Legislative Update Week 12: The Final Stretch
Week of March 30 Legislative Update
We’re speeding along to the end of this year’s legislative session- less than 30 days left until lawmakers adjourn. It takes time and a whole lot of work for bills to make their way through the process of committee hearings, floor votes, and then moving to the next chamber and doing it all again.
We’ve got some big wins this week: our first bill, GMA Compliance (HB 1135), PASSED the Senate floor, and two more bills made it through their policy committee. We’ve got momentum, we’ve got the people power, and the finish line is in sight so let’s finish strong.
GMA Compliance- HB 1135
HB 1135, GMA Compliance, is on its way to Governor Ferguson’s desk for signature! He then has five days to sign it into law, and that’s a wrap. This is a technical bill that will ensure that the state’s Growth Management Act is implemented consistently across all cities and counties.
Thank you for your efforts in getting this bill passed, now let’s focus on getting more bills on the Governor’s desk for signature!
Rent Stabilization – HB 1217
HB 1217 was voted out of the Senate Housing committee and is on its way to be heard in the Senate Ways & Means Committee. This committee can be a tough one, it’s where a lot of bills get filtered out and don’t make it through- so we’ll need to keep raising our voices and letting lawmakers know that affordable housing is a top issue we want them to address. The committee will have a public hearing next Friday at 1:30- let them know you support this bill by signing in PRO today!
Transit-Oriented Development – HB 1491
Alongside the Rent Stabilization bill, HB 1491 on transit-oriented development was passed out of the Senate Housing Committee and is on the agenda for Senate Ways & Means on Friday at 1:30.
From the Olympic peninsula to Spokane, Washingtonians strongly support better access to public transit, more affordable housing so people can live close to where they work, and support development that is responsive to the climate crisis- Transit-oriented development helps all of these things, so it’s time to pass HB 1491. Tell the committee you support HB 1491 by signing in PRO today.
It’s exciting to see our priorities getting so close to their final steps! Keep up the momentum, sign in PRO this week, and we can celebrate their progress again next week.