The pressure starts to build this week in Olympia. If bills are not passed out of their policy committee by Friday, they will not advance this year. “Cutoff week” generates a lot of added action as citizens, lobbyists and legislators all work to keep their priority bills alive for consideration.
The deadlines are an important part of the refining process that filters the thousands of bills that are introduced each year into the couple of hundred that will actually pass into law.
Billig’s bills
In my role as the Senate Majority Leader, I find myself working on almost all major legislation so I prime-sponsor only a limited number of bills. Since my primary job is representing the people of Spokane, all of the bills I am prime-sponsoring this year were brought to me by constituents.
- Safety Stop (SB 6208):This bill allows cyclists to treat a stop sign as a yield sign, so cyclists can keep their momentum and distance from cars. This means fewer dangerous interactions on our roads. Drivers may like this bill too, because it can be frustrating to pull up behind a bicyclist and wait for them to get back up to speed after coming to a full stop. It’s time to join Idaho, Oregon and other states that have adopted this common-sense law.
- Check Out WA! (SB 6670):Currently, a program called Check Out Washington makes Discover Passes available to library card holders. This bill expands the program to all 350 libraries in Washington to allow borrowers access to millions of acres of state parks and other state public lands.
- Right to Tribal Regalia Act (SB 6607):This bill removes barriers for cultural expression, such as an eagle feather or beads on a graduation cap, for tribal students at graduation ceremonies. A similar law is already in place in several states, including North Dakota, Montana and California. The original concern was raised by a constituent who is a member of the Spokane Tribe of Indians.
‘Inside Olympia’
I appeared on TVW’s ‘Inside Olympia’ program last week and discussed our priorities for the 2020 session. Watch a short clip here or see the entire program here.
