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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The 2023 legislative session is nearing the midway mark and we have reached two important cutoff dates. Friday, Feb. 17 was policy committee cutoff in Olympia. That means any non-fiscal bill that was not passed out of its original assigned policy committee is now considered “dead.”
However, the truth is the majority party can revive any bill it chooses before the end of session, so nothing is truly dead until the final gavel drops.
Our next big cutoff date is today, Friday, Feb. 24, which is the final day for bills being considered in fiscal committees to be passed, except those deemed “necessary to implement the budget,” which is subject to the Speaker’s discretion.
Survey Results: Thank You for Your Input
My seatmate, Rep. Greg Cheney, R-Battle Ground, and I, recently asked you to share your opinion in our 18th District legislative priorities survey. Below are the results of that brief survey.
Based on your answers, cost of living and public safety are the top two issues we face in our district. These are also common issues throughout the entire state.
Cost of Living and Affordability: 32% of respondents chose inflation and affordability as their top priority, and more than 60% included it in their top three.
I’ve heard from so many people that are living paycheck to paycheck, and from many others that are now going into debt just to survive. House Republicans have introduced several pieces of legislation to give Washingtonians a break, including:
- Sales tax relief – House Bill 1704 would provide broad-based relief to all Washington state taxpayers, especially those that spend a large portion of their income on taxable goods and services.
- Property tax relief – House Bill 1483 would reduce the state portion of the property tax and provide broad relief to homeowners.
- Long Term Care – House Bill 1011 would repeal the long-term care trust act and payroll tax.
Public Safety: 24% of respondents said public safety is their number one priority and 60% included it in their top three. This is a statewide concern I also share. In fact, I just spoke with a constituent of mine last night who was involved in a carjacking attempt this week. Bill Black was filling his tires with air in broad daylight at a gas station in Hazel Dell, when another man approached his vehicle and attempted to drive away. Black jumped into the driver seat to stop the would-be thief. It was all caught on the store security camera. Click here to see the entire story.
This is the kind of brazen act law-abiding people are facing every day. With little or no repercussions for the individuals who commit these crimes, they continue to increase. That’s why House Republicans are offering real solutions to make our neighborhoods and communities safer. Click here to learn more about our efforts to increase public safety, including:
- Confronting substance abuse by getting people the help they need.
- Getting more officers on the street and changing the vehicle pursuit standard.
- Addressing the rise in auto thefts and other property crimes.
- Closing homeless encampments and helping people dealing with mental illness.
- Making drug possession a crime again.
Another major public safety issue coming into session was the effort to restore reasonable suspicion as the standard for initiating vehicle pursuits. House Bill 1363 is a bipartisan piece of legislation that would authorize police to pursue criminal suspects based on “reasonable suspicion” rather than the much more stringent “probable cause” put into place with sweeping police reforms passed by the Democrat-controlled Legislature in 2021.
Although HB 1363 was amended and watered down so there would be bipartisan support, it passed out of the House Community Safety, Justice and Reentry Committee and later the Transportation Committee. We will continue trying to make the bill better before it’s voted off the House floor.
I fully support our law enforcement. These women and men put their lives on the line daily to serve and protect, without any guarantee they will return home each night. As we debate policies relating to law enforcement and public safety this legislative session, we were reminded once again this week of the dangers our officers face every day serving our communities.
On Wednesday, Clark County Sheriff Deputy, Drew Kennison, was seriously injured when a tree fell onto his patrol vehicle while he was returning from training. Unfortunately, doctors had to amputate his leg and he faces additional surgeries in the days and weeks ahead. My heart goes out to Deputy Kennison and his family, and my thoughts and prayers are with them as he recovers from this horrible accident.
Although the need for a new interstate bridge is pressing and long overdue, there has not been much movement in the right direction. Oregon’s governor did not include any funding for this project in her latest budget proposal. On the Washington side, Clark County lawmakers are working on this issue and looking for ways to move it forward. Our district needs a new bridge.
Majority Democrats continue to push legislation that makes it harder for law-abiding citizens to own firearms. House Bill 1143, requested by the governor, would establish significant new requirements to legally purchase or transfer a firearm, including a new permit requirement with fingerprinting, in addition to a background check. It has passed out of the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee. Despite these efforts, House Republicans will continue to fight for your Second Amendment rights.
Thank you again for filling out our survey. If you didn’t have a chance to participate, you can still reach out to me to share your input directly. Just contact my legislative assistant to make an appointment. I look forward to hearing from you.
Update on Legislation
I introduced two bills this session and both are still alive.
House Bill 1301 would direct the Department of Licensing (DOL) to review and analyze 20% of professional licenses each year. It would also require the DOL to submit an annual report to the Legislature with recommendations on whether the reviewed professional licenses should be terminated, continued, or modified, to streamline the licensing process and use tax dollars more efficiently.
This bipartisan policy is good, commonsense legislation that will serve the people of Washington looking to advance their careers. It would remove some of the barriers for people across the state looking for opportunities to work. HB 1301 is currently on the House suspension calendar, which means it’s on the fast track to be passed out of the House over to the Senate.
I also introduced House Bill 1360, which is cosponsored by the chair of the Consumer Protection and Business Committee (CP&B). It would allow the Department of Licensing (DOL) to consider competency-based standards for professional licenses. That means the DOL could issue a professional license to an applicant who meets all requirements and passes a competency-based test for that specific professional license. This bill was sent to the Appropriations Committee after passing out of the CP&B committee.
Good and Bad Bills from This Session
Speaking of legislation, so far, state representatives have introduced just over 900 bills this session. Here’s a short list of some of the good and bad bills and their status.
Link to Day of Remembrance Speech
I recently had the opportunity to share some comments on the House floor regarding the Day of Remembrance, as we honored the many lives of those affected by the unjust incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. Click on the image below to listen to my speech:
Please Stay in Touch
We still have a lot of work to do this session, so please continue to share your input, questions, and concerns. I’m honored to be a state representative and work for the people of the 18th Legislative District. Thank you.
It’s an honor to serve you!
Stephanie McClintock
