Politics Bulletin: 22 January 2025

Seattle City Council

Housing & Human Services

CANCELLED.

Parks, Public Utilities, & Technology

CANCELLED.

King County Council

Budget & Fiscal Management, 9:30 a.m.

Chair: Zahilay (Central & South Seattle)

Vice Chair: Dembowski (North)

Members: Balducci (Eastside), Barón (Northwest Seattle), Mosqueda (West Seattle), Perry (Northeast)

On the agenda:

1. Ordinance 2024-0324: 2024 Levy of property taxes for collection in 2025, by CM Zahilay.
2. Ordinance 2024-0383: Ground lease with Community Roots Housing, by CM Zahilay.
3. Ordinance 2024-0384: Commercial lease with Bridge Housing Corporation, by CM Zahilay.

Law & Justice, 1:00 p.m.

Chair: Barón (Northwest Seattle)

Vice Chair: Balducci (Eastside)

Members: Dembowski (North) and Dunn (Southeast)

On the agenda:

1. Motion 2024-0293: Receiving a report on progress toward addressing the legal system backlog that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, by CM Barón.
2. Motion 2024-0284: Receiving a report on a Crisis Response Program plan, by CM Barón.
3. Motion 2025-0016: Relating to the repeal of RCW 10.70.140, by CM Barón.
4. Briefing: Look Ahead for the Law & Justice Committee.

Washington State House of Representatives

Agriculture & Natural Resources, 8:00 a.m.

Chair: Reeves

Ranking Member: Dent

Seattle Members: none

King County Members: Reeves (chair), Springer

On the agenda:

1. Briefing: Wildfire Preparedness, Response, and Mitigation
2. H.B. 1048 (Concerning a Rangeland Fire Protection Association pilot project, by Rep. Dent.)

Civil Rights & Judiciary, 8:00 a.m.

Chair: Taylor

Ranking Member: Walsh

Seattle Members: Farivar (vice chair)

King County Members: Burnett, Entenman, Goodman, Salahuddin, Taylor (chair), Thai, Walen

On the agenda:

1. H.B. 1174 (Concerning court interpreters, by Rep. Peterson, by request of the Administrative Office of the Courts.)
2. H.B. 1207 (Concerning Superior Court clerk fees, by Rep. Thai, by request of the Secretary of State.)
3. H.B. 1281 (Making technical corrections and removing obsolete language from the Revised Code of Washington pursuant to RCW 1.08.025, by Rep. Goodman, by request of the Statute Law Committee.)
4. H.B. 1297 (Reporting self-employed workers to the Division of Child Support, by Rep. Walen, by request of the Dept. of Social & Health Services.)

The committee will then proceed to executive session to further consider the following bills. The committee may vote on passing the bills out of committee.

1. H.B. 1144 (Adding an additional Superior Court judge in Skagit County, by Rep. Lekanoff, by request of the Administrative Office of the Courts.)
2. H.B. 1014 (Implementing recommendations of the 2023 Child Support Schedule Work Group, by Rep. Schmidt.)
3. H.B. 1112 (Removing the city residency requirement for judges pro tempore in municipalities with a population of more than 400,000 inhabitants, by Rep. Farivar.)
4. H.B. 1046 (Providing immunity from civil liability for damage to a motor vehicle arising from the rescue of vulnerable persons or domestic animals, by Rep. Leavitt.)

Labour & Workplace Standards, 8:00 a.m.

Chair: Berry

Ranking Member: Schmidt

Seattle Members: Berry (chair), Scott (vice chair)

King County Members: Obras

On the agenda:

1. H.B. 1308 (Access to personnel records, by Rep. Reed.)

Following the public hearing on H.B. 1308, the committee will proceed to executive session to consider the following bills, and may vote to send the bills out of committee.

1. H.B. 1105 (Exempting exclusive bargaining representatives for Dept. of Corrections employees from certain provisions related to collective bargaining, by Rep. Fosse.)
2. H.B. 1141 (Collective bargaining for agricultural cannabis workers, by Rep. Ortíz-Self.)
3. H.B. 1162 (Workplace violence in healthcare settings, by Rep. Leavitt.)
4. H.B. 1173 (Wages for journeypersons in high-hazard facilities, by Rep. Bronoske.)

Local Government, 8:00 a.m.

Chair: Duerr

Ranking Member: Klicker

Seattle Members: none
King County Members: Duerr (chair), Hunt

On the agenda:

1. H.B. 1044 (Concerning county fees for administration of the real estate excise tax, by Rep. Wylie.)
2. H.B. 1254 (Implementing the International Wildland Interface Code, by Rep. Duerr.)
3. H.B. 1145 (Concerning county public works reporting requirements, by Rep. Barkis.)

