.

The bill lowers the age for compulsory school attendance from 8 to 6. However, parents whose children receive home-based instruction must only perform certain duties for children 8 years old and older. One of theses duties is to file a declaration of intent to provide home-based instruction to prevent school districts from taking actions against either the child or parent based on the truancy laws.

Weekly Roll Call Report for March 8, 2013 -- Education Performance

Website Director — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:30:00 GMT

Each Friday, WashingtonVotes.org compiles the legislative roll calls for the top five or so bills passed by one or both chambers of the legislature during the previous week. To see how individual legislators voted, just use the "Look Up Your Legislator's Votes" feature at the top of the home page. Please tell your friends and neighbors about WashingtonVotes.org, and don't forget to check out and LIKE our facebook page.

Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5328: Creating a school grading system based on the accountability index. Passed the Senate on March 6, 2012 by a vote of 26-23.

The bill creates the School Grading Pilot Program for the 2013-14 school year. The state superintendent of schools must conduct the pilot program in five geographically diverse school districts, including urban, rural, large, and small districts. The program requires the State Board of Education to use the accountability index to identify schools using the letter grades A through F, unless the school has less than ten students:

A for schools making excellent progress;

B for schools making above-average progress;

C for schools making satisfactory progress;

D for schools making less than satisfactory progress; and

F for schools failing to make adequate progress

Substitute Senate Bill 5242: Adopting new policies for the assignment of teachers. Passed in the Senate on March 6, 2013 by a vote of 37-22.

The bill requires school districts to adopt a new policy for the assignment of teachers (Certified Instructional Staff), which provides that teachers may only be assigned to a particular school upon mutual agreement between the teacher and the school principal. If an agreement is not reached, the teacher may be assigned to a temporary position, as a substitute, or as a support person in the district office. Lack of a permanent assignment after eight or more months becomes a probably cause for removal.

Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5587: Modifying statewide student assessments. Passed the Senate on March 6, 2013 by a vote of 29-20.

The bill requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and the State Board of education to implement the comprehensive English language arts and mathematics assessment developed by the multistate consortium by the 2014-15 school year. The consortium is using a federal grant to develop new language arts and mathematics assessments in grades three through eight and grade 11 that are aligned with the Common Core State Standards and test college and career readiness at the high school level. During the transition, the graduating classes of 2016-17 may meet the current state standards for reading or writing assessments and the mathematics End of Course assessments.

Second Substitute House Bill 1723: Expanding early learning opportunities. Passed the House on March 6, 2013 by a vote of 59-38.

This bill creates a legislative task force and technical working group to study options for an accessible, integrated, high quality, and community based early learning program for children and their families. It directs an expansion of the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program in fiscal year 2014. It also directs a 10 percent increase in Working Connections Child Care subsidies, effective September 1, 2013, as well as a 5 percent increase for providers achieving level 2 of the Early Achievers program.

Engrossed Second Substitute Senate Bill 5237: Establishing accountability for student performance in the third grade. Passed the Senate on March 6, 2013 by a vote of 35-13.

The bill provides that, beginning in the 2015-16 school year, if students score below basic on the third grade assessment in English language arts, the teachers, parent or guardian, and principal must meet to discuss appropriate placement and intervention. The options for placement include retaining the student in the third grade or promoting the student to fourth grade with an intensive summer program provided by the school district that meets the needs of the student in preparing for the fourth grade. If the student participates in a summer program, the student is retested and a second meeting is convened for the teacher, parents, and principal.

Weekly Roll Call Report for March 1, 2013

Website Director — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 21:43:00 GMT

Each Friday, WashingtonVotes.org compiles the legislative roll calls for the top five or so bills passed by one or both chambers of the legislature during the previous week. To see how individual legislators voted, just use the "Look Up Your Legislator's Votes" feature at the top of the home page. Please tell your friends and neighbors about WashingtonVotes.org, and don't forget to check out and LIKE our facebook page.

Engrossed House Bill 1044: Mandatory health plan coverage for voluntary abortions. Passed the House on February 22, 2013 by a vote of 53 to 43.

This bill, which is also known as the “Reproductive Parity Act,” requires health insurance plans that provide coverage for maternity care or services to also provide substantially equivalent coverage for voluntary abortions

Substitute House Bill 1047: Allowing the use of electronic images from traffic safety and tolling system cameras by law enforcement. Passed the House on February 22, 2013 by a vote of 78 to 18.

This act allows law enforcement access to photos and other data from traffic safety and tolling cameras for crime investigation and prosecution. A search warrant must be obtained, before such access is allowed. The bill arose out of a situation in which police were not allowed access to this evidence in a shooting incident, because of the current prohibition against use of these images for anything other than traffic or tolling infractions.

Substitute Senate Bill 5148: Permitting the redistribution of unused medications to uninsured patients. Passed the Senate on February 25, 2013 by a vote of 49-0.

