A move to require voting and a bicameral chasm on vehicle pursuits

It’s Day 19 and the mood is heating up as the third week of the 2023 legislative session comes to an end.

NO CAPTION NECESSARY: Logo for the Cornfield Report by Jerry Cornfield. 20200112

2023 Washington Legislature, Day 19 of 105

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

Want this in your inbox Monday-Wednesday-Friday? Subscribe here.

OLYMPIA, Jan. 27, 2023 — It’s Friday. Each week feels longer than the last, right?

An entertaining debate on the capital gains tax unfolded in front of the Supreme Court on Thursday. I didn’t count how many times I heard “income tax” in the 60-minute legal match-up. It was a lot. I won’t forget justices worked purchases of pizza in New York and a home in Montana into the conversation.

When they will rule is a mystery. The state sure hopes it’s sooner than later — even if it’s just a simple ‘you won’ or ‘you lost.’ Tax payments are due starting April 18. Lawmakers are supposed to adjourn April 23. Before departing they will approve a new budget. They’d like to know if they can pencil in moolah from this tax or not.

Collision course

Those looking for the House and Senate to strike a deal on vehicle pursuits are in for a long wait. Maybe until the final days. They will be airing out their different approaches next week.

On Monday, at 10:30 a.m., a hearing will be held on Senate Bill 5533 to have a 19-person work group draft a model policy by Oct. 31, 2024.

It’s in the Senate Law and Justice Committee where the chair, Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, has made abundantly clear she’s not interested in rewriting current law. She likes this idea and wants the committee to vote it out Feb. 2.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, at 4 p.m., those who want current law changed will get a chance in a hearing on House Bill 1363 in the House Community Safety, Justice and Reentry Committee.

This bill restores the ability of cops to initiate a chase with “reasonable suspicion” a person in a vehicle had committed a crime. Now they need “probable cause” and that’s a higher bar. A very similar bill passed the House with 86 votes last March only to lapse in the Senate.

You must vote, it’s the law

There are countries where you are required to vote and you’re breaking the law when you don’t. A few Democratic lawmakers envision Washington becoming such a place one day.

Senate Bill 5290 and House Bill 1220 are the vehicles to setting up a system in which every person eligible to vote must register and submit a ballot each election — even if what they turn in is blank. While a person would be legally required to return their ballot for every primary and general election, there would be no punishment for not doing so. There’s a path to opt out and get your name off the voter rolls. And there’s a means to get back on as well.

“People must register for the selective service, serve on a jury, and pay taxes; they should also be required to cast a ballot,” reads the bill.

KUOW’s Tom Banse has the back story of the bill in this piece. A hearing on the Senate bill is set for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Senate State Government and Elections Committee.

Reality check

“The opioid crisis and overdose crisis is worse than it has been with no signs of slowing.” That’s how Dr. Tao Kwan-Gett, chief science officer of the state Department of Health began a presentation to the Senate Ways and Means Committee on the multi-agency, multi-faceted and multi-million dollar response to those crises which claimed 2,264 lives in 2021.

At the end, Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, sought the bottom line.

“Doctor, I appreciate your candor. To paraphrase you, things are horrible, they have been horrible and there’s no end in sight of horrible,” he said. “Is there any evidence that any of this is changing the trajectory? Is there any evidence we’re changing anything?”

Kwan-Gett’s said he had no data showing the impact of any one component of the approach. That’s coming, hopefully. For now, he had an overarching impression. “I interpret it as we haven’t done enough. We need to do more.”

To subscribe to the Cornfield Report, go to www.heraldnet.com/newsletters. | Previous Cornfield Reports here.

News clippings

Compiled by: House Democrats | House Republicans

On TV

Non-profit TVW covers state government in Olympia and selected events statewide. Programs are available for replay on the internet, and the channel is widely available on Washington cable systems.

