Energy tax “a vote or two short,” House R’s silenced on union vote
Yes, more happened in Olympia than just the public records bill. Jay Inslee’s energy tax proposal let out a last gasp yesterday, and a union giveaway bill in the House saw Republicans being gaveled down for trying to make their case against it.

Why was Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond) elected? She can’t get her argument straight (or accurate) when discussing a bill that she sponsored. Dhingra’s office sent an email to a constituent claiming that unless SB 6617 was signed into law, “private, personally identifiable information of constituents would be subject to public disclosure.” This is wrong. Very wrong. Woefully wrong and incredibly misleading. After enduring much bad press and public reaction, Dhingra finally reversed course Thursday and said the governor should veto the bill. (MyNorthwest)

Speaking of SB 6617, Tim Eyman filed an initiative called the “Transparency in Lawmaking Act” in case SB 6617 stood. “The state legislature is subject to the public records act and the communications and documents of legislators and staff must be made publicly available as a public record,” it says. (The Seattle Times)

The Oak View Group “sold enough season tickets for both the NHL and the NBA” when it started accepting NHL ticket deposits yesterday morning. Deposits for over 26,000 tickets were collected by the group by noon. “I guess that’s done and Seattle has spoken. And the fans in Seattle have made it a resounding vote, which is they are ready for the National Hockey League and they are counting on us to get the National Hockey League here,” said Tim Leiweke of the Oak View Group. (The News Tribune)

King County wants to raise utility costs for hundreds of thousands of customers by charging “rent for occupying roads with wires, pipes and other equipment — a first-of-its-kind fee.” King County Councilmembers say the charges are necessary to avoid a lawsuit loss, but the new fees are themselves being challenged in court. (The Seattle Times)

Sound Transit CEO Peter Rogoff was denied his possible $31,290 bonus yesterday due to “his East Coast attitude conflicting with a soft-spoken Northwest work culture.” (Read: He’s a bully.) Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said, “Sound Transit is not felt to be a safe workplace for a lot of employees, that they feel they cannot act without repercussions, and there are many who feel their work is not valued.” If this were an organization other than Seattle’s precious transportation conglomerate, he would be out of a job by now…but thems the perks down at Sound Transit HQ. (The Seattle Times)

BNSF Railroad filed a request to join a lawsuit against Gov. Jay Inslee and key members of his administration filed by Millennium Bulk Terminals’ parent company. The complaint contends that the permit denials over the proposed $680 million Longview coal terminal violate the U.S. Constitution’s interstate commerce clause, along with three other federal statutes. (Longview Daily News)

DSHS settled a case for $3.1 million after it placed a girl in a foster home with a convicted child rapist, “who then sexually abused her for years.” The attorney of the girl’s new foster parents said this case was “one of the more mind-numbing social work decisions that I’ve ever come across…The idea that you can put a baby girl with a convicted child rapist and hope that it works out well really defies all sensibilities.” (The Columbian)

RV owners living along the Chehalis River must remove their vehicles or they will be impounded, as per a new order by the City of Aberdeen. “A recreational vehicle is not a mobile home and may not be used as a residence within city limits, unless it is parked within a designated RV Park…The city at this time is requesting the RV to be vacated and removed from the property by Feb. 28, 2018.” (The Daily World)

Seven different tolling options are being evaluated for crossing I-5 into Oregon near Portland by the Portland Region Value Pricing Advisory Committee. To read more about the different options, click here. (The Columbian)

Concerning records disclosure obligations of the legislative branch | SB 6617 | 41-7-1-0 Senate vote (2/23), 83-14-0-1 House vote (2/23), Inslee vetoed | Was he enjoying the attention? After initially planning to let SB 6617 become law without his signature, Inslee bowed to public pressure and vetoed it last night – but we waited until nearly the last hour to reveal his decision. (The Seattle Times)

Enacting the Washington voting rights act of 2018 | ESSB 6002 | 52-46-0-0 House vote (2/27), 29-19-0-1 Senate vote (1/19) | waiting for Inslee’s decision | “If people aren’t suing in good faith, if they’re just suing to win, this is the provision that most makes that possible,” said Rep. Morgan Irwin (R-Enumclaw). (Columbia Basin Herald)

Concerning the exemption of property taxes for nonprofit homeownership development | ESSB 5143 | 80-18-0-0 House vote (3/1), 41-8-0-0 Senate vote (1/24)

Defining dyslexia as a specific learning disability and requiring early screening for dyslexia | E2SSB 6162 | 96-2-0-0 House vote (3/1), 48-0-0-1 Senate vote (2/14)

Regarding miniature hobby boilers | SB 6240 | 96-1-0-1 House vote (3/1), 48-0-0-1 Senate vote (2/7)

Making technical changes regarding the department of children, youth, and families | SB 6287 | 97-0-0-1 House vote (3/1), 47-0-0-2 Senate vote (2/9)

Concerning publicly owned industrial wastewater treatment facilities | SB 6367 | 97-0-0-1 House vote (3/1), 47-0-0-2 Senate vote (2/12)

Concerning background checks for persons providing child care services | SB 6404 | 97-0-0-1 House vote (3/1), 47-0-0-2 Senate vote (2/13)

Concerning the individual provider employment administrator program | ESSB 6199 | 50-0-48-0 House vote (3/1), 26-21-0-2 Senate vote (2/10)

