WA Democracy Legislation Weekly Newsletter
February 7, 2022
Washington State Democracy Legislation & Action Needed
SESSION UPDATE: It’s a short session this year, so things are moving very quickly. The deadline for action in chamber of origin policy committees happened last Thursday, Feb 3rd. Any bill still alive with a fiscal note will have to pass the fiscal committee, either House Appropriations Committee or Senate Ways and Means Committee, then move to their respective Rules Committees.
Next week, Tuesday February 15th, is cutoff date to for bills to pass their respective chamber. House bills begin with HB and Senate bills SB. If a bill doesn’t get pulled for a floor vote by next Tuesday, it will not move forward this year. At this point, we are mostly urging people to comment on bills you support that are still alive, which are linked below.
Other Ways to Follow WA State Legislation: • Visit WA State Legislature website @ leg.wa.gov • View WA Legislative Hearings @ TVW.org
BILLS STILL ALIVE:
Secure Automatic Voter Registration:
SB 5636 – Expanding and Enhancing Automatic Voter Registration
Status & Hearings: A hearing was held in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Feb 4th. It’s scheduled for executive session today, Monday Feb 7th @ 10 am. If it passes Ways & Means, it will move to the Senate Rules Committee.
Bill Summary: Modifies voter registration at the Department of Licensing (DOL) and Health Benefit Exchange to make registration of eligible applicants automatic with the agency transaction unless subsequently declined in writing.
*Register your SUPPORT for SB 5636
*Submit Your Comments to Support HERE
Voting Rights Act Enhancements:
SB 5597 – WA Voting Rights Act Enhancements
Status & Hearings: A hearing was held in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Feb 4th. It's scheduled for executive session today, Monday Feb 7th @ 10 am. If it passes Ways & Means, it will move to the Senate Rules Committee. Bill Summary: • Codifies factors which establish a presumptive case of vote dilution in violation of the Washington Voting Rights Act (WVRA). • Establishes a mechanism for claimants who send successful notices of potential WVRA violations to recover costs of up to $50,000 from jurisdictions for research needed to send the notice. • Requires certain jurisdictions to obtain pre-clearance for changes to covered voting practices. • Establishes a data repository at the University of Washington to assist jurisdictions and researches in election best practices.
*Register your SUPPORT for SB 5597*
Submit Your Comments to Support HERE
Ranked Choice Voting:
Local Options for Ranked Choice Voting
HB 1156 – Status & Hearings:
Reintroduced and retained in present status. Sent back to the House Rules Committee. This bill can be called for a floor vote.
Bill Summary: Permits the use of ranked choice voting (RCV) in elections for offices in counties, cities, towns, school districts, fire districts, and port districts, and establishes certain requirements for RCV ballot design and vote tabulation.
*Register your SUPPORT for HB 1156
*Submit Your Comments to Support HERE
Advisory Votes:
SB 5182 – Eliminating Advisory Votes
Status & Hearings: By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status. On motion, referred to Rules Committee for second reading. This bill can be called for a floor vote.
Bill Summary: • Repeals the requirement that advisory votes for tax increase legislation appear on the ballot and voters' pamphlet. • Requires that a fiscal impact statement appear in the voters' pamphlet for legislation passed affecting state revenues. • Requires that a pie chart showing operating budget expenditures for the most recent biennium appear in the voters' pamphlet.
*Register your SUPPORT for SB 5182
*Submit Your Comments to Support HERE
Prison Gerrymandering:
SB 5583 – Local redistricting to reflect last known residence for incarcerated persons
Status & Hearings: Passed to the Senate Rules Committee for a second reading. This bill can be called for a floor vote.
Bill Summary: It is the responsibility of each county, municipal corporation, and special purpose district with a governing to periodically adjust census data for local redistricting to reflect the last known place of residence for incarcerated persons.
*Register you SUPPORT for SB 5583
*Submit Your Comments to Support HERE
Redistricting Plan:
SB 5560 – Procedures for approval and submission of the redistricting plan
Status & Hearings: PASSED the Senate – Yeas, 47; Nays, 0; Absent, 0; Excused, 2. It will now move to the House State Government Committee.
