Today a little rodent gets a special honor, a state agency gets a new name and felons get a chance to regain an old right.
Also today, women will gain legal protection if discriminated against for breastfeeding in public and Washington will join other states in calling for electing presidents by a national popular vote rather than the Electoral College.
These are among roughly 500 new laws enacted by the Legislature that are taking effect today.
Overall, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a record 578 bills, including those already in force because they involve the state budget. She wants lawmakers to curtail themselves.
“It’s not about quantity. It’s about quality,” she said.
What she did sign covered a gamut of areas.
A new law celebrates the Olympic marmot’s uniqueness as the only mammal indigenous to Washington. It will now be acknowledged as the official State Endemic Mammal.
Another renames the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development as the Department of Commerce. Monday will mark the first official day of the newly named agency.
Monday will also be the first opportunity for felons who have done their time and are no longer on probation to sign up to vote — even if they have not paid all their fines and restitution. The new law removes the requirement for those court-imposed financial obligations to be paid off before voting rights are restored.
One of the more controversial laws taking effect today unites Washington with other states wanting to change how presidents are elected.
The law allows Washington to enter an agreement pledging the state’s Electoral College votes to the candidate with the most votes nationally rather than in the state. The agreement wouldn’t go into force until states representing a majority of the electoral votes sign onto the same deal.
There was an attempt to repeal the law by referendum. Backers of that effort failed to collect enough signatures to get on the ballot.
Other laws effective today require:
– Those practicing body art, body piercing and tattooing to obtain a license and comply with state health standards for conducting their business;
– Candidates to tell the truth or at least not maliciously lie about their opponent. This won’t prohibit false statements, but candidates will be breaking the law if they make such statements in advertising and literature with actual malice and if they are defamatory.
– Hospitals to adopt a policy on testing for and reporting cases of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. Those polices must be in place by Jan. 1, 2010;
– State agencies to cut back on paper use by 30 percent by July 1, 2010, and push to recycle 100 percent of all copy and printing paper in all buildings with 25 employees or more;
– Washington-labeled wines to be produced with at least 95 percent state-grown grapes.
For one Republican leader, today is a day to applaud laws not taking effect.
Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla, lauded the killing of legislation to create a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions, to limit what employers can tell their workers in company meetings, and to establish a homeowners bill of rights.
“And we’re very happy we did not get any new taxes,” he said.
Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623, jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
