ACTION ALERTS

We are attempting to gather statistics on the number of people registering for bills through our weekly FPIW Legislative Updates. To help us, please insert “FPIW Defender” in the organizational box when registering on the leg.wa.gov website: FPIW Defender, P.O. Box 975, Lynnwood, WA, 98046. (Or, if you wish to use your own address, that is your choice.) 

If you have not previously registered your position on a bill or provided written, in-person or remote testimony, please go to our web page at fpiw.org and review the quick, simple steps provided in one of our four “how to” training manuals. There is also a training manual “How to look up a bill”.

*****

HB 1941 is a bipartisan bill that would improve health care options for children receiving Medicaid who have medically-complex conditions. In 2019, the federal government passed the Advancing Care for Exceptional (ACE) Kids Act. This law created provider “health homes” and health teams who can coordinate prompt care for children with medically complex conditions. This legislation would create a plan to participate in the ACE Kids Act and establish these health home plans in Washington state to better serve children with medically-complex conditions. This bill underwent a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long Term Care on February 20. It received a ‘Do Pass’ recommendation and was referred to Ways & Means.

Another public hearing will be held in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on February 23 at 1:30 p.m. To register your pro position, please click here. To provide written testimony, click here. To testify remotely, click here. To testify in person, click here. 

*****

Earlier this year, Washington’s Secretary of State officially notified the Legislature that the signature verification process and certification for Initiative 2111 had been successfully completed. This initiative aims to codify Washington state’s longstanding tradition of prohibiting an income tax. Rep. Jim Walsh, who also sponsored and authored this initiative, released the following statement regarding its introduction to the Legislature:

I-2111 has been certified and needs to be passed into law by the Washington State Legislature as quickly as possible. Some Washingtonians mistakenly believe our state Constitution bans an income tax here. That’s not quite true. Article VII of the state Constitution bans a profession income tax. It say that all taxes in this state must be “uniform across all classes of property.” In other words, in some situations, a flat income tax might be constitutional. Of course, Washington has never had a state or local income tax. The culture and tradition of this state has always opposed an income tax. I-2111 clarifies state law to reflect our culture and tradition. It states clearly that such taxes are prohibited. And, in doing so, it aligns state tax policy with federal policy. 

Walsh continued: 

Tax policy can be dense and confusing. But I-2111 is a clear and strong statement. The people of Washington has supported it enthusiastically — by putting signatures on the petitions to support this intiatives. I am asking my colleagues in the Legislature to stand with the people and pass I-2111. 

Walsh concluded,

Washingtonians are overtaxed. They are calling for meaningful tax reform. Initiative 2111 is an integral component of a wider effort to deliver the tax reform desire by the people of Washington. It’s good public policy and will strengthen our state’s economy for future generations. 

A public hearing will be held in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means on February 27 at 12:30 p.m. To register your pro position on this bill, click here. To submit written testimony, click here. To testify remotely, click here. To testify in person, click here. 

*****

Earlier this year, the Washington Secretary of State (SOS) officially notified the legislature that the signature verification process and certification for I-2081 was successfully completed. This initiative aims to “allow parents and guardians of public school children to review instructional material inspect student records, including health and disciplinary records upon request.” 

Rep. Walsh, sponsor and author of the initiative, released the following statement regarding its official introduction to the legislature:

For many Washingtonians, I-2081 may be the most important of the recent group of initiatives to the legislature. Some people call I-2081 a ‘Parents Bill of Rights’ — and that phrase does appear in the initiative. However, to me, it’s most important that I-2081 clearly states that parents are the primary stakeholders in their children’s upbringing. 

Walsh continues:

To be clear, I-2081 doesn’t change what schools can or cannot do. It doesn’t alter what health care providers can or cannot do. It merely requires that, whatever schools or health care providers do, parent or legal guardians are informed about it. It’s also a great government transparency policy. It requires some state and local agencies that are used to be secretive to be more open about what they do, with regards to kids, anyway.

I-2081 has already attracted passionate responses, supporting and opposing. The supporting reations are easy to understand. The opposing responses are all over the place; some say I-2081 makes massive and dangerous changes in state law, while others say it does nothing. Both can’t be true. But both can be false.

Walsh added:

I-2081 strikes a common senes balance in public policy. It doesn’t change Washington’s ‘mature minor’ doctrine. However it does allow parents and legal guardians to know what their minor children are experiencing. This encourages and empowers stable and healthy families.

Walsh concluded:

I hope my colleagues in the Legislature will join me in supporting I-2081. If lawmakers pass I-2081, it will become law quickly, support healthy parents and children quickly, and restore strong families quickly. These are good things for everyone in Washington.

Certified initiatives to the legislature are submitted during the regular session in January. The legislature has the option to adopt the initiate as proposed, making it a law without being placed on the ballot. Alternatively, they can reject or choose not to act on the initiative, leading to is placement on the ballot during the next general election. Another possibility is for the legislature to propose a different bill addressing the same subject; in that case, both measures would be included on the ballot.

A public hearing will be held in the Senate Committee for Early Learning & K-12 Education on February 28 at 9:00 a.m. To register your pro position, click here. To provide written testimony, click here. To testify remotely, click here. To testify in person, click here.