Bill Summary: • Redistricting plan must include at least:(a) Maps showing the division of the state into congressional and legislative districts; and(b) complete descriptions of each district using official census units, such as tracts and blocks, sufficient to codify the plan. • The redistricting plan must be prepared and published and be made available to the public at the time the plan is submitted to the legislature. • The commission must make a redistricting plan publicly available at least 72 hours before voting to approve the plan. Once the plan has been made publicly available, any amendments to the plan must be debated and voted on in open session, and at least 24 hours must pass after any amendments are adopted before the commission may vote on final approval of the plan.
*Register you SUPPORT for SB 5560
*Submit Your Comments to Support HERE
Election Officials Protection:
SB 5148 – Concerning the harassment of election officials.
Status & Hearings: PASSED the Senate – Yeas, 48; Nays, 0; Absent, 0; Excused, 1. Referred to the House Public Safety Committee.
Bill Summary: Elevates the crime of harassment to a Class C felony when the harassment is directed at an election official with the Secretary of State or county auditor’s office.
*Register your SUPPORT for SB 5148
*Submit Your Comments to Support HERE
Odd-Year Elections:
HB 1727 – Eliminating Odd-Year Elections
Status & Hearings: Passed out of the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 26th. Referred to House Rules Committee.
Bill Summary: Eliminates odd-year elections in Washington State, including special elections. Includes all state, county, city, town, and district general elections for the election of federal, state, legislative, judicial, county, city, town, and district officers, and for any measure (referendums and ballot initiatives) for adoption and approval or rejection. The benefit and goal is to increase voter participation, as currently odd-year elections have the lowest turnout and decisions are often made by a minority of the voters.
*Register your SUPPORT for HB 1727
*Submit Your Comments to Support HERE
Community Councils:
HB 1769 – Sunsetting Community Councils
Status & Hearings: It passed the House Committee on Local Government on Feb 1st. Referred to House Rules Committee.
Bill Summary: Sunsets the last two community councils in Washington state in Houghton Community Council in Kirkland and East Bellevue Community Council in Bellevue.
*Register your SUPPORT for HB 1769
*Submit Your Comments to Support HERE
Public Disclosure:
HB 1919 – Public Disclosure Commission Recommendations
Status & Hearings: It passed out the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations on Jan 31st. Referred to House Rules Committee.
Bill Summary: • Updates campaign reporting deadlines to ensure voters have weekly access to campaign financing information to match the longer period ballots are available for voting. • Clarifying for the voter when political ads are endorsing a candidate who is running in a different election or a race other than the current one, and ads that encourage votes for a person who is not a candidate as of the date the ad is run.
*Register your SUPPORT for HB 1919
*Submit Your Comments to Support HERE
BILLS NOT MOVING FORWARD THIS SESSION:
Ranked Choice Voting:
Local Options for Ranked Choice Voting
SB 5584 – Bill Summary: Permits the use of ranked choice voting (RCV) in elections for offices in counties, cities, towns, school districts, fire districts, and port districts, and establishes certain requirements for RCV ballot design and vote tabulation.
Ranked Choice Voting for Presidential Primaries – 2 bills
HB 1926 & SB 5851 – Bill Summary: The presidential primary shall 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.
Election Officials Protection:
HB 1618 – Prohibiting weapons at election-related offices• Restricts the carrying and possession of firearms and other specified weapons in certain election offices and facilities.• Requires posted notice of such restrictions at election offices and facilities.
Conservation Districts
HB 1910 – Conservation District Elections
Status & Hearings: Scheduled for executive action in the House State Government & Tribal Relations Committee on Feb 2nd at 8:00 AM.
Bill Summary: This bill would put all conservation district elections on the regular ballot, all positions will be elected, landownership requirement will be removed, and public disclosure will be required.
Close Lobbying Revolving Door:
SB 5170 – Employment After Public Service in State Government
Bill Summary: • Prohibits various state officers and employees from receiving compensation for certain lobbying activities for one year after leaving state service. • Requires state officers and employees subject to that prohibition to file post-employment disclosure statements. • Requires display of post-employment disclosure statements on the Executive Ethics Board's website.
Women’s Suffrage Day:
HB 1485 – Women’s Suffrage Day a Legal Holiday
Bill Summary: Designates March 22 to be a state legal holiday, recognized as Women’s Suffrage Day.
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