This is the Federation Hotline updated Feb. 7.
Quick update: Four key bills clear latest deadline
Four of our priority bills cleared the latest fiscal committee cutoff deadline Tuesday (Feb. 6). And in reporting some of the early news yesterday, we forgot our high school civics lessons about how a bill becomes law. By clearing their respective committees, they now go to their respective Rules committees, which schedule bills for a vote of the full House or Senate.
So bills that cleared this first round of committee cutoff deadlines have until Feb. 14 to pass their chamber: House bills in the House, Senate bills in the Senate.
Here are the four that passed committee Tuesday:
- The House Appropriations Committee passed out the Taxpayer Protection Act (2SHB 1851) on a vote of 22-10. It’s now in the House Rules Committee.
- Our priority bill (SHB 1558) expanding PSERS to include institutions workers, passed the House Appropriations Committee. It’s now in the House Rules Committee.
- Our priority bill to leave no doubt and extend civil service protections to all part-time state employees (SB 6184) passed the Senate Ways and Means Committee. It’s now in the Senate Rules Committee. The House version, HB 2669, passed the House Appropriations Committee and is now in the House Rules Committee.
- And our priority bill to expand interpreter services (SSB 6245) passed the Senate Ways and Means Committee. It’s now in the Senate Rules Committee.
Most of our priority bills that needed to clear the Feb. 2 or Feb. 6 committee deadlines did just that.
Here’s a quick rundown of some key priority bills that are still alive (in addition to the four mentioned above that cleared committee Tuesday):
- Shared leave for pregnancy/parental bonding – SHB 1434 passed the House and is now in the Senate State Government Committee; SSB 5295 is in the Senate Rules Committee/Second Reading Calendar.
- Binding interest arbitration for campus police – SHB 1559 passed the House and is now in the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.
- PERS 2 default – SHB 1560 passed the House and is now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
- Protecting privacy of state employees’ dates of birth – SB 6079 is on the Senate Second Reading Calendar.
- Protecting the privacy of those who file sexual harassment complaints – SHB 2778 is on the House Second Reading Calendar.
- Community Corrections/peer support privileged communications – HB 2611 is on the Second Reading Calendar for a vote of the full House.
- Repeal I-200/reinstate Affirmative Action – SB 6406 is on the Second Reading Calendar for a vote of the full Senate.
Bills that didn’t clear the Feb. 2 or Feb. 6 committee cutoff deadlines:
- Our priority affordable housing bill, in both the House and Senate. Despite an outpouring of support from the public and Federation members, HB 2583 and SB 6400 were not scheduled for committee votes by the Feb. 2 cutoff deadline. But our multi-level effort to address the economic concerns of our members living in high-cost areas of the state continues – stronger than ever.
- SSB 6259, the social worker student loan repayment bill, did not come up for a vote of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
- SSB 6332 to re-establish the state Productivity Board did not come up for a vote of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
- Workplace bullying – HB 2888 did not come up for a vote of the House Appropriations Committee.
Shared leave requests:
IN NEED OF SHARED LEAVE: Kathleen “Kate” Greene, a WorkSource specialist with the Employment Security Department in Tumwater and a member of Local 443, has been approved for shared leave to care for her son who has a serious health condition. To help with a donation of eligible unused annual leave or sick leave or all or part of your personal holiday, contact Felicia Wright at (360) 902-9532.
IN NEED OF SHARED LEAVE: Sylvia Lausted, a support enforcement officer 3 with DSHS in Spokane, has been approved for shared leave as she recovers from breast cancer surgery and further treatment and surgery. To help with a donation of eligible unused annual leave or sick leave or all or part of your personal holiday, contact your human resource office.
That’s it for now.
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