A comprehensive legislative update

Wednesday, March 14th (now almost one week ago) was the last day to consider bills in their house of origin, so this week saw the passage or failure of many bills in the other house. Here is an update on many of the bills we are tracking.

Human rights
SB 5336: Creates a domestic partnership registry for same-sex partners. Passed a vote in the Senate; Sent to the House. Scheduled for public hearing in the House Judiciary Committee at 8:00 AM. (Subject to change)

Campaign Financing (Clean Elections)

• HB 1589/HB 1186/SHB 1186: Providing for public funding of judicial campaigns (The first two bills were combined and merged into the third, which unfortunately never ended up getting a floor vote.)
• SB 5226 (Providing for public funding of judicial campaigns): Passed the Senate on February 5th.
• HB 1589 (similiar to SB 5226): Never got out of committee.
• SB 5278 (Concerning use of public funds to finance campaigns for local office): Never got to a vote.

Environment

• HB 1374 (Creating the Puget Sound Partnership): Passed the House on March 10th, though it was heavily amended. Its companion bill, SB 5372, fared well in the Senate. There will likely be a compromise resulting in a new version which will then go to the Governor for her signature.
• HB 1761 (Accelerating the cleanup of Puget Sound and hazardous waste sites in the state, requires the DOE to develop a ten-year financing report on needed toxic cleanup. Provides extra funds for urgent cleanup efforts.) Unanimously passed the House on March 12th. Scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Committee on Water and Energy & Telecommunications at 1:30 PM on March 23rd. (Subject to change)

Healthcare

• SB 5093/HB 1071 (Insurance Coverage for Children): Senate Bill 5093 and House Bill 1071 increase the percentage of children eligible for state-paid health insurance. Governor Gregoire has proposed adding 32,000 more kids to the state's rolls immediately and then 73,000 uninsured children by 2010. HB 1071 requires the state to provide insurance coverage for children in households with incomes below 250% of the federal poverty level, with the goal of coverage of all Washington children by 2010.
• SB 5658 (Health Care Reinsurance): Senate Bill 5658 creates a reinsurance program for small businesses. It includes a 25-cent increase in cigarette taxes and $5 million from the health services account. Democratic Senator Karen Keiser's proposal is meant to stabilize insurance markets by reimbursing certain small-group insurers for patient claims above $10,00. It did not get to a vote by the cutoff date.
• HB 1569 (Reforming the health care system in Washington): Creates a publi-private entity, the Washington Health Insurance Partnership (WHP), to design benefits, collect premiums and oversee a pool of small business employees that would include around 300,000 people to start with. Starting in 2009, businesses with 50 or fewer employees would be required to purchase their health insurance through WHP. The bill passed the House on March 10th. A public hearing was held on the Senate side yesterday.

(A few additional notes about HB 1659: it subsidizes coverage for those making under 200% of the federal poverty level, employers could choose from up to six different health insurance plans, and the BIAW and the Washington Farm Bureau are lobbying against it).

• SB 5930 (Affordable Health Care): Providing high quality, affordable health care to Washingtonians based on the recommendations of the blue ribbon commission on health care costs and access. This bill is the result of the 2006 Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Care, co-chaired by Governor Gregoire. It is a five year plan to improve access to affordable health care to all Washington citizens. This bill is preferred by business lobbyists over its companion bill, HB1569, because it is less ambitious. 5930 passed the Senate unanimously on March 9th. A public hearing was held before theHouse Committee on Health Care & Wellness at 1:30 PM yesterday. It is scheduled for executive session in the same committee tomorrow at 9 AM.
• HB 2098 (Affordable Health Care): It returned to the Rules Committee for a second reading om March 15th.

Healthcare Program Note: There will be a “Health Justice in Action” forum with Rep. Jim McDermott on March 16 at 7 PM at the UW's Kane Hall.

Education

• HB 1051 (High School Completion Bill): This bill would allow students under the age of 21 to receive a basic education at community and technical colleges to earn a high school diploma, even if they have not passed the WASL yet (Listen to an interview with Representative Dave Upthegrove about the bill). The colleges must provide the necessary courses to students without charging tuition. Colleges would receive reimbursement from the state's basic education account for providing high school completion courses. It passed the House last January. A public hearing was held on the bill before Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education on March 15th.
• HB 2322 (Increasing access to full-day kindergarten): Never got to a vote.
• SJR 8207 (Simple Majority for school levies, Senate version): Failed on a 30-17 vote. And that was with the “November Only” amendment.
• EHJR 4204 (Simple Majority for school levies, House version) Passed the House on March 12th.
• SB 5813 (Improving mathematics and science education): Also passed.
• ESSB 5297 (Sex education): Passed the Senate last week.
• SB 5627 (Requiring a review and development of basic education funding):

March 14th was sink-or-swim day for many bills, including the Senate simple majority bill. At the end of the session, Republican Senator Joesph Zarelli motioned to bring back the simple-majority for schools bill (ESJR 8207) for reconsideration.

The Democrats moved to go to recess, then came back and adjourned. "Frankly, we were done," said Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown.

Rather than spend two hours on procedural debates, the Democrats decided to conclude business, she said. The House version of the simple majority bill (EHJR 4204) will return, she added.

So – they were just too tired to bother with this bill? The Republicans are saying that the Democrats scuttled the bill. It appears that the Democrats prefer the House version, which does not include the amendment to force school districts to put their levies only on the Novemebr general election ballot.