From WashingtonVotes.org
State lawmakers continued to focus on the committee’s actions last week as an important deadline for that meeting approaches. March 26th is the last day on which the political committees approve the bills sent to them by the opposite chamber. Tax and transportation committees have until April 2 to get bills down for review by the entire House and Senate. In the floor action last week, only a bill from House HB 1477 for the implementation and expansion of a crisis and suicide hotline system was discussed and agreed, which is to be paid for by a new tax on Internet voice services.
Also listed below are voices from the week before last.
House Bill 1477, which introduced the 988 national system to improve and expand behavioral crisis and suicide prevention services, passed the House on March 17 by 78 votes to 18, with two members apologized.
In October 2020, Congress passed the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020. The act designates 988 as the universal telephone number within the United States for access to the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Hotline system operated by Lifeline and the Veterans Crisis Line . HB 1477 would require the State Department of Health and the State Department of Health to establish state crisis call center hubs and an improved rapid response system to implement the national 988 system in that state. It would create a 988 Implementation Team and Crisis Response Improvement Strategy Committee to plan improvements to the crisis response system. The bill would impose new taxes and fees on commercial cellular services or Internet Protocol-enabled voice services to pay for activities related to a heightened crisis response.
Rep. Joel McEntire, R-Cathlamet – No.
Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen – No.
Deputy Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia – No.
Rep Ed. Orcutt, R-Kalama – No.
Senate Bill 5096 on an Excise Tax on Profits from the Sale or Exchange of Certain Investments was passed by the Senate on March 6 with 25-24 votes.
As passed by the Senate, this bill would impose a 7% tax on income derived from capital gains from the sale of long-term assets. The tax would exempt some assets, such as real estate, from tax and would be levied on income greater than $ 250,000 for all taxpayers who are required to file the tax. The tax would be calculated based on a taxpayer’s income tax return that would need to be included on the state filing. The bill is controversial as Washington state constitution says opponents prohibit the type of tiered income tax the bill would impose. Proponents have argued that the tax would not be on income, but on an excise tax or “transaction tax”. Much of the debate and some of the proposed changes centered on this issue, with some senators asking, for example, why taxpayers would need to file a federal income tax return in order to file a government investment income tax return when they didn’t. an income tax. Opponents, including some Democrats, also argued that the new tax is not needed right now, as revenue projections for this biennium predict a larger-than-expected increase in state tax revenues. The bill has been sent to the House Finance Committee, which has scheduled a public hearing on the bill on March 15th.
Senator Jeff Wilson, R-Longview – No.
Senator John Braun, R-Centralia – No.
House House 1236, which restricted grounds for eviction, refusal to proceed, and a landlord’s termination of a tenant’s lease, passed the house on March 7 with a 54-44 vote.
This bill would revise the state’s tenant tenant law to require landlords to provide valid reasons for evicting a tenant, as stated in the bill, including non-payment of rent, illegal activity and harassment issues. The current law allows landlords to end rental contracts from month to month with a notice period of 20 days without giving any reason. If tenants don’t leave, landlords could evacuate them. The bill stipulates that tenants could not be evicted for non-payment of rent during the COVID-19 pandemic, declaring Governor Jay Inslee’s eviction moratorium imposed last year until the end of the public health emergency by federal and state agencies has been. Proponents said the proposal would restrict arbitrary or biased terminations and evictions on leases even after the public health emergency ended. Opponents said the bill would force rental property owners to renew a tenant’s expiring lease and allow residents to stay on the property even if they damage the property. This would add to the burden on landlords struggling to cover their costs during the pandemic and make it harder to remove problematic tenants, they said. The bill has been submitted to the Senate Housing and Local Government Committee for further consideration.
Rep. Joel McEntire, R-Cathlamet – No.
Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen – No.
Deputy Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia – No.
Rep Ed. Orcutt, R-Kalama – No.
Senate Bill 5237 to expand accessible childcare and early childhood development programs was passed by the Senate on March 6, 28-21.
The law, dubbed the Fair Start for Kids Act by its sponsors, would increase subsidies for licensed childcare workers, decrease co-payments, and expand eligibility for programs such as the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program. The cost of this expansion would be approximately $ 720 million over the next four years. Supporters said much of this cost could be covered by federal funding to be made available to the state through the COVID Relief Act passed by Congress. Opponents spoke out against the expanded mandates and entitlements proposed in the bill, saying they would lead to new taxes. The best way to increase access to childcare is to reduce the regulations on childcare. The bill was sent to the House Committee on Children, Youth and Families.
Senator Jeff Wilson, R-Longview – No.
Senator John Braun, R-Centralia – No.
House Bill 1213, which expands programs for accessible, affordable childcare and early childhood development, passed the House by 58-38 votes on March 9, with two members apologized.
This is the accompanying measure to SB 5237 with essentially the same provisions. This would increase eligibility and decrease co-payments under the Working Connections childcare program and increase eligibility under the Early Childhood Education and Support program. It would also provide higher rates, training, grants and services for childcare and early learning providers. The bill has been submitted to the Senate Committee on Early Learning and K-12 Education for further consideration.
Rep. Joel McEntire, R-Cathlamet – No.
Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen – No.
Deputy Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia – No.
Rep Ed. Orcutt, R-Kalama – No.
House Bill 1310 on the Permissible Use of Force by Law Enforcement and Correctional Officers passed the House on March 6 by a 55-42 vote, with one member apologized.
This bill would set a nationwide standard for the permissible use of force by law enforcement and correction officers. Under the law, a peace commissioner may use physical force against another person if necessary to arrest another person, prevent an escape, or otherwise protect against imminent bodily harm to the peace commissioner or another person. A peace officer may only use lethal force against another person if this is necessary to protect against imminent danger of serious bodily harm or death to the officer or another person. The bill was sent to the Senate’s Legal and Justice Committee.
Rep. Joel McEntire, R-Cathlamet – No.
Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen – No.
Deputy Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia – No.
Rep Ed. Orcutt, R-Kalama – No.