Legislation Needing YOU!

From LWVWA 2/19/23 Legislative Newsletter.

The Legislature reached a significant cutoff date for this year’s legislative session: February 17th. That was the last date for bills to be passed out of the respective Senate or House policy committees where the bill was introduced. Any bills that did not pass out of policy committees are effectively “dead” for this year. Many of those bills may be reintroduced in 2024..

Improve Voting Access for Jailed Citizens

Democracy depends on participation of all citizens—including  those awaiting trial in our county jails. We believe every citizen should have an equal opportunity to vote, no matter their race, income, or circumstances. HB 1174 provides a comprehensive plan to improve access and remove barriers to voting for eligible jail inmates.

Click here ask all members of the Appropriations Committee to vote YES on HB 1174.

Reduce Gun Violence

Please help reduce gun violence in this country, including in Washington State. You can help by asking that SB 5078 be moved with a Do Pass recommendation out of the Senate Ways & Means Committee before the cut-off for bills with fiscal impact on Friday, February 24.  One of the ways to reduce gun violence is to require that the industry take responsibility for certain aspects of gun sales and ownership. This bill does that. It has already passed one committee on the policy basis; it just needs this fiscal committee approval to move forward.

Click here to ask the Senate Ways & Means Committee to PASS SB 5078.

Be involved. Legislators need to hear from you!

OTHER LEGISLATION

Please note, lots of action in the early days of the Legislature as the various bills jockey for agenda space. Some bills are progressing, many are not. We recommend you sign up to get the LWV Washington weekly legislative newsletter delivered to your own inbox! Lots more happening in the upcoming week. Read all about it on the LWVWA website here.