OUR PRIORITY bills survived the first major cut-off date. Five pm, Tuesday, February 19 was the last day to consider bills in their “House of Origin”. That means that all House bills had to be voted out of the House and all Senate bills needed to be voted out of the Senate. Several hundred bills didn’t make it, but all of ours did. The last day of cut-off makes for interesting drama as lobbyists and lawmakers maneuver to pass their bills or kill somebody else's.

A wise man (former Council 2 lobbyist, Sam Kinville) once said, “There are a thousand ways to kill a bill, but there is only one way to pass one.” The legislature used at least 900 on Tuesday the 19th. They’re saving the other 100 ways for March 8, the next major cut-off date.

With only a one-seat Democratic majority in both the House and the Senate, everybody is a Kingmaker. Senator Tim Sheldon (D-Hoodsport) voted with the Republicans to exempt a half dozen pro-business bills from the cut-off and wouldn’t even let the democrats off the floor to caucus. The best the Democrats could do to keep bad bills from being passed was to stall until the 5:00 PM deadline. This of course meant dozens of pro-labor bills “died on the calendar”. The House was more productive, but they lost the battle to lower the 60% super majority for passing school levies. It takes only 50+% to build a sports stadium, but it takes 60% to build a school. The House fell only a vote short of the two-thirds needed when Representative Jack Cairnes (R-Renton) took a walk to avoid the vote.

$1.6 billion !!

LAWMAKERS have to come up with to balance the budget and there are no easy answers. The combination of Tim Eyman’s (that’s pronounced “Lie Man”) initiatives and the sinking economy are hitting us hard and for school employees and state workers it’s about damage control. Our message remains clear – don’t balance your budget on our backs! Cutting public employees’ benefits and wages amount to a tax increase on working families.

Time is short and we're staying focused

• Transportation – The House democrats came out with a statewide gas tax of .08¢ and the House republicans responded with a .07¢ increase tied to a batch of anti-labor conditions such as lowering the prevailing wage and increasing contracting out. We still favor the House democrats regional plan as it includes more money for counties and cities.
• Retirement Governance (HB 2917) – Our bill to reform the pension system received a hearing in the House Appropriations Committee. Representative Mike Cooper (D-Edmonds) is the prime sponsor and Representative Bill Fromhold (D- Vancouver) has been working diligently to broker a deal with House leadership. Representative Fromhold is a quick study and has been very helpful in keeping the bill alive. Our main obstacle is still Representative Helen Sommers (D-Seattle) and she has shown no sign of listening to us much less agreeing to the bill. The budget crises isn’t helping matters because it is difficult to get legislators to pay attention when they’re shell-shocked over the budget.

Members should contact the following representatives and ask them to support HB 2917. Legislative Hotline number – 1-800-562-6000.

Frank Chopp – chopp_fr@leg.wa.gov
Mark Doumit – doumit_ma@leg.wa.gov
Gary Alexander – alexande_ga@leg.wa.gov

Bid limits passes House

IN ITS biggest move forward in five years, our efforts to increase bid limits for cities passed the House 75 to 23 on February 15th. The bill is now before the Senate State and Local Government Committee and members should contact the following committee members and request their support. Legislative Hotline number – 1-800-562-6000.

Democrat	Republican
Georgia A. Gardner (chair) gardner_ge@leg.wa.gov	Pam Roach (ranking) roach_pa@leg.wa.gov
Darlene Fairley (v. chair) fairley_da@leg.wa.gov	Patricia Hale hale_pa@leg.wa.gov
Mary Margaret Haugen haugen_ma@leg.wa.gov	Jim Horn horn_ji@leg.wa.gov
Karen Keiser keiser_ka@leg.wa.gov	Bob McCaslin mccaslin_bo@leg.wa.gov
Adam Kline kline_ad@leg.wa.gov	Dan Swecker swecker_da@leg.wa.gov
Tim Sheldon sheldon_ti@leg.wa.gov

Initiative Reform (SB 6637 / SB6571 / ESB 5833)

BILLS to require initiative sponsors to file financial disclosure forms, hold public hearings on initiatives and provide fiscal impact statements on initiatives passed the Senate on February 14th by a vote of 27-20. They are now scheduled to be heard by the House State Government Committee.
Members should contact Speaker Frank Chopp (D-Seattle) he has indicated that he isn’t inclined to support these bills and he needs your encouragement. (chopp_fr@leg.wa.gov)

Retiree medical insurance (SB 5777)

THE measure to allow all local government retirees access to health care insurance was heard in the House Health Care Committee. There was no testimony against the bill and it should move to the House Appropriations Committee shortly.

School employees housing allowance HB 2973

THIS bill would allow districts to pass levies to subsidize housing costs for employees. Currently several employees can’t afford to live in the districts they work.
Members should call their representatives.