Monday is the day - House budget proposal to be released

The Ways & Means committee will hear the House budget proposal on Monday, April 4 at 3:30.

Rep. Ross Hunter, chair of Ways & Means and the lead House budget-writer, will meet with reporters earlier in the day at 12:15. We'll post documents as soon as they're available.

Help is on the way for families facing foreclosure

In just two years, more than 77,000 families lost their homes to foreclosures, which now ranks Washington at 10th in the nation in foreclosures, up from 25th.

Some people think they’re not affected by foreclosures because they’re still in their homes, but the reality of this crisis is that foreclosures are affecting all of us. State Rep. Tina Orwall says the new faces of foreclosure are our neighbors, co-workers, friends and family members.

Orwall announced early in the session that she and Sen. Adam Kline were working on a new system to help struggling homeowners stay in their homes.

And today, her bill, the Foreclosure Fairness Act of 2011, was sent to the governor who has five days to sign it into law.

Orwall’s measure will bring lenders and borrowers to the table to work on finding alternatives to foreclosure with the help of an independent third party, a mediator. The bill is modeled after a Nevada legislation passed a couple of years ago that is returning very good results, as reported by the Associated Press in January.

“Approximately 45,000 families will receive notices of foreclosure this year, but we are providing new hope for many of them with a fair process and resources to help them explore every option available and keep their homes whenever possible,” said Orwall.

For more details on this legislation, you can read:
• Orwall’s press release
• Statewide Poverty Action Network press release
• Federal Way News story
• Washington Policy Watch piece
• News Tribune story

In the House today - fiscal committee cut-off

Today is cut-off for all fiscal bills except the budget and bills necessary to implement the budget. The House will convene on the floor at 10:00, floor action is epected.

In committees today:

8:00 am State Government and Tribal Affairs
Executive Session:
1. HB 2028 - Transferring executive ethics responsibilities to the public disclosure and ethics commission.
2. HB 2033 - Consolidating arts and heritage programs for the purpose of streamlining government and improving efficiency.
3. HB 2029 - Reforming and streamlining the sentencing guidelines commission for the purpose of saving money.
4. HB 2035 - Effectuating financial stability for the public printer.


1:30 pm Ways and Means
Executive Session: Bills previously heard in committee – list will be posted soon

WA Whiteboard: Beer-based budgeting?

Rep. Marko Liias walks us through how a new beer might be made:

Legal to buy and own, but not to use – how does that make sense?

If you have a firearm noise suppressor in a box collecting dust, soon you’ll be dusting it off and will get to use it if the governor signs a bill that passed the legislature this week.

This is a big deal for hunters and for folks who like to shoot targets in ranges because, under current law, it’s legal to purchase and own noise suppressors but it’s illegal to use them.

Huh?

“That’s like saying it is ok to buy a TV set but it’s illegal to turn it on,” said Rep. Brian Blake, who sponsored House Bill 1016.

“My bill simply brings coherence to the statute by making it legal to use suppressors that are duly registered in accordance with federal law,” said Blake.

The bill does absolutely nothing to weaken current requirements for purchasing a noise suppressor. Prospective buyers will still have to go through the background check, get approval from law enforcement, pay a $200 fee, and be registered with the National Firearms Act database.

Representatives of law enforcement agencies supported this bill because noise suppressors allow them to provide more training opportunities, are safer to use when breaking up meth labs, and help prevent hearing loss for police officers on the job. And neighbors of indoor and outdoor shooting ranges will also appreciate the decrease in noise.

Starting tomorrow: move over or pay up

Starting tomorrow, drivers who fail to slow down or move over when passing the flashing lights of an emergency vehicle on the side of the road will be charged a hefty $248 fine.

According to the Washington State Patrol, officers experienced 80 collisions involving passing vehicles striking trooper vehicles parked alongside the highway between 2006-2009. The major cause was drivers speeding or driving too fast for conditions, followed by DUI.

Last session, legislators approved a bill sponsored by Rep. Marko Liias to better protect emergency responders by establishing "emergency zones," the 200 feet of roadway in front of and behind a stationary emergency vehicle.

To learn more about the new law, check out this short video from WSP.

Another rainy day in Olympia

The rain keeps falling, and the legislative days keep clicking by. Today, day 81 of the 105-day session, the House is holding a pro forma session at 9:55 am. Look for some bill action on the floor tomorrow. The Rules committee will meet this afternoon at 1:00 to move Senate bills to the calendar.

Here are highlights for today’s committees:

8:00 am HHR B State Government & Tribal Affairs
Public Hearing:
1. HB 2027 - Allowing advertisements relating to licensing services in department of licensing publications and on the department of licensing web site.
2. HB 2028 - Transferring executive ethics responsibilities to the public disclosure and ethics commission.
3. HB 2029 - Reforming and streamlining the sentencing guidelines commission for the purpose of saving money.
4. HB 2033 - Consolidating arts and heritage programs for the purpose of streamlining government and improving efficiency.
5. HB 2034 - Reforming and streamlining the sentencing guidelines commission for the purpose of saving money.
6. HB 2035 - Effectuating financial stability for the public printer.

