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What’s Alive and What’s Dead: 2015 Edition

A look at what’s alive and what’s dead (or, at least flat-lining) in the Legislature after policy committee cutoff Friday:

The Big Bills:

HB 1314, Gov. Jay Inslee’s cap-and-trade proposal: Alive, as it passed out of the House Environment Committee the week before cutoff. It now awaits a hearing in the House Appropriations Committee.

SB 5735, Sen. Doug Ericksen’s alternative to cap-and-trade: Alive. It passed Ericksen’s Energy, Environment & Telecommunications Committee Feb. 18. It now goes to Senate Rules.

HB 1106, the 2015-17 operating budget: In House Appropriations.

SB 5987: Part of a series of bills related to the Senate transportation package, it passed the Transportation Committee last week.

HB 1355, Rep. Jessyn Farrell’s bill that would up the statewide minimum wage to $12: Alive. The measure passed the House Labor Committee in January, and made it through Appropriations last week. It now goes to House Rules.

HB 1356, Rep. Laurie Jinkin’s bill to institute minimum paid sick and safe leave for Washington employers: Alive. The legislation has been moving in tandem with the minimum wage law; it’s also in Rules.

SB 5969, from Sens. Sharon Brown & John Braun, aims to streamline the State Environmental Policy Act’s permitting process for businesses: Alive. Passed the Trade & Economic Development Committee last week, and now goes to rules

HB 1472, Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon’s toxics reductions bill: Alive. Passed his House Environment Committee Feb. 17. It now awaits a hearing in House Appropriations. Keep in mind, the bill is moving hand-in-hand with Gov. Inslee and the Department of Ecology’s rule-making on the fish consumption rate. There’s a series of public hearings on fish consumption in March, including one in Spokane March 3, one in Yakima March 4, and one lengthy session in Lacey on March 12.

SB 5056: Ericksen’s legislation on chemical regulation: Alive. Passed his committee on Feb. 19, and is now in Ways & Means.

HB 1449: Farrell’s bill regulating oil trains in Washington state: Alive. It passed the House Environment Committee Feb. 17, and is now in House Finance.

SB 5057: Ericksen’s bill on oil trains: Alive, and awaiting a hearing in the Ways & Means Committee.

The Next Tier:

HB 1927: Rep. Jake Fey’s bill on solar energy: Flat-lining. Rep. Jeff Morris, chair of the House Technology and Economic Development Committee, won’t give it a hearing. Morris’ two bills on the subject, HB 1097 and HB 2045, still need to pass and all three have until Friday, the cutoff for fiscal bills to move out of committee, Fey said last week.

SB 5892, Ericksen’s solar energy bill: Alive. It passed Feb. 19 and is awaiting a hearing in Way & Means.

HB 2002, Morris’ bill to end the use of coal-by-wire electricity in Washington: Alive. Now in the House General Government & Information Technology Committee.

SB 5874, Ericksen’s bill on coal-by-wire: Alive, but amended to a title-only bill. Now in Senate Rules.

SB 5333: Sen. Mark Mullet’s legislation to extend the sales tax for electric vehicles: Alive, but only because it has until this Friday to pass. It hasn’t been scheduled for a vote in the Senate Transportation Committee yet. SB 5445, Sen. Marko Liias’ alternative and requested by Inslee, is also waiting for a hearing this week.

HB 1925, companion legislation in the House, is scheduled to get its public hearing in House Finance Monday at 8 a.m.

SB 5748: A bill from Sen. Steve Litzow, R-Mercer Island, that would reform the teacher evaluation process to bring it in line with federal standards: Alive. Passed out of the Senate Education Committee last week. Is now in Senate Rules. A companion bill in the House, HB 2019, died without getting a hearing.

HB 1352: Rep. Terry Nealey’s bill to make incremental hydropower from federally controlled dams on the Columbia River count under Initiative 937: Alive. Passed out of Morris’ Technology and Economic Development Committee last week, and is now in House Rules. A companion bill from Sen. Sharon Brown, R-Kennewick, is also alive in the Senate, SB 5094.

HB 1174: Rep. Kevin Van De Wege’s legislation to ban a series of six chemical flame retardants: Alive. Passed out of House Environment earlier this month, and had its first hearing in House Appropriations last week.


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