The bill permits any health care practitioner, pharmacist, medical facility, drug manufacturer, or drug wholesaler to donate prescription drugs and supplies to a pharmacy for redistribution to patients who are uninsured and are at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Entities that redistribute such drugs are not subject to criminal prosecution, professional discipline, or civil liability for damages relating to the donation or distribution of unused drugs, unless gross negligence is involved.

Substitute House Bill 1382: Establishing a program for the redistribution of unused medications to qualifying patients. Passed the House on February 25, 2013 by a vote of 81-11.

This bill is substantially similar to Senate Bill 5148. It establishes a program for health practitioners, pharmacists, medical facilities, and drug manufacturers and wholesalers to donate, accept, and redistribute prescription drugs and supplies without compensation. Uninsured patients have priority, but the drugs may also be distributed to other qualifying patients. It provides immunity to participants in the prescription drug redistribution program and requires the Department of Health Services to establish rules for this program.

House Bill 1268: Allowing local governments to accept contractor bids that are the lowest before local taxes are applied.

This bill addresses the fact that local governments currently apply local taxes in determining the lowest contractor bid. If a local jurisdiction happens to have a higher tax rate, it is forced to accept bids from contractors outside their jurisdiction. Under the bill, local governments are authorized to determine which bid is lowest before local taxes are applied, provided it gives notice that it intends to do so.

10-cent per gallon Gas Tax increase proposal

Website Director — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 06:08:00 GMT

If you're looking for the transportation revenue legislation, including a proposed 10-cent per gallon gas tax increase, it hasn't been officially introduced yet. House Bill 1954 looks to be the likely vehicle, it's a title-only "Concerning Transportation Revenue" bill. As soon as it is introduced, we'll get it into the WashingtonVotes.org system to share what this package contains. Stay tuned!

Playing 'Hide and Seek' with the true intent of legislation

Website Director — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:42:00 GMT

Olympia has some creative ways to title proposed legislation so as to obscure its true intent. But sometimes, it's downright awkward. Take House Bill 1545. Here's the official bill title:

"Guaranteeing that the top one percent pay too, through assessing a two percent tax on millionaires to fund the paramount duty trust fund and reduce class sizes in grades kindergarten through four." A mouthful, isn't it? And it's all about school children K-4. You think?

Here's how WashingtonVotes analysts title it: "Creating an income tax on high-wage earners." Now, which title is more forthright and informative? Check it out yourself, and stay with WashingtonVotes.Org to give you straight, unbiased information on what's going on in Olympia. No spin. No nonsense.

State Senate is passing bills. No floor action in the House yet.

Website Director — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:57:00 GMT

More than three weeks into the Legislative Session, and the Senate is starting to actually pass some bills. Most notable is legislation revamping the workers comp system to make it easier for injured workers to get a structured settlement at age 40, rather than at age 55. Those bills passed by pretty close margins, 25-24. On the other hand, re-naming I-5 the "Purple Heart Trail" and authorizing Seahawks and Sounders FC license plates breezed right through, 49-0 and 48-0 respectively. The House, meanwhile, has not taken up floor action as yet. Stay tuned.

Obamacare on Steroids..?!

Website Director — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:33:00 GMT

House Bill 1085, and its companion measure in the Senate, SB 5224, propose to create a full-blown single payer health care system in Washington State to cover everyone who lives here. It would require massive business and individual tax increases to pay for it. The bill was heard in Committee on February 1st. Check it out and weigh in on the discussion by posting your comments.

WashingtonVotes.org has gone "social...!"

Website Director — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 23:47:00 GMT

We've introduced a new way to post comments via Facebook or other social media of your choice. Just go to the comment section of the legislation on which you wish comment, and choose an option. Your comments will still be shared with other WashingtonVotes users, but you'll also be reaching your friends and contacts. It's a great way to expand your reach, while eliminating, or at least greatly reducing, spam and inappropriate content on the site.

Missed Votes Feature on WashingtonVotes.org

Website Director — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 06:02:00 GMT

Check out the Missed Votes feature on the WashingtonVotes.org site to see how your legislators are doing. Let's keep in mind, though, that legislators may be called away while a vote is being called on the floor, or they may be gone that day on other urgent business or personal matters. When they miss a significant number of votes on a regular basis, however, constituents have a right to know and question that legislator's performance.

Press Release:

Website Director — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 20:17:00 GMT

WashingtonVotes Site Ready to Help Citizens Access Their Legislature

Contact: Franz Gregory

425-885-4459

franz@wavotes.org

OLYMPIA – WashingtonVotes.org will provide complete, gavel-to-gavel coverage of the 2013 regular session of the Washington State Legislature that convenes on Monday, January 14th. This free website allows interested citizens, media, activists, government affairs professionals and policymakers to track the issues that matter to them.