Addressing the terms under which tribal schools may participate in the state retirement systems as part of a state-tribal education compact | SB 6210 | 97-0-0-1 House vote (3/1), 43-5-0-1 Senate vote (2/7)

Concerning private case management of child welfare services | SB 6407 | 97-0-0-1 House vote (3/1), 47-0-0-2 Senate vote (2/12)

Expanding the activities of the children’s mental health services consultation program | SSB 6452 | 97-0-0-1 House vote (3/1), 47-0-0-2 Senate vote (2/10)

Concerning legal support for kinship caregivers | 2SSB 6453 | 97-0-0-1 House vote (3/1), 47-0-0-2 Senate vote (2/13)

Creating a pilot project for tribal compact schools | SSB 6474 | 86-11-0-1 House vote (3/1), 44-3-0-2 Senate vote (2/13)

Increasing the availability of assisted outpatient behavioral health treatment | ESSB 6491 | 92-5-0-1 House vote (3/1), 46-1-0-2 Senate vote (2/12)

Addressing workplace practices to achieve gender pay equity | 2SHB 1506 | 37-12-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 69-28-0-1 House vote (1/17)

Regarding a curriculum for the prevention of sexual abuse of students | SHB 1539 | 49-0-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 98-0-0-0 House vote (2/12)

Concerning worker safety on roadways and roadsides | HB 2087 | 49-0-0-0 Senate vote (3/1) , 98-0-0-0 House vote (1/11)

Concerning tow truck operators | SHB 2612 | 48-1-0-0 Senate vote (3/1) , 98-0-0-0 House vote (2/9)

Concerning the minimum monthly salary paid to Washington state patrol troopers and sergeants | SHB 2692 | 48-0-0-1 Senate vote (3/1), 84-14-0-0 House vote (2/13)

Concerning membership in the law enforcement officers’ and firefighters’ retirement system plan 2 for firefighters employed by the department of corrections or the department of social and health services and serving at a prison or civil commitment center located on an island | SHB 2786 | 49-0-0-0 Senate vote (3/1) , 94-4-0-0 House vote (2/13)

Concerning vehicle dealer licensing | EHB 2808 | 49-0-0-0 Senate vote (3/1) , 96-2-0-0 House vote (2/13)

Concerning the responsibilities for state routes in cities or towns | EHB 2948 | 44-4-0-1 Senate vote (3/1), 86-12-0-0 House vote (2/13)

Establishing an autonomous vehicle work group | SHB 2970 | 48-0-1-0 Senate vote (3/1), 96-2-0-0 House vote (2/14)

Requesting that state route number 395 be named the Thomas S. “Tom” Foley Memorial Highway | HJM 4002 | 40-7-1-1 Senate vote (3/1), 73-22-0-3 House vote (1/22)

Preserving and expanding rental housing options for persons whose source of income is derived from or includes sources other than employment | E2SHB 2578 | 36-13-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 61-37-0-0 House vote (2/9)

Expanding higher education opportunities for certain students | E3SHB 1488 | 34-15-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 56-42-0-0 House vote (2/13)

Regulating the institutions of higher education, including for-profit institutions and private vocational schools, to protect students from unfair business practices | E2SHB 1439 | 31-18-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 63-35-0-0 House vote (2/7)

Expanding civics education in public schools | 2SHB 1896 | 49-0-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 98-0-0-0 House vote (2/9)

Concerning services and processes available when residential real property is abandoned or in foreclosure | 2ESHB 2057 | 49-0-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 96-2-0-0 House vote (1/18)

Concerning authorizations of proposals for emergency medical care and service levies | SHB 2627 | 36-13-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 63-34-0-1 House vote (2/12)

Concerning the use of antifouling paints on recreational water vessels | SHB 2634 | 49-0-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 98-0-0-0 House vote (2/8)

Concerning high school and beyond plans | SHB 2686 | 37-12-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 77-21-0-0 House vote (2/9)

Modifying the learning assistance program | SHB 2748 | 48-1-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 93-5-0-0 House vote (2/9)

Improving access to mental health services for children and youth | E2SHB 2779 | 48-0-1-0 Senate vote (3/1), 84-14-0-0 House vote (2/12)

Exchanging and aligning specific powers, duties, and functions of the superintendent of public instruction and the state board of education | SHB 2824 | 49-0-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 96-2-0-0 House vote (2/8)

Expanding the provision of trauma-informed child care | EHB 2861 | 35-14-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 70-27-0-1 House vote (2/12)

Ordering a study to determine how to increase reporting and investigation of missing Native American women | SHB 2951 | 48-1-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 98-0-0-0 House vote (2/7)

Concerning requests for medical records to support an application for social security benefits | ESHB 1239 | 40-9-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 91-5-0-2 House vote (1/18)

Creating the hunger-free students’ bill of rights act | ESHB 2610 | 28-21-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 59-39-0-0 House vote (2/13)

Establishing the Washington state women’s commission | EHB 2759 | 44-5-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 65-33-0-0 House vote (2/13)

Decoupling services and activities fees from tuition | 2SHB 1433 | 41-8-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 91-7-0-0 House vote (2/8)

Extending the existing state property tax exemption for residences of senior citizens and disabled persons to local regular property taxes | SHB 2597 | 49-0-0-0 Senate vote (3/1), 96-2-0-0 House vote (2/14)

Providing a business and occupation tax exemption for accountable communities of health | SHB 2998 | 85-12-1-0 House vote (3/1)

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