Washington State Legislative Priorities for 2018

• Bolster funding for public education and mental health by championing ideas to progressively reform Washington’s upside down tax code, such as:
  • Levying a state capital gains tax;
  • Repealing tax breaks not in the public interest;
  • Creating a tax expenditure budget;
  • Replacing I-747 with a property tax homestead exemption.
• Fight for voting rights and electoral reform by advocating for the Voting Rights Act, postage-free ballot return envelopes, automatic and same-day voter registration, and the abolishment of Tim Eyman’s push polls, erroneously called “advisory votes”.
• Bring greater transparency to Washington’s initiative process by championing legislation that subjects the paid petitioning industry to oversight and accountability.
• Defend voter-approved Sound Transit 3 projects by insisting that any loss of revenue caused by changing the formula for calculating vehicle fees is offset by new revenue.
• Support DNR’s Earth Sciences and Geology Division in its efforts to secure funding for geologic hazards mapping and assessment of landslide, earthquake, and tsunami risks.

Oregon State Legislative Priorities for 2018

• Support the further development and possible adoption of cap and invest legislation to accelerate a just and responsible transition to a clean energy economy;
• Eliminate the harmful and counterproductive pass-through business tax loophole to raise vitally needed revenue for public schools and other essential public services;
• Urge the Oregon State Senate to join the Oregon State House in embracing the National Popular Vote Compact, which Washington and California have signed onto;
• Require candidates who want to be on the presidential primary ballot in Oregon to fill out financial disclosure forms or release their tax returns;
• Strengthen Oregon’s commitment to DREAMers by amending state law to make students eligible for in-state tuition benefits and need-based financial aid;
• Bolster gun safety in the Beaver State by ending the so-called “boyfriend loophole”;
• Give voters the opportunity to amend Oregon’s Constitution to declare that healthcare is a human right, not a privilege.

Statehouse Bill Tracker

A tool for monitoring the Washington State Legislature

The Statehouse Bill Tracker is an NPI project that makes tracking priority legislation simple and easy. The Tracker aggregates feeds for bills “with legs”, providing an up-to-date view of what’s moving in the statehouse at any given time during session. Bills are sorted by activity. The most recently active bills appear at the top and the least active bills appear at the bottom.

When something happens to a bill, we call that an action.

An action could be a bill’s introduction, public hearing in committee, vote on the floor, proposed amendment, or referral to another committee; all these are examples of steps in the legislative process. (See this page for a visual explanation of how a bill becomes a law). Actions affect the placement of bills in the tracker. Here’s a longer explanation:

1. Bills are sorted in reverse chronological order. The most active bills will always appear at the top. Bills with little activity will sink to the bottom like a heavy stone settling at the bottom of a creek bed after being washed downstream by a flood.
2. A green dot next to a bill number update indicates the bill reflects progressive values and enjoys our support. Conversely, red octagon (stop sign) indicates that we oppose the bill because it would implement policies that are contrary to progressive values. Finally, a yellow triangle means we have concerns about a bill, but are not working for its defeat.
3. Assessments of bills are provided by NPI and organizations that we work with, such as the Washington State Labor Council or the Environmental Priorities Coalition. The person/entity that analyzed the bill and provided the wording is always listed to the left of the assessment.
4. It is possible to view a bill’s full history without clicking away, as long as JavaScript is enabled. Simply click on the blue link that says “Click to view” and the bill history will slide out for easy viewing. (It can be hidden again using the same link, which will change to say “Click to hide”). If JavaScript is not enabled, the bill history may still be viewed, either by clicking the bill number to go to the Legislature’s website or by viewing the source of this page.

Now, let’s find out what’s moving in the statehouse!