*****

On Friday, January 12, Initiative 2113 (concerning vehicular pursuits by police officers) was referred to the Senate Law & Justice Committee. Rep. Gina Mosbrucker, R-Goldendale, who serves as ranking Republican on the House Community Safety, Justice and Reentry Committee, issued this statement:

As legislators, we must listen to the people of the state of Washington. More than 400,000 people signed this initiative because they are genuinely concerned about the ability of law enforcement officers to do their jobs, to pursue and apprehend suspected criminals, and to keep our communities safe. It is exceptional news that this initiative has been certified. And now that it is in the hands of the Legislature, we need to take quick and decisive action to restore the ability of law enforcement officers to use their training and expertise to decide if it is safer to pursue or not pursue for the community. The people have spoken, and it is our job to listen to them and restore the original law.

Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, sponsor and author of the initiative, had this to say: 

I-2113 enjoys broad and strong support across the state, transcending political and demographic lines. People understand the purpose of I-2113 and wholeheartedly support it. I urge legislators in Olympia to stand with the people and endorse I-2113 without delay or hesitation. Let’s pass it into law so that it can take effect immediately. Law enforcement officers, who support this positive reform, can then return to enforcing the law

Walsh continued:

I-2113 provides Olympia with an opportunity to make a tangible and positive impact on public safety. Legislative leaders don’t need to consult with the outgoing governor on this matter — they can vote I-2113 into law without the governor’s signature, making it immune to his veto. The outgoing governor is not a factor in this decision. The people have spoken by supporting I-2113, and now Olympia needs to stand with the people.

Currently, a police officer can engage in a vehicular pursuit if:

• There is reasonable suspicion to believe that a person in the vehicle is committing or has committed a violent offense, a sex offense, a vehicular assault offense, a domestic violence offense, an escape, or driving under the influence;
• The pursuit is necessary to identify and apprehend the person; and
• The person poses a serious risk of harm to others, and the safety risks of failing to apprehend the person are greater than the safety risks of the pursuit.

The initiative would change the law to allow vehicular pursuits if:

• There is a reasonable suspicion that a person has violated the law;
• The pursuit is necessary to identify and apprehend the person; and
• The person poses a threat to the safety of others and the safety risks of failing to apprehend the person are greater than the safety risks of the pursuit.

A public hearing will be held in the Senate Committee on Law & Justice on February 28 at 9:00 a.m. To register your pro position, click here. To provide written testimony, click here. To testify remotely, click here. To testify in person, click here.

*****

THIS WEEK’S NEWS … 

February 26th is the fiscal cut-off date for the ‘Opposite Chamber’. Any bills with fiscal notes not voted out of the cross-over chamber by the end of business on Monday are essentially ‘dead’ for this legislative session. It is important to note that any bill can technically be revived during the legislative session so a bill is never considered ‘completely dead’ until Sine Die.

I am sorry to report that several very good bills did not survive the first cutoff, including:

• HB 5820 which would have provided protection to those gathering or signing initiative and/or referendum petitions;
• HB 2358 that would have made obstructing highways a crime;
• HB 2233 that would have removed parents or guardians actively using controlled substances in a home where underage children reside;
• HB 1888 which created more ‘baby boxes’ in safe locations where newborns up to one month in age could be dropped off;
• HB 2002 which established criminal penalties for the public use of fentanyl or methamphetamine;
• HB 1380 which would have provided increased funding for the recruitment, retention, and support of law enforcement officers;
• SB 6026 which would have forced public schools to use student’s given names rather than their gender-identified names – without parent or guardian awareness. 

However, it is with absolute joy that I can report many horrendous bills have also died in committee to date, including:

• HB 2150 which sought to keep the name of Donald J. Trump off the presidential ballot in Washington state; 
• HB 1151 which would have promoted the mishandling of human embryos; 
• HB 2470 that would have created a local sales and use tax to address ‘gender-based’ violence;
• SB 5427 which would have created ‘hate crime’ bounties, paying up to $2,000 to citizens who turned their neighbors in for ‘bias incidents’;
• HB 2177 to put a sex offender on the State Sex Offender Policy Board; 
• HB 2030 which would have allowed any incarcerated criminal to vote, serve on a jury and/or run for public office;
• HJR 4208 that would have removed all gender terms from our Washingon State Constitution;
• HB 1960 which would have increased staffing in public schools at a time when enrollment numbers are dropping dramatically;
• HB 1333 which would have created the infamous ‘Domestic Violent Extremism Commission’;
• HB 1868 which would have outlawed the use of all gasoline powered tools and landscaping equipment; 
• SB 5770 which would have allowed our property tax rate cap to increase from 1% to 3% annually.

Of course, there are still many good bills that need your support and lots of terrible bills that still need to be opposed during the last few weeks of this legislative session. Please do not grow weary . . . we need our FPIW ‘Defenders’ to keep fighting the good fight for another 2 weeks! 

To read our full recap of Bill Updates from previous Action Alerts, click here.

In conclusion, please continue to pray for our state, our governmental leaders, FPIW and all other Christian and/or conservative organizations as we lobby for biblical values in the public square in the coming weeks. Thank you! 

We cannot be over-comers without troubles to overcome!

Brad Payne
Policy & Government Affairs Director 
Family Policy Institute of Washington