More bills died in the Washington Legislature on Friday, including ones addressing signature gathering for ballot initiatives, free school meals, and ballot box tampering.
Friday marked the deadline for bills to pass through fiscal committees such as Senate Ways and Means and House Appropriations. With a multibillion-dollar deficit hanging over the session, bills proposing new or expensive programs have proven difficult to sell.
The latest casualties come just one week after the legislative session’s first deadline, which resulted in the passage of a slew of bills.
Legislation must be passed out of the chamber where it originated by March 12. However, bills deemed “necessary to implement the budget,” such as those containing new taxes, are exempt from these deadlines. It’s also possible that lawmakers will find creative ways to revive their proposals during the budgeting process.
The session is scheduled to end on April 27.
Here’s a look at some of the bills that failed to clear the latest hurdle.
Initiative signatures
Republican opponents dubbed a Democratic-backed bill the “initiative killer,” and it is now dead.
Senate Bill 5382 would have required signature gatherers for initiatives to sign a declaration stating that the information written by signers is correct and they were not compensated for their signature. It also directed the secretary of state to verify a person’s address listed on an initiative or referendum petition. The state’s initiative process allows citizens to propose legal changes on the ballot or to the Legislature.
Democratic Secretary of State Steve Hobbs opposed the legislation. Last week, Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen stated that the bill was not “a major caucus priority.” It died in Senate Ways and Means without a vote.
Free school meals
This is not the year for legislation that would have provided free breakfast and lunch to all public school students. Currently, approximately 70% of public school students receive free meals. It would cost approximately $120 million per fiscal year to cover 100% of students.
Gov. Bob Ferguson made the expansion a priority, and many lawmakers agreed to support the legislation. However, the cost of House Bill 1404 remained a concern, given the deficit and other costly K-12 education bills.
Independent prosecutor
For years, Democrats in Olympia have sought to establish an independent prosecutor to handle cases in which police have used lethal force.
Reworking the plan to relocate the prosecutor to the existing Office of Independent Investigations in the governor’s office rather than the attorney general’s office was insufficient to complete the task. Senate Bill 5584 is simply too expensive in a year with a significant budget deficit.
“There are a lot of good bills we’d like to advance this year, this one included, but we’re dealing with a very difficult budget reality,” said Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, the measure’s prime sponsor. The bill failed in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
Unemployment benefits for immigrants
Victims of Crime Act funding
Federal funding for the Victims of Crime Act State Plan has been declining. Domestic violence survivors and other crime victims can get legal help, therapy, an emergency shelter, and forensic exams through the program.
Proposals in the House and Senate would have required Washington to ensure that the fund received $50 million per year through 2029, $60 million per year through 2033, and $70 million per year beginning in 2033.
Advocates warned that without stable funding, services for crime victims could be jeopardized — after-hours hotlines could be closed, emergency shelter capacity would be reduced, and fewer legal advocates would be available, resulting in fewer people being helped.
Pay for parental caregivers
Under Washington law, anyone other than a legal parent or guardian can be paid to provide care to a child under the age of 18 with an intellectual or developmental disability, such as bathing, dressing, or managing medical needs. Parents are only eligible for this payment once their child reaches adulthood. Families frequently struggle to find caregivers due to a shortage of people doing this work.
House Bill 1200 and Senate Bill 5211 would have required Washington’s Developmental Disabilities Administration to seek permission from the federal government before using Medicaid funds to pay parents of minors with developmental disabilities. The Senate version of the bill was scheduled for a committee vote on Friday evening, but Senate Ways and Means declined to move it.
Chronic absenteeism
As recently as Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, was celebrating progress on his bill to reduce student absences in Washington state public schools.
Senate Bill 5007, among other things, aimed to train staff to recognize warning signs of chronically absent children and provide them with support to attend school.
The bipartisan measure received a hearing in Senate Ways and Means and was scheduled for a committee vote on Thursday, but no action was taken.
Managing textile waste
House Bill 1420 would have required the state’s Department of Ecology to oversee end-of-life management of apparel and textiles, similar to programs for disposing of electronics, pharmaceuticals, paint, and batteries.
This bill would have required apparel and textile producers to pay fees to a “producer responsibility organization” in charge of waste collection, sorting, and recycling.
Public defender and prosecutor loan repayment
There is a shortage of public defenders and prosecutors in Washington, particularly in rural areas. Senate Bill 5027 proposed a law school loan repayment program to help attract and retain lawyers for these positions. Low pay is one of the reasons attorneys have left their positions.
Kit homes
A bipartisan proposal would have allowed local governments to permit “kit homes” in any single-family zone.
These prefabricated homes can be constructed quickly and inexpensively. Supporters argue that they are another way to expand housing options as lawmakers from both ends of the aisle work to build more homes for the state’s growing population.
Senate Bill 5249, which passed unanimously through a housing committee, was not heard in Ways and Means.
Ballot box tampering
A modest, bipartisan measure aimed at securing ballot boxes after votes were destroyed in an arson last year.
Senate Bill 5011 would have required that each visible side of a ballot box display two messages. One would note that the box is the property of the county that purchased it. The other would argue that tampering with the box may violate state and federal law.
The signage would have cost an average of $1,000 for each of the state’s over 500 ballot boxes, with counties covering the cost and the state potentially reimbursing them.
Civic engagement in prisons
House Bill 1147 would have established “a right to civic engagement” for people in prisons, state hospitals, and other institutions. This right would have included the ability to form political organizations, organize and communicate with community groups and elected officials, and gain access to meeting spaces.
The bill would also have established a civic engagement coordinator within the state’s Office of Equity.
People in state prisons have become more active advocates in the legislature in recent years, particularly since remote testimony became available. However, incarcerated activists have complained about difficulties in participating in the political process.
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs testified against the legislation. He stated that his office has a position dedicated to the issues addressed by the bill, and he suggested that lawmakers fund the position through a budget provision. The Department of Corrections and the Department of Social and Health Services remained neutral on the bill.
