Legislators passed a number of policy measures, as well as a $10.4B state transportation budget intended to mitigate Initiative 976’s potential effects on transportation spending and a $53.4B supplemental state budget that directs $200M to COVID-19 response.
Read More… The 2020 legislative session is now past the halfway mark. As we move closer to the expected March 12 session end date, here’s an update on the WSBA’s legislative priorities: As predicted, after HB 1788 was pulled for a potential floor vote in the House, the bill failed to receive a vote by the Feb. […]
Read More… WSBA members may have seen that HB 1788 was pulled from the Rules Committee and placed on third reading, which means that it will receive a floor vote in the House in the next several days.
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The 2020 legislative session began Jan. 13. This session the Legislature will amend the 2019-21 operating, capital, and transportation budgets set during last year’s biennial “long” session.
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It was about 5 p.m. on a Friday, and I could see the jagged ridges of the Cascades clearly from my office. I took it as an unmistakable sign that it was time to head out for the day. But just as I was packing up, the phone rang. On the other end of the […]
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For decades Washington L&I has denied first responders’ claims of PTSD. Now, a recent change in state law is giving them hope.
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Gov. Inslee signed a new law that may upend how noncompetes are used with physician employees. The new law imposes a potentially sizeable cost for overly broad restrictions.
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Most of what we think we know about daylight saving time is wrong. Farmers started it? Nope; they’ve historically lobbied against it. The Germans started it in World War I? Yes, but the concept had earlier origins. Most people hate it? Polling shows a less definitive public opinion than you might think. It’s pointless? Actually, […]
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The 105-day 2019 regular session, the biennial “long session” in the Washington state Legislature, has come to an end. From the beginning in Jan. 14 through adjournment on April 28, legislators passed a myriad of policy measures, as well as a new 2019-2021 state operating budget (including plans for increased higher-education spending and a rebuild […]
Read More… The final weeks of the Washington state legislative session are marked by long nights on the chamber floors as legislators vote on bills from the opposite house before the April 17 cutoff and push to pass legislation by April 28, the last day of the scheduled regular session. WSBA’s request legislation—Senate Bill (SB) 5003—was a […]
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Another legislative cycle is upon us! The 2019 session—scheduled to last 105 days—began Jan. 14. The next several weeks in Olympia are likely to be interesting as Democrats have increased their majorities in both the state House of Representatives and the state Senate, leading to talk of ambitious legislative proposals. During most sessions, WSBA supports […]
Read More… The 2018 legislative session is over. The 2018 legislative session is over. The Legislature officially adjourned sine die on Thursday, March 8, following a flurry of activity. After passing a capital budget and resolving a contentious water rights issue early in the 60-day session, lawmakers tackled a number of priorities leading up to the Thursday […]
Read More… Long days and late nights marked this week in Washington’s Legislature. 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 […]
Read More… It’s been a busy first half of the 2018 Washington legislative session! The big news out of Olympia: lawmakers resolved the contentious water rights issue that stalled the budget for months, allowing Gov. Jay Inslee to sign a $4.2 billion capital budget that pays for construction projects across the state.
Read More… Another legislative cycle is upon us. The 2018 session – scheduled for 60 days – began Monday, Jan. 8, and promises to be interesting. Democrats will enjoy majorities in both the House and the Senate, but margins are thin enough that bipartisan support will be needed on many key issues.
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Dental support organizations are typically not owned by dentists, so historically they use creative methods to operate in Washington. Until recently, state law required any entity providing dental services to be owned and controlled by licensed dentists. A new law opens that door, while placing clear restrictions and patient protections. Effective July 23, 2017, the […]
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