The third week of this year’s legislative session marks the final full week of committee work before the first cutoff deadline – which means time is running out for many bills still waiting to see some action. But plenty of proposals are well on their way forward.
The House started the week off with more disagreement on what to do with GOP-backed policy initiatives filed to the Legislature, as Republicans continue to call for public hearings on the initiative measures and Democrats continue to reject those efforts.
Several of the initiatives would roll back policies passed by the Democratically-controlled Legislature, including limits on police car chases, key parts of the state’s Climate Commitment Act, and the state’s capital gains tax.
The Secretary of State’s office notified the Legislature late Thursday that the final of the six policy initiative had been certified.
House Speaker Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma) told reporters this week Democrats are thinking about whether or not to propose an alternative for any of the measures, and that if they decide to, it could mean a public hearing on the related initiative.
The Legislature has until March 7 to take action.
House lawmakers also debated the future of natural gas in the state, as House Bill 1589 hit the floor.
The bill’s main focus is a more climate-friendly energy grid. Part of the current version would ban future natural gas hookups from large companies that serve more than 500,000 natural gas customers, namely Puget Sound Energy. It’s the second year in a row the bill has been debated in the Legislature – last year, the legislation barely passed the House and stalled in the Senate.
Republicans spoke out against the bill, saying now isn’t the time to make the change, and that natural gas alternatives won’t keep up with demand. Several pointed to the recent cold-weather snap and the subsequent requests from utility companies that their customers use less energy.
“So many of our communities rely on natural gas and other sources of energy to stay warm,” said Rep. Peter Abbarno (R-Centralia).
The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Beth Doglio (D-Olympia), says it’s still a work in progress, and that the bill will change over the coming weeks.
“You’ll see a very different bill in the other chamber as we move forward,” Doglio said.
Ultimately the bill passed 52 to 45, and now heads to the Senate for further consideration.
The opioid crisis
On Monday, a small group of lawmakers and tribal leaders in Olympia called for more urgent action to address the opioid crisis.
Leaders from Lummi Nation, the Nisqually Indian Tribe and the Makah Tribe spoke at Monday’s press conference, highlighting the devastation opioids have wrought on their communities. They threw support behind a few proposals that they say could speed up efforts to expand behavioral health and treatment facilities and improve coordination across governments, including House Bill 1877.
Among their requests: a renewed ask for Gov. Jay Inslee to declare a state of emergency as Washington grapples with a dramatic spike in overdose deaths.
It isn’t the first time – Indigenous leaders called for more urgency from the state last year as tribes across the region gathered together to swap ideas and coordinate response and prevention plans. So far, the governor hasn’t called a state of emergency on the issue, saying in November he doesn’t know how that would help. But a few tribal nations have declared their own emergencies, and some leaders worry that without one at the state and federal levels, the response to the crisis won’t reflect the urgency of the problem.
“I ask this rhetorically, how many funerals have you been to this past year?” Lummi Nation Chairman Tony Hillaire said Monday. “Sometimes for us it’s every day.”
The opioid crisis came up again in Olympia Wednesday, as Gov. Inslee met with health officials for a public performance review of the state’s response so far, and Republican senators highlighted a suite of bills targeting opioid prevention.
The Attorney General’s office also announced a $149.5 million settlement with drugmaker Johnson & Johnson over its role in the opioid crisis. The settlement could give state lawmakers a financial boost later this session when they decide how much money to put toward fighting fentanyl and preventing more opioid deaths.
Resentencing
Meanwhile, legislation that would allow people currently in prison to have their sentences reviewed – and potentially shortened – received public committee hearings this week.
House Bill 2065 would follow up on a law change made last year.
Lawmakers narrowly approved a bill in 2023 that means crimes…
Read More: Natural gas, opioids and DUIs: Highlights from week 3 of Washington’s