Democrats advance legislation for a weaponized world

Published 6:45 am Friday, January 24, 2020

By Jerry Cornfield

Democrats advance legislation for a weaponized world

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Gun-rights supporters rally on the steps of the Capitol in Olympia last Friday. (AP Photo/Rachel La Corte)

2020 Washington Legislature, Day 12 of 60

Everett Herald political reporter Jerry Cornfield: jcornfield@heraldnet.com | @dospueblos

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OLYMPIA, Jan. 24, 2020 — Welcome to Friday and the end of Week 2.

Today there’ll be talk about honoring a special clam and about requiring healthy drink alternatives with children’s meals.

We’ll get to those in a moment.

• On Thursday, hours after a shooting in downtown Seattle left one dead and seven wounded, lawmakers took action on a variety of gun-related measures.

The Democratic majority on the Senate Law and Justice Committee advanced bills limiting the capacity of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, requiring training to obtain or renew a concealed pistol license and establishing an Office of Firearm Violence Prevention.

Then the House approved legislation giving the W ashington State Patrol an option to destroy guns it’s seized or whose owners forfeited them for one reason or another and never retrieved them when they could. Opponents want the state to sell the weapons and use proceeds for agency needs. Martha Belisle of The Associated Press covered the day’s developments.

• Now let’s talk about the Pacific razor clam, which a couple Democratic senators are pushing to be named the official state clam. They have a bill and it’s getting a hearing at 1:30 p.m. today. No state has designated an official clam, according to research done by legislative staff. The closest to do so is Rhode Island. Its state shell is the quahaug, a type of hard-shelled clam.

• This morning, the subject of default beverages for children’s meals will be in front of the Senate Health and Long Term Care Committee. There’s a bill to require that restaurants provide a healthy drink alternative like milk or water with every children’s meal. Such a mandate is probably not going to be very popular.

What we’re writing and reading

• If you’re like me, you’ve not spent as much time following the impeachment trial as you had planned. Democrats conclude their case Friday, and Republicans can start presenting theirs this weekend. Here’s Politico’s recap of what happened Thursday.

• Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg is setting up shop in Washington. He’s hired campaign staff and is making plans to open several offices, reports Jim Brunner of The Seattle Times.

• In Memoriam: Jim Lehrer, a co-founder of the “PBS Newshour,” has died. Lehrer’s nine life and rules, as shared by PBS.

What’s happening

• It’s moving day for the lemonade-stand bill. A House committee will vote on the measure that says children can operate a beverage stand — where the beverages are all non-alcoholic — without a permit.

• And today is Youth Climate Day. Many young people will be in the Capitol pressing lawmakers for action on climate bills.

Here’s today’s full committee lineup.

Legislative agendas, schedules and calendars

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