Dead or Alive: What Bills Made it Through the First Cutoff

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Monday, the 36th day of the state legislative session, was the first major cutoff for bills making their way to the governor’s desk. With the exception of major finance bills, proposed legislation had to pass out of committee and be read on the floor of the House or Senate. Lawmakers will now leave behind a whole host of bills that did not clear the hurdle. 

As is expected in a Legislature with both chambers controlled by Democrats, the first round of fallen bills includes several Republican-backed  proposals. 

Here’s a look at what made it and what’s out.  

Dead

House Bill 1029, Rep. Jim Walsh’s bill to severely restrict the governor’s emergency powers, was given a public hearing, but never made it to a committee vote. The bill resonated with Washingtonians frustrated by Gov. Jay Inslee’s pandemic restrictions. Supporters characterized the bill as a constitutional question, hinging on how to balance the executive and legislative branches of government. No Democrats signed onto the bill. 

Senate Bill 5037, the product of a partnership between Senate Minority Leader John Braun, of Centralia, and moderate Democrat Sen. Mark Mullet, of Issaquah, would have forced public schools to reopen under certain metrics. Centralia School District Superintendent Lisa Grant planned to testify as “other” for the bill, citing concerns over local control. And state officials said putting reopening metrics in statute would make it hard to form policies based on emerging data. 

Senate Bill 5114, also sponsored by Braun and Mullet, would have allowed businesses to fully reopen under Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan. Frustration with Inslee’s pandemic restrictions similarly fueled lengthy public testimony in support of this bill, although health care workers offered firm opposition to what they said would overwhelm hospitals. 

 

Alive

House Bill 1152, which would create regional public health districts, received pushback from Lewis County commissioners and Public Health Director J.P. Anderson. In its current form, local boards of health would be altered to include more voices from medical professionals and community members, and nine regional health jurisdictions would be created. The bill was introduced at Inslee’s request, and aims to depoliticize and bolster funding for public health.

House Bill 1356 would, with some exceptions, prohibit public schools from using Native American imagery as logos or mascots. The state Legislature’s only Native American member, Rep. Debra Lekanoff, is sponsoring the bill, which received support from several tribal members as well as the state Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. District 19 representatives were split on the bill, which would impact Toledo, Kalama and dozens of school districts across the state.

House Bill 1336, which would allow public utility districts to offer internet directly to residents, received support from Lewis County officials and public utility districts across the state. It was voted out of committee well before cutoff, enjoying bipartisan support. 

House Bill 1263, Rep. Peter Abbarno’s bill to fund rural infrastructure, would create a grant program aimed at large projects, and has been described as a potential game changer by Lewis commissioners. The bill has only Republican sponsors, but received bipartisan support in voting the bill out of committee. 



 

Alive: Police Reform

Several bills addressing police brutality, accountability and transparency are still winding through the state Legislature. The topic has been identified as a priority for many lawmakers, especially after high-profile police killings around the state and country. But locally, officials have expressed concern over many of the proposals.  

This session, Lewis County commissioners have looked to Chehalis mayor and former police chief Dennis Dawes for his opinion on policing bills, which he has characterized as more sinister initiatives presented “under the guise” of police reform. While Dawes has said he’s pro-reform, he has described reform as policies that need a “little tweaking.”

House Bill 1203, for example, would require most local jurisdictions to create community oversight boards. Originally, county commissioners objected to the bill’s since-removed requirement that 5% of police budgets go toward the oversight boards. It was a “huge huge funding issue,” Commissioner Lindsey Pollock said. 

Dawes went further, arguing that civilians should not cast judgement on some cases of police violence. 

“There’s times when the wrong decision is made in the heat of the moment. I just don’t know how somebody that’s never been in that situation is going to be able to kind of grasp on what happened in that instant,” he told commissioners.

House Bill 1202 would authorize the attorney general to investigate and bring civil action against officers with a pattern of misconduct. It would also make it easier for people to bring legal action against abusive officers, and requires that successful plaintiffs get their attorneys fees reimbursed.

That provision, Pollock argued, would “provide additional incentive for people to pursue the process.” Commissioner Gary Stamper contended it would make Washington an “easy target,” while Dawes argued it would lead to “a number of suits” against law enforcement agencies. 

House Bill 1054 would prohibit certain police tactics, including K9 apprehension, the use of certain military equipment, firing at moving vehicles and chokeholds, which have come under fire for being used in several police killings. It’s a bill Dawes characterized as “very scary.”

Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza has made few comments about specific bills, but has asked commissioners to “listen to what Mayor Dawes has to say” about proposed legislation.