A Hirst fix, finally, but Democrats predict legal troubles ahead for water deal

Mercy, that was difficult: Last night lawmakers finally reached a deal to fix the state Supreme Court’s Hirst decision, a ruling which strangled building in rural areas and held back their economies. Now, families stuck in court-appointed purgatory can restart building projects. (Read)

Concerning the capital budget: makes appropriations and authorizes expenditures for capital improvements | SB 6090 | Passed Senate 49-0-0-0, Passed House 95-1-0-2

Ensuring that water is available to support development | “This bill provides a path forward for the people who just want to build a home on their few acres,” said Sen. Judy Warnick (R-Moses Lake). (The News Tribune) | SB 6091 | Passed Senate 35-14-0-0, Passed House 66-30-0-2

Concerning state general obligation bonds and related accounts | HB 1080 | Passed Senate 47-2-0-0, Passed House 94-2-0-2

Renaming the cancer research endowment authority to the Andy Hill cancer research endowment | SB 5375 | 48-0-0-1 vote

Concerning security freeze fees charged by consumer reporting agencies | SB 6018 | 46-2-0-1 vote

Enhancing crime victim participation in the criminal justice system process. | HB 1022 | 95-1-0-2 vote

Recognizing the thirty-first day of March as Cesar Chavez day. | HB 1939 | 73-23-0-2 vote

Concerning open educational resources. | HB 1561 | 72-24-0-2 vote

Allowing notaries and proof of identity for advance directives. | HB 1640 | 96-0-0-2 vote

Concerning services and processes available when residential real property is abandoned or in foreclosure. | HB 2057 | 96-0-0-2 vote

Four bad union bills have been introduced, clearly “designed to keep the cash coming to the union machine and subsequently to the politicians and causes they finance.” (Freedom Foundation)

• “State-mandated arm-twisting session to make people sign union membership cards, locking themselves into dues payments for at least a year” (FF) | HB 2624 & SB 6229 | in committee
• Concerning the deduction of union dues and fees | “Likely would allow the union to continue collecting money even if formal union security clauses are struck down.” (FF) | HB 2751 & SB 6296 | in committee
• Ensuring the neutrality of public employers and state contractors with regard to employees exercising their rights to collectively bargain | “Would allow unions to threaten and file harassing ‘unfair labor practice’ complaints if public employers are thought to be telling workers the truth – that union payment will be optional.” (FF) | SB 6082 | in committee
• Exempting public employee dates of birth from public disclosure requirements | “Intended to give unions a monopoly on communicating with workers since, of course, it does not apply to them.” (FF) | SB 6079 | in committee

Requiring comprehensive review before initiatives receive ballot titles | Essentially intended to “cripple the initiative process.” (Union Bulletin) | SB 5386 | in committee

Expanding community-based behavioral health facilities through issuance of state bonds | “Treating people with mental illness in their community keeps them closer to their family and improves long-term outcomes,” said Sen. John Braun (R-Centralia). (SRC) | SB 6468 | in committee

Tensions between state lawmakers and A.G. Bob Ferguson are rising over a public records lawsuit, with legislators wondering why their official lawyer isn’t on their side. “How is it that [Ferguson] has not only declined to represent the Legislature in a public records lawsuit brought by news organizations, but has actually filed for a friend-of-the-court brief contrary to lawmakers’ positions in the case?” (U.S. News)

Legislators have spent $56,000 for outside counsel to defend against those open records lawsuits, according to attorney billing statements found by The Seattle Times. “The cost could potentially run tens of thousands of dollars higher, as billing statements haven’t all been submitted for the legal work in December and January.” (The Seattle Times)

Inslee’s proposed energy should stay at one rate, not rise automatically, so the impact can be assessed, a lobbyist argued in committee. “We think it’s more prudent to have a set tax at one point so that the legislature can analyze the impact of these taxes as we go into the transition, and if the increase of the tax is such that it is having a direct negative impact of the economy, we might be able to adjust it more accordingly,” said Cascade Natural Gas lobbyist Charlie Brown during a Senate hearing for the Energy, Environment and Technology Committee. (The Lens)

The statewide pay-by-mile gas tax pilot begins in two weeks for the 2,000 people who volunteered to undergo being tracked for a year. “We want to see what happens when people have real dollars and cross the border, let’s say to Portland, on a daily basis and how that gets reconciled between our two states, so we can kind of uncover what potential reconciliation challenges we might find in a real-world test,” WSTC Director Rema Griffith said. (The Lens)

Hundreds of hypodermic needles were found dumped in front of Uptown Espresso in Downtown Seattle. “They’re strewn all over the street. They’re up on the curb… there were hundreds of these needles. Many of which had been plunged… pretty ghastly,” KIRO 7 news reporter Gary Horcher said. (MyNorthwest)

Despite throwing its hat into the ring, Spokane missed out on being named as a finalist for the second Amazon headquarters location. We’re not surprised that the major corporation doesn’t want to expand their services within our state… (The Seattle Times)

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