In addition to crafting a 2013–15 budget to address a projected $900 million revenue shortfall, legislators may also be considering tax increases, ways the state can help spur job creation and economic recovery, and transportation project funding. Foremost on the legislative agenda is the state Supreme Court decision regarding funding of basic education. Moreover, bills to implement Governor-elect Inslee’s agenda will be introduced and debated. WashingtonVotes.org is an effective tool for following these and all of the issues in Olympia. The site features:

〈 Concise, plain-English, objective descriptions of every bill, amendment and vote of the state legislature

〈 Customizable daily email updates on legislative action

〈 The ability to search for legislation by issue, keyword, and bill number

〈 A searchable database of legislation and votes dating back to 2001

〈 A real-time Missed Votes Report that catalogs the number of votes each legislator misses

Users can also follow WashingtonVotes.org and get updates on legislation through Facebook and Twitter (@wavotes).

WashingtonVotes.org is a portal for thousands of policymakers, state agencies, local government officials, schools and citizen groups to monitor bills during the fast-moving sessions. Reporters regularly rely on WashingtonVotes.org for quick access to voting record information. Government affairs professionals use the site to stay updated on their issues.

In addition, during all legislative sessions, WashingtonVotes.org provides a weekly Roll Call service to more than fifty media outlets around the state. Through this service, updates are sent each week on the top five bills that legislators voted on plus voting records tailored to each media outlet’s region. This covers nearly every legislative district in the state, providing valuable information to citizens on their legislators’ actions.

WashingtonVotes.org is a free public service of Washington Policy Center, a non-partisan, non-profit research and educational organization. Its purpose is to inform citizens, community leaders, business people, media and public officials about legislation that affects their families, schools, jobs and communities. The site empowers citizens to take a more active part in representative government, and hold their elected representatives accountable.

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The Washington State Legislature's Regular Session convenes Monday, January 14, 2013.

Website Director — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 22:01:00 GMT

Prefiled bills will be available for review by January 1, 2013. Be sure to check back often to stay informed and engaged.

2012 Legislative Session opens today

Website Director — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 08:04:00 GMT

WashingtonVotes.org will provide gavel-to-gavel coverage of the 2012 Regular Session of the Washington State Legislature that convenes today, January 9th. This free website allows interested citizens, media, activists, government affairs professionals and policymakers to track the issues they care about. In addition to crafting a supplemental budget to address the $1.5 billion deficit, legislators will also be considering tax increases, ways the state can help spur job creation and economic recovery, same-sex marriage, and wrestling with a recent state Supreme Court decision stating Washington is not fully funding basic education. Moreover, all bills from the 2011 regular and special sessions will be considered in the legislative process and may be reconsidered by legislators. WashingtonVotes.org is the best tool for following these and all of the issues in Olympia.

2nd Special Session Begins

Website Director — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:21:00 GMT

WashingtonVotes.org will continue to track legislation during the 2nd Special Legislative Session that began on November 28, 2011. Please check back regularly to see what new bills have been proposed. WashingtonVotes.org will also track legislation during the regular Session that begins on January, 9, 2012.

2011 Session Concludes; Are you happy with lawmakers accomplishments

Website Director — Thu, 26 May 2011 17:48:00 GMT

The 2011 Legislative Session is officially over. In the closing hours lawmakers rushed to pass both the state's Operating and Capital budgets, as well as reforms to the worker compensation program and the state's debt limit. Do you think lawmakers did enough to get Washington's economy on track?

Deal to end Special Session, pass budget?

Website Director — Thu, 19 May 2011 16:25:00 GMT

Is Special Session about to end? This morning there are several news reports citing several possible deals to bring this year's legislative action to a close. Here is a blog post by Brad Shannon of The Olympian that provides a good overview on the various sticking points: Lawmakers return; Gregoire offers idea on workers comp

Legislature drags on, shutdown next?

Website Director — Tue, 17 May 2011 12:21:00 GMT

As the 2011 Legislature continues to slog through the closing days of the first special session, some are asking what's next. Here is an Associated Press article highlighting the possibility of a government shutdown: WA preps for July shutdown as budget talks stall

Special Session is set for next Tuesday

Website Director — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 21:42:00 GMT

What do you think of a Special Session? It's official, the Governor and lawmakers have agreed to the terms that will allow the legislature the extra time they need to finalize the state's budgets. Lawmakers failed to finish their work on time during the 105-day long regular session. The Governor announced she will call lawmakers back to Olympia for a full 30-day session beginning next Tuesday, April 26th.

Still no budget deal

Website Director — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:10:00 GMT

As the final days of the 2011 Regular Session slip away, the House and Senate have yet to agree to a budget deal. This means lawmakers will have to come back to Olympia in for an unscheduled Special Session. During a Special Session should lawmakers only focus on the budget, or should all policies be on the table? Let us know what you think.