Week of February 18 Legislative Update

Wow, what a week it’s been!  Last Tuesday marked the House of Origin cutoff, and we had a clean sweep!  Both transit-oriented development (HB 2160) and rent stabilization (HB 2114) passed out of the House, and the bad rural development bills (HB 2126/SB 6029) were held from votes and died this session.  I cannot stress how huge of a win this is, and it’s all because of people like yourself that have been hard at work sending emails, lobbying, making calls, getting friends involved, and more.  Thank you for being a critical part of this effort!

But we’re not done yet. TOD and rent stabilization are in the Senate and headed for or already in the Ways and Means committee, which is a notoriously challenging committee for bills to get through.  If we want to see this through to the end, the upcoming weeks are going to take organizing at new levels; door-knocking our neighbors to get them to contact their legislator, writing letters to the editor, and turning out in our strongest force yet.  Read more for updates on the bills and what’s next.

Transit-Oriented Development (HB 2160)

I am delighted to announce that Transit Oriented Development (TOD) HB 2160 has successfully passed the House and proceeded to the Senate Local Gov committee. Following a hearing on Feb 15, the bill is now scheduled for a vote on Tuesday, 2/20, and with your help we can get it passed out and moved to the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

It’s important to continue a strong display of support for this bill as we challenge attempts to water down the bill. Your support remains critical in ensuring the success of this legislation, and we appreciate your ongoing commitment to advancing Transit Oriented Development (TOD) in our communities.

Can you email the Senate Local Gov committee to vote yes on HB 2160?

Rent Stabilization (HB 2114)

Wednesday marked the floor vote cut off, and rent stabilization bill HB 2114 was brought onto the floor just a few minutes before the 5pm deadline! By majority, the rent stabilization bill (HB 2114) passed out of the Washington State House and will now move onto the Senate. We are grateful to be one step closer to a better Washington state, where everyone has access to equitable and affordable housing. Thank you to everyone who signed in pro, called and emailed their legislators, and helped make this happen!

The bill bypassed the Senate Housing Committee and is already in Ways and Means.  It is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways and Means on Feb. 22 at 1:30pm. As I’m writing this (Friday) there are currently MORE CON sign ins that PRO.  We can’t let that happen! We need an especially large turn out from the 43rd and 24th districts. Can you click here and sign in pro for HB 2114?

Rural Lands Protection (HB 2126/SB 6029)

It takes a lot of pressure to kill bills … and we did it! Neither HB 2126 nor SB 6029, which would allow second homes in rural areas, made it to their respective floors for a vote, so they are dead! We’re grateful for all the work you have been a part of to kill these bills – emails, phone calls, lobby days, and volunteer meetings all slowed the momentum of these bills and ensured that they didn’t make it past the cutoff. And for good reason! These bills would have increased sprawl and jeopardized limited water resources in rural communities. We look forward to continuing work with rural leaders to ensure we meet housing needs in a way that promotes healthy, livable, and connected communities.

District Town Halls

You may have seen already, but many districts statewide are hosting town halls with legislators over the next few weeks. These are great opportunities to get the issues we care about in front of legislators in a direct way. Picture it– if you’re a legislator and tons of people at your town hall are asking about TOD and rent stabilization, you’re going to go home thinking your district cares the most about those issues. If you’re able to attend your local town hall, submit questions about TOD and rent stabilization. Each town hall is different, but our friends at WLIHA have created a handy guide here to help you navigate. You can find a list of town halls, how to get involved, and some sample questions to ask.

Weekly Volunteer Campaign Meeting

We’re resuming the weekly volunteer meeting this Wednesday 2/21 at 5:30pm over zoom.  These are a great way to meet other volunteers, helps make plans for the upcoming session, and get the most up-to-date info on the campaign.