The #MeToo movement is coming to Olympia, with over 170 former and current lawmakers signing a letter calling for the end of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior in the capitol. “Clearly the official process is not reflecting women’s experiences writ large in the Legislature, and that is a challenge for the institution,” said Jessyn Farrell, a former Democratic House member. (The Seattle Times)

Seattle Councilmember Kshama Sawant impressed nobody when she insulted Republicans and Democrats during her most recent trip to Olympia to testify in front of the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance. “I’m a Socialist. But while I’m not a member of the Democratic Party, I fully support defeating Republicans and the right wing. The question is, what does the Democratic establishment plan to do with their majorities in both houses and with the governor being a Democrat?” Sawant’s future book: How to Lose Friends and Not Influence People. (MyNorthwest)

The City of Seattle is lying through its collective teeth, pretending its soda tax isn’t supposed to hit consumers. Danny Westneat noted in his latest column that “the city’s grasp of the situation seems a little suspect. It suggests, on its website, that customers somehow shouldn’t even have to pay [the soda tax]. ‘The tax is not collected by the retailer,’ the site says, ‘nor is the tax burden intended to fall onto the consumer.’” So the city passes a soda tax in hopes of lowering sugar consumption, then says the tax isn’t “intended to fall on the consumer”? What a joke – and a lie. (The Seattle Times)

Hundreds of emails, texts and other public records regarding former Mayor Ed Murray’s sex-abuse allegations have been revealed, including evidence that Murray “asked some staff members to help him beat back the widening scandal, at one point requesting help researching Oregon laws related to foster parenting.” His spokesman Jeff Reading had enough and advocated behind the scenes for councilmembers to call on Murray to resign. (The Seattle Times)

The King County Council is considering legislation that would give it more control over 4Culture, the arts and culture agency. The council is considering altering the selection process for 4Culture’s 15-member board, requiring budgets to be approved by councilmembers, and taking over authority to hire and fire its executive director. (Crosscut)

Former Tacoma mayor Marilyn Strickland is the next CEO and president of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. “I’m not as familiar with Seattle as some folks are, but I don’t think it’ll take me long to get up to speed,” Strickland said. For our part, we take a bit of a wait-and-see approach with someone who cites Sound Transit as a highlight in her previous experience. (The Seattle Times)

Seattle bus drivers are going on strike today, with the union saying it “will last until a deal is reached with First Student,” Seattle’s outside vendor for bus service. Just a reminder – this is the union’s second strike in the last few months, causing major disruption in school families’ plans. (MyNorthwest)

A city hearing examiner approved, after years of process, the final link of the Burke-Gilman Trail. The $2.5 million project will fill a 1.4-mile gap in Ballard that had been challenged by businesses and unions for its expected negative impacts. (The Seattle Times)

“They were going to run this train come hell or high water,” a plaintiff’s investigator in the Amtrak derailment declared. John Hiatt claimed to KIRO 97.3’s Dori Monson that prior to the train’s first passenger run, 12 NTSB employees worried, off the record, that training for the new route was inadequate. (MyNorthwest)

Clallam County Commissioners voted 3-0 to sue manufacturers and wholesalers of opioid-based prescription drugs. “The simple fact is Clallam County has a significant problem with opioids, with the number of opioid deaths the highest within the state,” Commissioner Bill Peach said. The City of Everett has filed a similar suit. (The Peninsula Daily News)

The Dept. of Health is concerned about possible spreading of radioactive contamination from Hanford into the general public if demolition resumes without better controls in place. “Allowing alpha contamination off site is a serious and uncommon issue that we believe should be preventable through best management practices,” Clark Halvorson, Dept. of Health assistant secretary said. (The Tri-City Herald)

Concerning public access to the records of the legislature and judiciary | SB 6139 | Received public testimony today in the State Government, Tribal Relations, and Elections Senate Committee | Now scheduled for executive action on Feb. 2

Enacting a capital gains income tax | SB 2967 | scheduled for public hearing on Feb 5 in the House Finance Committee | “If the legislature passed the capital gains or it passes on the ballot, it would get directly to the constitutional fight,” said Jason Mercier with the Washington Policy Center. (Washington Policy Center)

Promoting student health and readiness through meal and nutrition programs | 2ESHB 1508 | 43-5-0-1

Concerning insurance coverage of tomosynthesis or three-dimensional mammography | SB 5912 | 44-4-0-1

Establishing permissible methods of parking a motorcycle | SB 6070 | 45-1-0-3

Concerning health plan coverage of reproductive health care | SB 6219 | 26-22-0-1

Enacting the student opportunity, assistance, and relief act| 2SHB 1169 | 79-15-0-4

Concerning the use of child passenger restraint systems | EHB 1188 | 64-30-0-4

Making financial services available to marijuana producers, processors, retailers, qualifying patients, health care professionals, and designated providers as authorized under chapters 69.50 and 69.51A RCW | HB 2098 | 82-12-0-4

