The Feb. 14 house of origin cutoff is in the rear-view mirror and bills are moving quickly in advance of the March 8 session end date! The top remaining priorities for legislators this session include unveiling supplemental budget proposals and finding a state funding solution for K-12 teacher salaries.
Here are some highlights and updates from the WSBA Legislative Affairs team:
WSBA’s request legislation – Senate Bill 6040 –passed the Senate unanimously and is now being considered in the House. Yesterday, the bill cleared the House Judiciary Committee with a “do pass” recommendation and will likely be scheduled for a floor vote in the next several days. The measure, which was proposed by the Corporate Act Revision Committee of the WSBA Business Law Section, would allow corporations to remotely hold shareholder meetings like other major corporate law jurisdictions such as Delaware.
The WSBA Board of Governors Legislative Committee voted this week to support House Bill 1896, a measure to expand civics education in public schools. The bill is moving through the Senate and is currently being considered in the Ways and Means Committee.
SB 6002, a measure to enact the Washington voting rights act of 2018, has been placed on second reading awaiting a floor vote in the House. This bill is supported by the Civil Rights Law Section of the WSBA.
SB 6052, a measure to eliminate the death penalty, moved out of the House Judiciary Committee with a “do pass” recommendation. This bill is supported by the Civil Rights Law Section of the WSBA.
Only a few weeks remaining this session! Stay tuned and please get in touch with comments or questions.
Sanjay Walvekar.
Sanjay is the Outreach and Legislative Affairs Manager. He joined the WSBA staff in March, after several years working in local and statewide politics. He earned his BA and JD from the University of Washington. He can be reached at sanjayw@wsba.org.
Edward Hiskes
“The WSBA Board of Governors Legislative Committee voted this week to support House Bill 1896, a measure to expand civics education in public schools. The bill is moving through the Senate and is currently being considered in the Ways and Means Committee.”
The public schools are fine. It is the Supreme Court that needs civics education. For example, any 9th grade student knows that the legislature in is charge of both taxation and the appropriation of money for government spending. However, the Supreme Court imposed a tax upon WSBA members in the form of increased license fees, meanwhile quashing membership referendum rights. Then, the Supreme Court issues ex parte orders confiscating money from the WSBA treasury to pay for Supreme Court programs, such at the LLLT program, which competes with fee-paying lawyers, and dilutes the value of their licenses. So much for the 5th amendment concepts of due process and taking of property without compensation, and for the concept of separation of powers.
Recently, the Supreme Court, with the apparent connivance of the WSBA staff, issued another ex parte order which requires that non-lawyers be added to the Board of Governors, further diluting the control of WSBA members, thus subjecting WSBA members to the imposition of fees assessed by non-lawyers. Apparently the WSBA staff, and likely the Executive Director, failed to inform and get the consent of BOG members, before seeking the ex parte order from the Supreme Court.
And why is the WSBA “legislative team” keeping track of K-12 school funding? Maybe next month they will favor us with a report on new gill-netting rules.
Inez P Petersen
My parents raised me to be honest. I cannot tell a lie. My first thought after reading this Sidebar article was: “Why are my bar dues paying for a full time person with a title of Outreach and Legislative Affairs Manager?”