10:00 am HHR A Ways and Means
Public Hearing/Possible Executive Session:
1. SSB 5749 - Regarding the Washington advanced college tuition payment (GET) program.
2. ESB 5764 - Creating innovate Washington, which includes the Washington clean energy partnership as a programmatic activity.
Possible Executive Session:
1. SHB 1741 - Regarding temporary assistance for needy families benefits.
2. HB 2019 - Concerning the deposit of the additional cigarette tax.
3. E2SSB 5073 - Concerning the medical use of cannabis.
4. SSB 5202 - Regarding sexually violent predators.
5. ESSB 5253 - Concerning tax increment financing for landscape conservation and local infrastructure.
6. SSB 5394 - Concerning primary care health homes and chronic care management.
7. 2SSB 5427 - Regarding an assessment of students in state-funded full-day kindergarten classrooms.
8. SSB 5445 - Establishing a health benefit exchange.
9. SB 5516 - Allowing advance payments for equipment maintenance services for institutions of higher education.
10. SSB 5525 - Concerning hospital benefit zones that have already formed.
11. SSB 5531 - Reimbursing counties for providing judicial services involving mental health commitments.
12. E2SSB 5596 - Requiring the department of social and health services to submit a demonstration waiver request to revise the federal medicaid program.
13. 2SSB 5636 - Concerning the University Center of North Puget Sound.
14. SSB 5691 - Streamlining the crime victims' compensation program.

For information on any of these bills, click here.

Tuesday night in Grays Harbor County

Last night's legislative town hall meeting in Montesano showed that people in rural communities are no less concerned about education funding than those in urban and suburban communities.

In fact, one attendee told Reps. Kevin Van De Wege and Steve Tharinger, who were hosting the town hall for their Grays Harbor County constituents, "Children in Grays Harbor deserve the same education as children in Bellevue."

She implored the legislators to fight for levy equalization funding in the state budget.

Around 90 people showed up at Beacon Elementary for a question-and-answer session with the two representatives, who are seatmates in the 24^th Legislative District. The 24^th District is one of the largest legislative districts, and is made up of mostly rural communities in Grays Harbor and on the Olympic Peninsula.

Education was by far the number one topic. In addition to worries about more costs shifting to local school districts, people expressed concern about the rising cost of higher education in Washington. Some said it was putting college out of reach for middle and working class families, while others said that it was forcing today's students to take on an excessive amount of debt.

Both representatives agreed that rising tuition costs are a concern, but Rep. Van De Wege added that what is even more worrisome to him is the possibility of lawmakers cutting enrollment slots at higher education institutions.

"If someone can't get in to a community or four-year college, or into one of our state's technical schools, that is going to affect the rest of that person's life," Van De Wege said.

Concern over education funding is clearly something that unites Washingtonians. In every corner of the state, families are worried about their children's future, and how they're going to pay for it.

One more committee cut-off to go.......

The House will convene on the floor at 10:00 today for the purpose of caucuses – no floor action is planned until Friday. Lots of committee activity, though, as we head toward Friday’s fiscal cut-off:

8:00 am HHR A Ways and Means
Public Hearing:
1. HB 2019 - Concerning the deposit of the additional cigarette tax.
2. ESSB 5253 - Concerning tax increment financing for landscape conservation and local infrastructure.
3. SB 5265 - Authorizing multijurisdictional flood control zones.
4. SSB 5359 - Concerning contiguous land under current use open space property tax programs.
5. SSB 5364 - Concerning public water system operating permits.
6. SB 5516 - Allowing advance payments for equipment maintenance services for institutions of higher education.
12:00 pm HHR C Labor & Workforce Development
Public Hearing:

SJM 8008 – Requesting that the United States Department of Labor provide Washington with unemployment tax relief equal to any benefit provided to other states.

12:00 pm HHR D Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness
Public Hearing:

HB 2036 - Implementing the policy recommendations resulting from the national institute of corrections review of prison safety.

1:30 HHR A Ways and Means
Public Hearing:
1. E2SSB 5073 - Concerning the medical use of cannabis.
2. SSB 5167 - Concerning tax statute clarifications and technical corrections, including for the purposes of local rental car taxes.
3. SSB 5202 - Regarding sexually violent predators.
4. SSB 5394 - Concerning primary care health homes and chronic care management.
5. 2SSB 5427 - Regarding an assessment of students in state-funded full-day kindergarten classrooms.
6. SSB 5531 - Reimbursing counties for providing judicial services involving mental health commitments.
7. SSB 5614 - Establishing procedures for requesting the funds necessary to implement the compensation and fringe benefit provisions of bargaining agreements with the University of Washington under chapter 41.80 RCW.
8. 2SSB 5636 - Concerning the University Center of North Puget Sound.
9. SSB 5691 - Streamlining the crime victims' compensation program.

1:30 pm HHR B Transportation
Public Hearing:

E2SSB 5000 – Mandating a twelve-hour impound hold on motor vehicles used by persons arrested for driving under the influence.

For information on any of these bills, click here!

In the House Tuesday

Today is cut-off for House Appropriations committees; Friday is cut-off for Capital, Ways and Means, and Transportation committees. The House is not on the floor today but we do have:

Possible Executive Session:
1. SB 5367 - Authorizing the economic development finance authority to continue issuing bonds.
2. E2SSB 5769 - Regarding coal-fired electric generation facilities.
3. 2SSB 5662 - Concerning preferences for in-state contractors.
4. ESSB 5485 - Maximizing the use of our state's natural resources.
5. SSB 5300 - Enhancing the use of Washington natural resources in public buildings.
6. ESB 5647 - Modifying the Columbia river basin management program.

In the House today

Legislators will convene on the floor at 10:00 this morning though. No floor action is currently planned but we're at the point in session when things could always change.

Tomorrow is cut-off for the Appropriations committees. For today, we have:

8:00 am Capital Budget

Public Hearing:
1. SB 5367 - Authorizing the economic development finance authority to continue issuing bonds.
2. E2SSB 5769 - Regarding coal-fired electric generation facilities.
3. 2SSB 5662 - Concerning preferences for in-state contractors bidding on public works.
4. ESSB 5485 - Maximizing the use of our state's natural resources.