Clarifying the nature of the driver training education curriculum developed and maintained by the department of licensing and the office of the superintendent of public instruction | HB 2266 | 94-0-0-4

Reducing barriers to student participation in extracurricular activities | HB 2311 | 62-32-0-4

Higher Education & Workforce Development (Senate)

Funding the state need grant by repealing tax preferences | SB 5821

Reducing community and technical college tuition | SB 6543

 

Environment (House)

Reducing emissions by making changes to the clean car standards and clean car program | HB 2328

Reducing the use of certain toxic chemicals in firefighting activities | HB 2793

 

Public Safety (House)

Concerning sentencing laws and practices | 2SHB 1789

Creating an office of the corrections ombuds | HB 1889

Addressing collection of DNA biological samples | HB 2331

Increasing penalties for certain repeat offenders who engage in lurid criminal contact | HB 2619

Creating a graduated reentry program of partial confinement for certain offenders | HB 2638

Modifying cybercrime provisions | HB 2678

 

Financial Institutions & Insurance (Senate)

Addressing municipal access to local financial services (Hearing is on the Proposed Striking Amendment) | SHB 1209

Concerning relocation assistance for manufactured/mobile home park tenants | ESHB 1884

 

Labor & Workplace Standards (House)

Limiting overtime for correctional officers | HB 2817

Limiting non-compete agreements | HB 2903

Safeguarding the public safety by protecting railroad workers | HB 2944

 

Health & Long Term Care (Senate)

Allowing animal care and control agencies and nonprofit humane societies to provide additional veterinary services to low-income households | SB 6196

Concerning health carrier provider networks | SB 6470

 

Law & Justice (Senate)

Concerning certain procedures upon initial detention under the involuntary treatment act | SB 5441

Concerning enhanced background checks and licensure for assault weapons and large capacity magazines | SB 5444

Modifying the offense of assault in the third degree | SB 6165

 

Early Learning & K-12 Education (Senate)

Concerning school composting and recycling | SB 6168

Facilitating high school success | SB 6209

Concerning interscholastic activities and basketball tournaments | SB 6336

 

Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks (Senate)

Providing a sales and use tax exemption for agricultural education students | SB 6571

Improving the management of the state’s halibut fishery | SB 6127

Increasing participation in recreational fishing and hunting | SB 6198

Implementing the federal produce safety rule | SB 6319

Ensuring compliance with the state’s fiduciary duty in managing state trust lands | SB 6539

 

Judiciary (House)

Concerning faith-based exemptions regarding criminal mistreatment of children and vulnerable adults | HB 2791

Expanding the classes of persons who may provide informed consent for certain patients who are not competent to consent | HB 2541

Concerning the sale of manufactured/mobile home communities | HB 1798

Concerning concealed pistol license eligibility requirements | HB 2519

Concerning the privilege for peer support group counselors | HB 2611

 

Technology & Economic Development (House)

Concerning the energy independence act | HB 2402

Studying state policies and programs that impact the affordability of retail electric bills in Washington state | HB 2814

 

Agriculture & Natural Resources (House)

Concerning the protection of composting from nuisance lawsuits | HB 1590

Establishing a prescribed burn certification program at the department of natural resources | HB 2733

Managing wolves using translocation | HB 2771

Ensuring that Washington aggressively acts to open fish habitat by removing barriers under all forms of ownership | HB 2902

Reducing escape of nonnative finfish from marine finfish aquaculture facilities | HB 2957

 

Local Government (Senate)

Regulating the minimum dimensions of habitable spaces in single-family residential areas | HB 1085

Concerning the transparency of local taxing districts | SB 6587

 

Community Development, Housing & Tribal Affairs (House)

Allowing federally recognized tribes with lands held in trust in a county that is west of the Cascade mountain range that borders Puget Sound with a population of at least one hundred eighteen thousand, but less than two hundred fifty thousand, persons to enter into agreements regarding fuel taxes | HB 1063

 

Labor & Commerce (Senate)

Concerning the age of individuals at which sale or distribution of tobacco and vapor products may be made | SB 5025

 

Transportation (House)

Clarifying the required color of certain lamps on vehicles | HB 2775

Clarifying the exemption from safety belt use for physical or medical reasons | HB 2776

 

Appropriations (House)

Concerning governmental continuity during emergency periods | SHB 2263

Amending the state Constitution to provide governmental continuity during emergency periods resulting from a catastrophic incident | SHJR 4210

Concerning the deduction of union dues and fees | HB 2751

Improving access to mental health services for children and youth | SHB 2779

 

Ways & Means (Senate)

Modifying provisions relating to funding fully the state’s program of basic education | SB 6352

Modifying collective bargaining law to authorize providing additional compensation to academic employees at community and technical colleges | SB 5993

Strengthening school district plans for recognition, screening, and response to emotional or behavioral distress in students | SB 6141

Defining dyslexia as a specific learning disability and requiring early screening for dyslexia | SB 6162

Creating the social work professional loan repayment program | SSB 6259

Concerning procedures in order to automatically register citizens to vote | SB 6353

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