Fix Democracy First Legislation January 23, 2023

Posted on January 23, 2023

WA Democracy Legislative Newsletter – January 23, 2023

Washington State Democracy Legislation & Action Needed

We encourage you to contact your local legislators in support of bills listed below, as well as other legislation you support. You can find your local legislators HERE.

*Please note things move quickly during the legislative session, and some of the info shared may change. Please check each bill page for the latest information.

Current Legislation & Action Needed This Week:

Supports Media Literacy:

SB 5102 – Concerning school library information and technology programs

Status & Hearings:

• Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education TODAY, Jan 23rd at 1:30 PM. You can view the public hearing HERE.

Bill Summary:

Ensures ALL students in ALL districts have access to a school library information technology program with a trained, certified teacher-librarian. Addresses issues such as media literacy, intellectual freedom, e-book licensing, and levy passage requirements. The rise of misinformation and disinformation available through the internet necessitates comprehensive instruction by a qualified teacher-librarian in information literacy, digital citizenship, and media literacy for all K-12 students.

*ACTION NEEDED for SB 5102*

Sign in PRO HERE before the public hearing on Jan 23rd

*Sign in by 12:30 pm on Jan 23rd, at least one hour before the hearing.

You can also register your support for SB 5102 HERE

Campaign Contributions by Controlled Entities (2 bills):

SB 5207– Concerning campaign contributions by controlled entities

Status & Hearings:

  • Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 24th at 1:30 PM. (Committee Materials) You can view the public hearing HERE.
  • Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 27th at 8:00 AM.

Bill Summary:

  • Requires aggregation of campaign contributions made by an individual person with contributions made by any entities directed or controlled by that individual to determine whether contribution limits are reached.
  • This includes any entities majority-owned by that person that do not act independently when making contribution decisions.
  • Requires that limited liability corporations (LLCs) that are not classified as corporations under the federal tax code (a) be in business for at least one year and (b) file a declaration with the
  • Public Disclosure Commission that the LLC was not solely created for the purposes of making campaign contributions before making a campaign contribution in Washington.

*ACTION NEEDED for SB 5207*

Sign in PRO HERE before the public hearing on Jan 24th

*Sign in by 12:30 pm on Jan 24th, at least one hour before the hearing.

You can also register your support for SB 5207 HERE

HB 1426 (Companion bill to SB 5207) – Concerning campaign contributions by controlled entities

Status & Hearings:

• Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 27th at 8:00 AM. (Committee Materials) You can view the public hearing on Jan 27th HERE.

*ACTION NEEDED for HB 1426*

Sign in PRO HERE before the public hearing on Jan 27th

*Sign in by 7:00 am on Jan 27th, at least one hour before the hearing.

You can also register your support for HB 1426 HERE

Updating Online Voter Registration (2 bills):

HB 1443 (Companion bill to SB 5208) – Updating the process for online voter registration by allowing voter applicants to provide the last four digits of social security number for authentication.

Status & Hearings: 

• Scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 27th at 8:00 AM. You can view the public hearing on Jan 27th HERE.

Bill Summary: This would update our online voter registration to allow people to register with their Social Security Number and a submitted signature, expanding access to people without Washington driver’s licenses.

*ACTION NEEDED for HB 1443*

Sign in PRO HERE before the public hearing on Jan 27th

*Sign in by 7:00 am on Jan 27th, at least one hour before the hearing.

You can also register your support for HB 1443 HERE

SB 5208 (Companion bill to HB 1442) – Updating the process for online voter registration by allowing voter applicants to provide the last four digits of social security number for authentication.

Status & Hearings: 

• Public hearing held in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 17th. You can view the public hearing on Jan 17th HERE.

• Executive session taken in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 20th. Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. (View 1st Substitute). Minority; without recommendation.

You can register your support for SB 5208 HERE

Abolishing Advisory Votes (2 bills):

SB 5082 – Encouraging electoral participation and making ballots more meaningful by abolishing advisory votes.

Status & Hearings:

  • Public hearing held in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 10th. View Jan 10th public hearing HERE.
  • Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 13th at 8:00 AM. Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. Referred to Senate Ways & Means committee. Minority; do not pass. Minority; without recommendation. 
  • Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means on Jan 23rd at 4:00 PM. (Committee Materials)

Bill Summary: Repeals the requirement that advisory votes for tax increase legislation appear on the ballot and voters’ pamphlet.

You can register your support for SB 5082 HERE

HB 1158 (Companion bill to SB 5082)– Encouraging electoral participation and making ballots more meaningful by abolishing advisory votes.

Status & Hearings:

  • Public hearing held in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 11th. View Jan 11th public hearing HERE.
  • No action taken in executive session in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 18th.

You can also register your support for HB 1158 HERE

Enhancing Automatic Voter Registration (2 bills):

SB 5112 – Updating processes related to voter registration.

Status & Hearings:

  • Public hearing held in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 10th. View Jan 10th public hearing HERE.
  • Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 13th. Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. Referred to Senate Transportation committee (no hearing yet scheduled).

