The fourth week of session will entail lobbyists sitting and agonizing over whether their bills will be voted out of committee. Friday, February 7 is the first bill deadline of session, and many bills will not survive it. Fiscal committees (finance, appropriations, ways & means, transportation) have until Tuesday, February 11 to get their bills out. Thus, we will be working this weekend.

Since there is a rush to pass bills, there are fewer substantive hearings on new bills. Nevertheless, there are a few. 

On Monday there are bills related to:

Public works

          The Senate Government Operations Committee, which has a number of alternative public works bills scheduled: SB 6428, concerning heavy civil construction projects; SB 6454, exempting from public inspection certain public works proposals and documents, and SB 6455, concerning alternative contracting performance goals.    

Venue for county contract cases

          The Senate Law & Justice Committee that will hear SB 6384, which addresses venue for cases between a county and its residents involving contracts. The House will hear their version of the bill, HB 2602, on Tuesday.

Local finance issues

          The Senate Commerce & Labor Committee will hear SB 6186, which addresses a number of issues related to the state's prevailing wage system.

The House Local Government Committee will hear a King County bill, HB 2681, which would extend the sales tax credit that cities can use to help finance annexations.  

Tuesday is the last day most committees are hearing bills - these bills involve:

Flood planning and response

          House Capital Budget Committee will hold a work session on the issue and will hear several bills that address bonds for flood hazard reduction projects and storm water projects (HB 2356 and HB 2357).

SEPA and mitigation issues

          House Environment Committee will hear HB 2090, which would establish major categorical exemptions to SEPA, and two bills that address environmental mitigation for transportation projects and other infrastructure projects (HB 2095  and HB 2269 respectively).

GMA and land use related bills

          The Senate Government Operations Committee will hear a plethora of bills dealing with the growth management act. SB 6463 would include certain public water facilities in the utilities element of a comprehensive plan; SB 6372 addresses the qualifications a hearing board member must meet; SB 6461  establishes a process for the payment of impact fees, and SB 6404 concerns annexations by cities with 400,000 or more residents.

APA Washington Legislative Committee