After the longest session ever (literally), most lawmakers came to the capitol in 2016 with one goal in mind: getting out on time. But election years are the wrench that throws everything out of whack, and this year is no exception.

It remains to be seen if there will be any action on carbon reduction via the legislature this session. Senator Steve Hobbs’ (D-Lake Stevens) $8 carbon tax was slated for a vote in the Senate Energy, Environment & Telecommunications Committee, but no decision was made. Senator Doug Ericksen (R-Ferndale) introduced an I-732 B placeholder but there is no consensus on what the proposed alternative will be.

I-732 is looking like it has little chance of passing the legislature after the Department of Revenue estimated it will cost the state $914 million over the next four years and the AFL-CIO came out against the initiative last week. You can read Carbon WA’s response here.

In other energy-related news, this week we’ll see the beginnings of a showdown over the Model Toxics Control Act. It’s essentially a tax on energy that is slated to go towards the cleanup of toxic pollution. Yet each year the legislature drains the fund for other purposes. Senator Ericksen is sponsoring Senate Bill 6570, which would prioritize the expenditure of funds for their original purpose.

Also, with rare bipartisan support, is Senate Bill 6533, which would improve the accuracy and transparency of the reporting and calculation of the utility fuel mix information to retail customers.

Since the Raise Washington campaign filed its minimum wage initiative on the first day of session the issue has been flying under the radar. Senator Hobbs dropped his own minimum wage bill that would allow employers to (1) Take a tip credit towards its minimum wage obligation for tipped employees; and (2) Take a sick leave credit towards its minimum wage obligation for employees who earn sick leave. Similar to his proposal last year, this one takes into account some of the business community’s main concerns.

Let’s hop over to education.

There are two proposals for McCleary with different deadlines. The original proposal in the House matches recommendations from a bipartisan task force, requiring the 2017 Legislature to come up with a way to end the state’s over-reliance on local school levies. On Thursday the Senate Education Committee passed its own version of bill, amending it to change that deadline to 2018. Aside from the ongoing fight over levy reform, there are two bills regarding high school assessments in the House that may set the stage for some last minute trades. Senator Steve Litzow’s (R-Mercer Island) charter school bill is moving into the House, where opposition will be stiff.

This session has been far more concentrated on social issues than anyone anticipated. Last week the capitol was flooded with folks in support of bills that would repeal a Human Rights Commission ruling on restrooms and gender identity. Lawmakers report getting hundreds of calls per day regarding the issue, and it’s become highly politicized. Representative Laurie Jinkins (D- Tacoma) Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, said that she will not hold hearings for any bills that seek to roll back a Human Rights Commission ruling.

Some say if these issues are surfacing in order to galvanize constituents ahead of election season. Although they won’t say it, it’s rumored that handful of fiscally conservative but socially liberal Republicans would rather not touch these issues with a ten foot pole. But social issues are likely to steal the show again this week as a group of Senators moves forward with a bill about “sex-selection” abortions.

Last but not least, we come to the the dueling DOC investigations. Senators held an underwhelming press conference last week to announce that they’d chosen a law firm for their separate investigation, which will be funded out of the Senate’s general operating budget. In an attempt to put a positive spin on the situation, DOC’s Dan Pacholke did an interview with KUOW in which he explained that Washington uses a complex software to manage its complex, but progressive sentencing system. This week, some of the same Senators leading the charge on the DOC investigation are proposing a bill that would implement a performance management system at DOC. Exciting stuff.

It’s been a lively session for the House Government Committee, beginning with the Voting Rights Act at the start of the session, and moving on to the issue of corporate dollars and elections. Initiative 735, certified by the Secretary of State on January 26th, and House Bill 2848, sponsored by rookie Democrat Representative Noel Frame of Seattle would formally declare Washington State as supporting an amendment to the U.S. constitution that would overturn decisions by the supreme court of the United States extending constitutional rights to corporations as well as those decisions equating the spending of money with free speech. Speaking of the Voting Rights Act, a Republican alternative will be heard this week. Closely mirroring Senator Pam Roach’s (R-Auburn) SB 6129, HB 2617 would authorize political subdivisions to implement district-based elections.

Quotes

“I don’t know who you are, but we don’t have time for you.”- Senator Michael Baumgartner (R-Spokane) said to remaining testifiers at the jam-packed hearing on a bill to overturn the Human Rights Commission’s ruling on restrooms and gender identity.

“Unfortunately, I kind of saw this coming,” said Representative Roger Goodman (D-Kirkland) regarding the early release of over 3,000 inmates by the Washington Department of Corrections.

“We’ve met every single deadline,” Senator Ann Rivers (R-La Center) said when asked about the McCleary fix. “We’re on track to continue to meet deadlines. And that’s something that never makes a headline — because that doesn’t bleed, does it, my friends in the mdia?”

Calendar

A hearing for Senator Hobbs’ minimum wage bill, SB 6087, will be held at 1:30 PM on Monday in the

SB 6612, the bill regarding sex-selection abortion will be heard in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice at 8:00 AM on Tuesday.

SB 6570 and SB 6533 are scheduled for public hearing & executive session in the Senate Committee on Energy, and Environment & Telecommunications at 1:30 PM on Tuesday.

HB 2617, the Republican alternative to the Voting Rights Act, is scheduled for public hearing in the House Committee on State Government at 10:00 AM.

The bill about DOC’s performance management system, SB 6583, has a hearing in the Senate Committee on Accountability & Reform at 8:00 AM on Wednesday.

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