Bill Summary: The improved system would automatically register voters who provide a document proving their US citizenship during visits to DMV. They will then receive a notice by mail giving them the opportunity to opt out. 

You can register your support for SB 5112 HERE

HB 1229 (Companion bill to SB 5112)– Updating processes related to voter registration.

Status & Hearings: No hearing scheduled yet

You can register your support for HB 1229 HERE

Enhancing Voting Rights Act (2 bills):

SB 5047 – WA Voting Rights Act Enhancements

Status & Hearings:

  • Public hearing held in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 20th. You can view the public hearing on Jan 20th HERE.
  • Scheduled for executive session in the Senate Committee on State Government & Elections on Jan 27th at 8:00 AM. (Committee Materials)

Bill Summary:

  • Provides that persons or organizations who file a notice of intent to challenge an election system under the Washington Voting Rights Act (WVRA) may recover costs incurred in conducting the necessary research, if the notice causes the political subdivision to adopt a remedy that is approved by the court.
  • Grants standing to organizations to challenge election systems under the WVRA on behalf of their members.
  • Permits counties to increase the number of county commissioners to prevent a violation of the WVRA against members of an Indian tribe.
  • Makes several language changes to other aspects of the WVRA.

You can register your support for SB 5047 HERE

HB 1048 (Companion bill to SB 5047) – WA Voting Rights Act Enhancements

Status & Hearings:

  • Public haring held in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 13th. View Jan 13th public hearing HERE.
  • Executive action taken in the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 20th. Majority; 1st substitute bill be substituted, do pass. (View 1st Substitute) Minority; do not pass.

You can register your support for HB 1048 HERE

Improving Access for Jail Voting:

HB 1174 – Improving access and removing barriers to jail-based voting.

Status & Hearings: 

Bill Summary: 

Establishes standards for staff in jails and county elections administrators to improve education and ballot access for people incarcerated in local county jails. 

You can register your support for HB 1174 HERE

Other Democracy Legislation Coming This Session:

Public Funding of Elections for Legislative Races

Summary: Creates a democracy voucher program (similar to Seattle’s Democracy Voucher Program) to publicly finance legislative political campaigns. The program would provide Washington state residents four $25 vouchers that can be pledged to eligible candidates running for state legislative district offices. It allows eligible WA residents to participate in local government by supporting campaigns and/or running for office themselves.

Ranked Choice Voting for Presidential Primaries

Summary: Allows the presidential primary to be conducted using ranked choice voting, unless a party has fielded two or fewer candidates, in which case the presidential primary for that party shall be conducted in substantially the same manner as a state primary under this title.

Also join us for

Democracy Lobby Week 2023 – February 6-10, 2023

Attend this year’s Democracy Lobby Week 2023, jointly sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Washington and Fix Democracy First. This event will be held online February 6-10, 2023.

It’s going to be a busy and exciting legislative session! Lots of important legislation will be introduced and voted on, so here’s a way to get in on the action, and make your voice heard, including the chance to meet online with your state representatives and senators. 

Planned sessions include hearing about current legislation, learning from issue experts, getting lobbying tips on how to talk to your legislators, and opportunities to speak with your own legislators.

Our goal is to facilitate your participation in our Washington State government, and to give you the tools you need to work effectively with your legislators.

Preliminary schedule:

Monday, Feb. 6, 2023: Main program

  • Updates and talking points on current legislation and issues for the legislative session
  • Hear directly from a panel of legislators, both Republicans and Democrats
  • “How to Lobby,” presented by the LWWA Lobby Team, including contacting legislators, following the progress of bills, developing talking points, and Q&A session

Tuesday – Thursday, Feb. 7 – Feb. 9

  • Virtual meetings with your legislators during the day plus evening programs on topics such as proportional representation & ranked choice voting, campaign finance reform, climate, health, and more.

Friday, February 10

  • Wrap-up. Evening Celebration – Share Suggestions & Feedback

Important Note: All events will be recorded (except for legislator meetings). If you are not sure you can make it to one or more of the events, please register anyway, as all registrants will receive links to all events.

FAQ:

How will virtual legislative meetings work?

During Lobby Week, members will have the opportunity to meet with their legislators to discuss upcoming legislation. Meetings with legislators will be scheduled by a local Legislative District Meeting Coordinator based on legislative districts. Most meetings with legislators will be during the day on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, although some meetings may be scheduled at other times. Legislative District Meeting Coordinators will provide Zoom links and other information as needed.

How much does it cost to attend?

The registration fee is $5 per person. All proceeds from these fees and any additional donations will go to defray the costs of this event. Any surplus fees and donations will be split equally between the League of Women Voters of Washington and Fix Democracy First to support our important advocacy work.

Register HERE for Democracy Lobby Week 2023!

Support our democracy efforts by making a donation to Fix Democracy First today. We can’t do this work without you!

DONATE HERE

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