TVW schedule | Current and recent video | Shows

Links

Contact your legislator | District lookup | Bill lookup

Legislature home | House | Senate

Caucuses: House Democrats | House Republicans | Senate Democrats | Senate Republicans

Office of the Governor

Laws and agency rules

Beat reporters: Jerry Cornfield (Everett Herald) | Tom Banse (NW News Network) | Jim Brunner (Seattle Times) | Laurel Demkovich (Spokesman-Review) | Joseph O’Sullivan (Crosscut) | Melissa Santos (Axios) | Shauna Sowersby (McClatchy newspapers) | Claire Withycombe (Times)

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Vehicles travel along Mukilteo Speedway on Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Mukilteo cameras go live to curb speeding on Speedway

Starting Friday, an automated traffic camera system will cover four blocks of Mukilteo Speedway. A 30-day warning period is in place.

Carli Brockman lets her daughter Carli, 2, help push her ballot into the ballot drop box on the Snohomish County Campus on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Here’s who filed for the primary election in Snohomish County

Positions with three or more candidates will go to voters Aug. 5 to determine final contenders for the Nov. 4 general election.

Students from Explorer Middle School gather Wednesday around a makeshift memorial for Emiliano “Emi” Munoz, who died Monday, May 5, after an electric bicycle accident in south Everett. (Aspen Anderson / The Herald)
Community and classmates mourn death of 13-year-old in bicycle accident

Emiliano “Emi” Munoz died from his injuries three days after colliding with a braided cable.

Danny Burgess, left, and Sandy Weakland, right, carefully pull out benthic organisms from sediment samples on Thursday, May 1, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Got Mud?’ Researchers monitor the health of the Puget Sound

For the next few weeks, the state’s marine monitoring team will collect sediment and organism samples across Puget Sound

Everett postal workers gather for a portrait to advertise the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County letter carriers prepare for food drive this Saturday

The largest single-day food drive in the country comes at an uncertain time for federal food bank funding.

Everett
Everett considers ordinance to require more apprentice labor

It would require apprentices to work 15% of the total labor hours for construction or renovation on most city projects over $1 million.

A person walks past Laura Haddad’s “Cloud” sculpture before boarding a Link car on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024 in SeaTac, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sound Transit seeks input on Everett bike, pedestrian improvements

The transit agency is looking for feedback about infrastructure improvements around new light rail stations.

A standard jet fuel, left, burns with extensive smoke output while a 50 percent SAF drop-in jet fuel, right, puts off less smoke during a demonstration of the difference in fuel emissions on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sustainable aviation fuel center gets funding boost

A planned research and development center focused on sustainable aviation… Continue reading

Dani Mundell, the athletic director at Everett Public Schools, at Everett Memorial Stadium on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Will Geschke / The Herald)
Everett Public Schools to launch girls flag football as varsity sport

The first season will take place in the 2025-26 school year during the winter.

Clothing Optional performs at the Fisherman's Village Music Festival on Thursday, May 15 in Everett, Washington. (Will Geschke / The Herald)
Everett gets its fill of music at Fisherman’s Village

The annual downtown music festival began Thursday and will continue until the early hours of Sunday.

Seen here are the blue pens Gov. Bob Ferguson uses to sign bills. Companies and other interest groups are hoping he’ll opt for red veto ink on a range of tax bills. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)
Tesla, Netflix, Philip Morris among those pushing WA governor for tax vetoes

Gov. Bob Ferguson is getting lots of requests to reject new taxes ahead of a Tuesday deadline for him to act on bills.

Jerry Cornfield / Washington State Standard
A new law in Washington will assure students are offered special education services until they are 22. State Sen. Adrian Cortes, D-Battle Ground, a special education teacher, was the sponsor. He spoke of the need for increased funding and support for public schools at a February rally of educators, parents and students at the Washington state Capitol.
Washington will offer special education to students longer under new law

A new law triggered by a lawsuit will ensure public school students… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.