The 2021 Legislative session is approaching the half-way mark and we have just passed our committee “cutoff” date. All bills that have not passed out of committee by now are “dead” for the session, except for budget-related bills.
The next step in the session is two weeks of long days on the Senate floor as we pass bills before the next cutoff, March 9th. That is the date by which all bills must be out of Senate to stay alive for this session.
The cutoff process works as a filter and funnel to take the almost 1,000 bills that have been introduced and whittle them down to the few hundred that will actually become law.
Check Out Washington
You may remember last year I prime-sponsored SSB 6670 which expanded the ‘Check Out Washington’ program. This program provides Discover Passes to libraries for customers to check out.
Discover Passes allow people to access millions of acres of state and recreational land, including over 100 state parks like Riverside State Park and Mt. Spokane State Park. Some libraries have even provided outdoor equipment along with the pass. Since the bill passed, an additional 495 free Discover Passes have been distributed to libraries across the state, including two at each of the Spokane Public Libraries and the Spokane County Library District outlets. Visit your closest branch to check one out!
Vaccine Distribution Update
The state continues to focus on COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Here is the most recent data:
- Doses distributed to Washington state: 1,510,195
- Doses administered: 1,379,318
- Percentage of distributed vaccines that have been administered: 91.33%
Click here to find more information, here to see if and when you qualify, or here to find a location near you.
Keep in Touch
Please stay safe and healthy, and do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or comments at andy.billig@leg.wa.gov.
Onward!
Andy
