Legislators in Olympia last week cleared the first milestone of the session – policy committee cutoff. Friday was the deadline for policy bills in both houses to be voted out of their policy committees. Amid the scramble, week 6 of the legislative session heard testimony and voting on several bills of interest to the WSBA.
WSBA leadership testifies in the Senate
WSBA Board of Governors Treasurer Jill Karmy, a principal at Karmy Law, and the Bar’s Executive Director Paula Littlewood appeared before the Senate Law and Justice Committee Tuesday to testify on a bill sponsored by Sen. Mike Padden, R-4. Senate Bill 5721 would require all future Board-approved license fee increases be voted on by WSBA members before they’re enacted. The Bar officials took no position on the bill, only answered questions from committee members. The bill was voted out of committee and referred to the Senate Rules Committee for further action.
Watch committee action on TVW.
LAMP-endorsed consumer protection bill passes Senate committee
The Senate Law and Justice Committee passed a bill to provide consumer protection for military personnel on Thursday. Prime-sponsored by Sen. Michael Baumgartner, R-6, SB 5041 would leverage the Washington Service Members’ Civil Relief Act to protect military-service members. The bill came at the request of Attorney General Bob Ferguson and is supported by WSBA’s Legal Assistance to Military Personnel (LAMP) Section. Next stop: the Senate Rules Committee for further action.
Watch committee action on TVW.
House committee passes Animal Law Section-supported bill
On Thursday, a bill expanding the definition of dog guides and service animals within the criminal code passed out of the House Judiciary Committee. Prime-sponsored by Rep. Pat Sullivan, D-47, House Bill 1676 is supported by WSBA’s Animal Law Section. It was referred to the House Rules Committee for
further action.
Watch committee action on TVW.
Another session cutoff date around the corner
The next session milestone is fiscal committee cutoff on Feb. 24. All bills with a price tag must be voted out of their respective fiscal committees in both houses to stay alive. For additional session dates, please see the 2017 Session Cutoff Calendar.
For additional legislative information, please visit WSBA Legislative Affairs.
Alison Phelan. Alison joined the WSBA as Legislative Affairs manager in 2015 after spending three years as legislative director for the Washington State Board for Community & Technical Colleges. Her career also includes government relations work for state agencies and the Washington state Senate. She has a degree in political science and communication from the University of Washington. She can be reached at alisonp@wsba.org.