Technology, Economic Development, & Veterans, 8:00 a.m.

Chair: Ryu

Ranking Member: Volz

Seattle Members: Ryu (chair), Street

King County Member: Kloba (vice chair), Penner

On the agenda:

1. H.B. 1245 (Concerning business development, by Rep. Couture.)
2. Briefing: AI Task Force inaugural report

Consumer Protection & Business, 1:30 p.m.

Chair: Walen

Ranking Member: McClintock

Seattle Members: Berry, Hackney (vice chair), Ryu, Santos

King County Members: Kloba, Reeves, Walen (chair)

On the agenda:

1. H.B. 1063 (Establishing a new chapter for the licensing & regulation of businesses providing earned wage access services, by Rep. Reeves.)
2. H.B. 1268 (Concerning virtual currency transaction kiosks, by Rep. Hackney.)

Following the public hearing, the committee MAY proceed to executive session to consider the following bills. If they do, the committee MIGHT also vote the bills out of committee.

1. H.B. 1067 (Transferring certain cannabis licensing activities to the Dept. of Agriculture, by Rep. Reeves.)
2. H.B. 1209 (Regulating the transfer of sodium nitrite, by Rep. Mena.)

Early Learning & Human Services, 1:30 p.m.

Chair: Bergquist

Ranking Member: Eslick

Seattle Members: Bergquist (chair)

King County Members: Burnett (asst. ranking), Goodman, Penner, Taylor

On the agenda:

1. H.B. 1082 (Qualifications for childcare providers, by Rep. Eslick.)
2. H.B. 1248 (Providing ongoing evaluations of juvenile justice programs and clarifying juvenile diversion practices, by Rep. Couture.)
3. H.B. 1263 (Updating eligible uses for the Essential Needs and Housing Support Program, by Rep. Cortes, by request of the Dept. of Commerce.)
4. H.B. 1351 (Adjusting age requirements for accessing the Early Childhood Education & Assistance Program, by Rep. Bernbaum.)

Healthcare & Wellness, 1:30 p.m.

Chair: Bronoske

Ranking Member: Schmick

Seattle Members: Davis, Macri

King County Members: Obras, Thai

On the agenda:

1. H.B. 1076 (Concerning the Health Technology Assessment Program, by Rep. Walen.)
2. H.B. 1190 (Allowing additional health professions to access the University of Washington Health Sciences Library, by Rep. Marshall.)
3. H.B. 1234 (Concerning the Mental Health Counselors, Marriage & Family Therapists, and Social Workers Advisory Committee, by Rep. Simmons.)
4. H.B. 1238 (Creating an Advisory Council on Rare Diseases, by Rep. Low.)
5. H.B. 1262 (Updating the Governor's Interagency Coordinating Council on Health Disparities, by Rep. Santos, on request of the Governor's Interagency Coordinating Council on Health Disparities.)

Postsecondary Education & Workforce, 1:30 p.m.

Chair: Paul

Ranking Member: Ybarra

Seattle Members: Pollet, Reed

King County Members: Entenman, Salahuddin

On the agenda:

1. H.B. 1142 (Standardizing basic training and certification requirements for long-term care workers who provide in-home care for their family members, including spouses or domestic partners, by Rep. Macri, by request of the Dept. of Social & Health Services.)
2. H.B. 1259 (Supervision requirements for behavior health professionals in elementary and secondary public schools, by Rep. Shavers.)
3. H.B. 1278 (The role of students on the governing boards of institutions of higher education, by Rep. Pollet.)
4. H.B. 1298 (Student athlete insurance, by Rep. Berg.)

State Government & Tribal Relations, 1:30 p.m.

Chair: Mena

Ranking Member: Waters
Seattle Members: Farivar

King County Members: Stearns (vice chair)

On the agenda:

1. Briefing: The state of horse racing
2. H.B. 1219 (Concerning the Interbranch Advisory Committee, by Rep. Taylor.)
3. H.B. 1327 (Concerning horse racing, by Rep. Schmick, by request of the Horse Racing Commission.)

Appropriations, 4:00 p.m.

Chair: Ormsby

Ranking Member: Couture

Seattle Members: Bergquist, Fitzgibbon, Macri (vice chair), Pollet, Ryu, Street

King County Members: Burnett, Callan, Gregerson (vice chair), Penner (asst. ranking), Springer, Thai 

On the agenda:

1. Briefing: K-12 Education overview

Transportation, 4:00 p.m.

