From LWVWA 3/23/25 Action Legislative newsletter:

This past week, each chamber of the Legislature has been holding public hearings and processing bills that passed from the other chamber. The deadline for bills to pass the policy committees in the opposite chamber is coming up, April 2. In addition, the House and Senate have each been working on developing budget and revenue proposals.

In the week ahead, the policy committees will be completing their agendas while the fiscal committees will begin taking public comments and deliberating on the budgets. There are three budgets that the Legislature adopts. These are the operating budget (General Fund), the capital budget and the transportation budget. Each has challenges because the forecast revenues are not adequate to cover the estimated costs of existing services.

Help Keep Rents Stable. HB 1217, also known as “Rent Stabilization,”  is one of the most important bills of the session because it could help to reduce the number of people who evolve into homelessness because they can’t afford rent. This bill would improve the current situation of rent gouging and short notices to tenants, making them unable to adjust to rent increases. It would limit rent and fee increases to 7% during any 12-month period and prohibit rent and fee increases during the first 12 months of a tenancy for tenants subject to the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act and the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act, regardless of the length or type of lease with certain exemptions. It would also provide a variety of other tenant protections. HB 1217 passed the House as a second substitute and was referred to the Senate Housing Committee, where it had a public hearing on March 19. It is scheduled for executive session on Wednesday, March 26. Please help move this bill out of committee toward full passage. Contact the Senate Housing Committee HERE in support of this bill before Wednesday, March 26.

Improve Recycling Outcomes—Keep SB 5284 Moving. SB 5284, the Recycling Reform Act (Improving Washington’s solid waste management outcomes. Formerly, the Re-WRAP Act) would reform the state’s recycling system to both cut down on waste and drive rates of recycling higher. It’s a multifaceted solution to a complex problem lawmakers should approve and Gov. Bob Ferguson sign into law. Its passage would make Washington the sixth state to adopt “Extended Producer Responsibility” on packaging, following successes of similar programs in British Columbia and in Europe. The results speak for themselves: Whereas Washington has been keeping less than 50% of material out of landfills, British Columbia’s EPR-driven system hovers close to 80%. The companion bill HB 1150 was referred to House rules so has previously been heard in and passed out of House committees. Sign in PRO on SB 5284 HERE before 12:30 pm on Monday, March 17.

Support New Revenue – Progressive Revenue Package. This biennium, Washington State is experiencing budget challenges greater than in recent years because of a combination of lower tax revenues coming in and increased need for services. This is in part because the state’s inequitable tax structure relies on revenues that fall disproportionately on people of lower incomes than on people of higher incomes. Progressive revenues that would raise funds from people who have more resources and currently pay less in their share of income would help to balance the state’s tax structure, making it more fair, while generating more money for needed state programs. A proposal for a package of new revenues was announced by the Senate this week. Please ask your legislators to support this package so that people in need of health care, aging and disability services, early childhood education and more can continue to receive what they need. Contact your legislators HERE and ask them to vote for this proposal.

Support the Right to Repair for Digital Devices. There’s a huge amount of e-waste! For example, on average, Washington disposes of 8,700 phones every day. This bill, HB 1483, Right to Repair (Supporting the servicing and right to repair of certain products with digital electronics in a secure and reliable manner), would make it possible for small businesses to repair these items. Extending the life of computers, tablets and cellphones, and appliances reduces the burden on manufacturing new products – therefore also decreasing greenhouse gas. This bill will lower costs for consumers, get used digital electronics into the hands of people who need them. This bill requires digital electronic product manufacturers to make repair information, parts and tools available to independent repair businesses and owners and will help people keep using their items longer instead of them winding up in the garbage.  Sign in PRO on HB 1483 HERE by Wednesday, March 26 at 7 am.

Promoting student access to information about media literacy and civic education. SB 5637 would add media literacy training to the ½-credit, one-semester civics education course required of all high school graduates in Washington. The League supports the bill because, thanks to a substitute, it would strengthen, not dilute, the civics curriculum. It would do that by addressing media literacy in the context of elections, civic engagement and decision-making. Furthermore, it requires all instructional materials and resources to be nonpartisan. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction has been involved in the development of this bill. This bill passed the Senate passed; yeas, 48; nays, 0; absent, 0; excused, 1. There is a hearing in the House Committee on Education at 1:30 PM on Monday March 24. Sign in PRO to support HB 5637 HERE by Monday March 24 before 12:30 pm.

Promoting student access to information about media literacy and civic education. Bill SB 5637 With substitutions by Sen. Krishnadasan, Sen. Fortunato’s bill is scheduled for a public hearing at 1:30 p.m., Monday, March 24, in the House committee on Education.  The bill would add media literacy training directly focused on elections, civic engagement and decision-making to the ½-credit, one-semester civics education course required of all high school graduates in Washington. Supporters, including the League of Women Voters of Washington, believe such legislation is vital, given three troubling realities:  growing political polarization among Americans; a widespread lack of understanding among youth and adults about how government works; and the continuing explosion of mis- and dis-information. Sign in PRO for SB 5637 HERE on Monday, March 24 before 12:30 pm.

For additional action items, which help pass bills the League supports on specific issues, click on the see all action alerts, and take action on the ones you are most interested in. Thank you for your support for the League’s issues!

There are many more action alerts in this weeks legislative newsletter! Get the LWVWA Legislative newsletter delivered direct to you by subscribing here.