Legislators – NWSidebar

What Happened in the Washington Legislature in 2022: A WSBA Wrap Up

The 60-day 2022 Washington legislative session began on Jan. 10 and adjourned Sine Die (the final adjournment with no day set to reconvene) on March 10. Legislators passed a number of policy measures, as well as a $17 billion transportation package providing funding for new ferries, roadway maintenance, and public transportation improvements and a $64.1 billion supplemental operating budget that funds raises for state workers, rental assistance, and further support of the state’s mental health system.

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Washington’s 2022 Legislative Session and What’s on Calendar at WSBA

The 2022 session of the Washington State Legislature began much like last year’s session—virtually and with a long to-do list! Legislators will consider a variety of issues this year. However, the general focus of the 60-day “short” session is to refine bills passed during the first half of the 2021-2022 biennium. The first day of session was Jan. 10, and it will continue through March 10.

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Sen. Patty Murray looked at her clock and asked why?

Murray is one of 15 cosponsors on the bipartisan bill, which has floated in legislative limbo for years, reemerging annually in, to date, unsuccessful attempts to put an end to the “fall back” time change. In March, Sen. Marco Rubio, who first put the bill forward, once again reintroduced the Sunshine Protection Act.

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Washington Legislative Recap: 2021 Session Summary for Legal Professionals

On April 25, the Washington State Legislature closed its unprecedented 2021 Regular Session, capping 105 days in Olympia that for the first time was also conducted nearly entirely virtually. Despite a few technical glitches and Zoom missteps, that have become commonplace during pandemic life, the session went surprisingly smoothly and WSBA Legislative Affairs was busy throughout, monitoring hundreds of bills that are of interest to lawyers and other legal professionals.

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What the WSBA is Tracking in Washington’s 2021 Legislative Session

The 2021 session of the Washington State Legislature is certainly like none in the history of the state—but so far things are going smoothly. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Legislature like many other government bodies is conducting nearly all of its business virtually during the 105-day session. The first day of session was Jan. 11 and it will continue through April 25. Here’s what we’re watching.

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Legislative Disclosure: Impacts and Implications of AP v. Washington Legislature

For years, agencies calling for sensible Public Records Act reform have remarked that change would not come until the state’s lawmakers were also subject to the PRA. That day finally arrived on Dec. 19, 2019, when the Washington Supreme Court issued its opinion in Associated Press et al. v. Washington State Legislature, et al.