Chair: Fey

Ranking Member: Barkis

Seattle Members: Hackney, Reed (vice chair)

King County Members: Duerr, Entenman, Hunt, Taylor

On the agenda:

1. H.B. 1098 (Concerning county local roads, by Rep. Low.)
2. H.B. 1194 (Creating additional requirements for collector vehicle and horseless carriage license plates to improve compliance and public safety, by Rep. Goodman, by request of the Dept. of Licensing.)
3. H.B. 1244 (Concerning training as an alternative to driver license suspension for the accumulation of certain traffic infractions, by Rep. Wylie, by request of the Dept. of Licensing.)
4. H.B. 1367 (Improving motorcycle safety by authorizing the use of the right shoulder of limited access roadways, by Rep. Orcutt.)

Washington State Senate

The Senate will convene at 12:15 p.m., and immediately proceed to Joint Session to hear the State of the Judiciary address by Chief Justice Debra Stephens. Following the address, the Joint Session will dissolve, and the Senate will proceed in a pro forma session.

Business, Financial Services, & Trade, 8:00 a.m.

Chair: Kauffman

Ranking Member: Dozier

Seattle Members: Hasegawa

King County Members: Fortunato, Kauffman (chair), Stanford

On the agenda:

1. Briefing: State Lottery overview
2. Briefing: Gambling Commission overview
3. Briefing: Horse Racing Commission overview

Following the briefings, the committee will proceed to executive session to consider the following bills and Joint Memorial. The committee may vote one or both bills, and possibly the Joint Memorial, out of committee.

1. S.B. 5016 (Concerning pre-arrangemnt funeral services, by Sen. Lovick.)
2. S.B. 5108 (Regulating service contracts and protection product guarantees, by Sen. Kauffman.)
3. S.J.M. 8005 (Requesting that Congress enact legislation that would reinstate the separation of commercial and investment banking functions that were in effect under the Glass-Steagall act, by Sen. Hasegawa.)

Environment, Energy, & Technology, 8:00 a.m.

Chair: Shewmake

Ranking Member: Boehnke

Seattle Members: none

King County Members: Dhingra, Ramos, Slatter (vice chair), Wellman

On the agenda:

1. Briefing: Recycling Basics & Benefits
2. H.B. 5045 (Expanding the State Battery Stewardship Program to include electric vehicle batteries, by Sen. Jeff Wilson.)

Human Services, 8:00 a.m.

Chair: Claire Wilson

Ranking Member: Christian
Seattle Members: Frame (vice chair)

King County Members: Orwall, Claire Wilson (chair)

On the agenda:

1. S.B. 5149 (Expanding the Early Childhood Court Program, by Sen. Cortes.)
2. S.B. 5163 (Modernizing the Child Fatality Statute, by Sen. Orwall.)
3. S.B. 5232 (Updating eligible uses for the Essential Needs and Housing Support Program, by Sen. Claire Wilson, by request of the Dept. of Commerce.)

Following public hearing on the above bills, the committee will proceed to executive session to consider the following bills, and may vote to move a bill/bills out of committee.

1. S.B. 5029 (Concerning the transportation of individuals released or discharged from the custody of the Dept. of Corrections, by Sen. Claire Wilson.)
2. S.B. 5032 (Expanding the duties of the Office of the Family & Children's Ombuds to include juvenile rehabilitation facilities operated by the Dept. of Children, Youth, & Families, by Sen. Claire Wilson.)
3. S.B. 5052 (Modifying law enforcement ability to contact juvenile witnesses and victims not suspected of criminal involvement or activity, by Sen. Salomon.)
4. S.B. 5079 (Addressing the burden of unintentional overpayments on older adults and adults with disabilities served by the Dept. of Social & Health Services, by Sen. Muzzall, by request of the Dept. of Social & Health Services.)
5. S.B. 5082 (Creating a Housing Assistance Program for youth enrolled in Extended Foster Care, by Sen. Claire Wilson.)
6. S.B. 5103 (Expediting review of sentences when there exists a pending deportation proceeding, by Sen. Hasegawa.)
7. S.B. 5128 (Concerning the provision of medical assistance to individuals in juvenile detention facilities, by Sen. Claire Wilson.)
8. S.B. 5131 (Accommodating religious foods in state correctional facilities, by Sen. Claire Wilson.)
9. S.B. 5199 (Providing compensation to members of the Dept. of Children, Youth, & Families Oversight Board with direct lived experience, by Sen. Claire Wilson.)
10. S.B. 5214 (Concerning mobile market programs, by Sen. Shewmake.)
11. S.B. 5266 (Concerning the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, by Sen. Frame.)

Early Learning & K-12 Education, 1:30 p.m.

Chair: Wellman

Ranking Member: Harris

Seattle Members: none

King County Members: Wellman (chair), Claire Wilson (vice chair, early learning).

On the agenda:

1. S.B. 5187 (Providing adequate and predictable student transportation, by Sen. Wellman.)
2. S.B. 5192 (Concerning school district materials, supplies, and operating costs, by Sen. Nobles.)
   
3. S.B. 5263 (Concerning special education funding, by Sen. Pedersen.)
4. S.B. 5307 (Concerning special education funding, by Sen. Wellman, by request of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.)

Housing, 1:30 p.m.

Chair: Bateman

Ranking Member: Goehner

Seattle Members: Salomon

King County Members: Goehner (ranking), Orwall

On the agenda:

The committee will consider S.B. 5129 (Concerning common interest communities, by Sen. Pedersen), and may vote to pass it out of committee.

Following consideration of S.B. 5129, the committee will hear public testimony on S.B. 5222 (Capping increases on rent, and for other purposes, by Sen. Trudeau)

United States House of Representatives

The House convenes at 10:00 a.m./7:00 a.m., then proceeds to Legislative Business at noon/9:00 a.m.

The House will consider the following bills during Legislative Business:

1. H.Res. 53 (Providing for consideration of S. 5 Laken Riley Act and H.R. 471 Fix Our Forests Act.
2. S. 5 Laken Riley Act (by Sen. Britt of Alabama.)

S. 5 Laken Riley Act will be debated for about one hour (with Republicans and Democrats each given 30 minutes), before the House votes on final passage.

The following bills may also be voted on after voting on the previous bills:

1. H.R. 165 Wounded Knee Massacre & Sacred Sit Act (by Rep. Johnson of South Dakota.)
2. H.R. 375 Continued Rapid Ohia Death Response Act (by Rep. Tokuda.)

Homeland Security, 10:00 a.m./7:00 a.m.

Chair: Mark Green (Tennessee)
Ranking Member: Bennie Thompson (Mississippi)

Washington Members: None

On the agenda: 

Organizational meeting, no expected legislative action

Financial Services, 10:00 a.m./7:00 a.m.

Chair: French Hill (Arkansas)

Ranking Member: Maxine Waters (California)

Washington Members: None

On the agenda: 

Organizational meeting, no expected legislative action

Ways & Means, 10:00 a.m./7:00 a.m.

Chair: Jason Smith (Missouri)

Ranking Member: Richard Neal (Massachusetts)

Washington Members: Suzan DelBene (District 1)

On the agenda:

The Committee will hear testimony on matters pertaining to the Committee's jurisdiction from Representatives who are not members of the Committee.

For a full list of Representatives testifying today, click here (there's a lot). None of Washington's representatives are set to speak.

Transportation & Infrastructure, 10:00 a.m./7:00 a.m.

Chair: Sam Graves (Missouri)

Ranking Member: Rick Larsen (Washington)
Washington Members: Rick Larsen (District 2), Marilyn Strickland (District 10)

On the agenda:

Amending committee rules & appointing members to subcommittees.

Judiciary

Subcommittee: Immigration Integrity, Security, & Enforcement, 10:00 a.m./7:00 a.m.

Chair: Tom McClintock (California)

Ranking Member: Pramila Jayapal (Washington)

Washington Members: Pramila Jayapal (Seattle, ranking member)

On the agenda:

"Restoring Immigration Enforcement in America."

Witnesses:

1. John Fabbricatore, Visiting Fellow at the Heritage Foundation
2. Grant Newman, Dir. of Gov't Relations at the Immigration Accountability Project
3. Jessica Vaughan, Dir. of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration Studies
4. David Bier, Dir. of Immigration Studies at the CATO Institute

United States Senate

The Senate will convene at 11:00 a.m./8:00 a.m.

Following remarks by Majority Leader John Thune and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, the Senate will resume consideration of S. 6 Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (by Sen. Lankford of Oklahoma).

At approximately 2:00 p.m./11:00 a.m., the Senate will vote on whether or not to end debate on S. 6.

The Majority Leader has filed a motion to end debate on the following presidential nominations:

1. John Ratcliffe, Director of the CIA
2. Peter Hegseth, Secretary of Defense
3. Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security

Budget, 10:00 a.m./7:00 a.m.

Chair: Lindsey Graham (South Carolina)

Ranking Member: Jeff Merkley (Oregon)

Washington Member: Patty Murray

On the agenda:

Confirmation hearing for Russell Vought, nominee for Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Commerce, Science, & Transportation, 10:00 a.m./7:00 a.m.

Chair: Ted Cruz (Texas)

Ranking Member: Maria Cantwell (Washington)

On the agenda:

Confirmation hearing for Sean Duffy, nominee for Secretary of Transportation.

The President of the United States

The President has no public events.

However, the President is confirmed to attend the following meetings today:

1. An interview with Sean Hannity, to air tonight at 9:00 p.m./6:00 p.m.
2. A conference with Rep. Don Bacon (Nebraska), Rep. Mike Lawler (New York), and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (Pennsylvania).