A presidential visit and a Blake bill passes in the Senate

It’s Day 57. Another key deadline nears. Here’s what’s happening in the 2023 session of the Washington Legislature

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

2023 Washington Legislature, Day 57 of 105

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

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

OLYMPIA, March 6, 2023 — Welcome to the Monday edition. Hope you had a nice weekend.

We start this week with a historic event, then turn our attention to a critical deadline.

This morning, Sauli Niinistö, president of the Republic of Finland, addressed a joint session of the House and Senate. He just might be the first foreign head of state to speak to the Legislature in this manner.

He also met privately with Gov. Jay Inslee before the duo met with reporters from Washington and Finland.

Tonight, Niinistö, will sit down with Democratic Sen. Marko Liias, of Everett, for a fireside chat at the National Nordic Museum in Ballard.

Liias, the son of Finnish immigrants, said he wanted to engage him on a range of subjects including the war in Ukraine and European security now that Finland is joining NATO. Strengthening economic ties between Finland and Washington is another topic he planned to broach.

On the clock

State senators enjoyed the full weekend away from the office. Not House members. They spent all Saturday and part of Sunday in session, finally adjourning around 2 a.m.

It’s because time is running out for hundreds of bills. Pretty much any legislative ideation not tied to one of the state’s budgets needs to be passed out of its house of origin by 5 p.m. Wednesday. Otherwise it’s done until 2024.

As of Monday morning the House floor calendar had 90 bills. One is the much-massaged middle housing legislation. Another is the 139-page WRAP Act, a sweeping rewrite of recycling rules. An assault weapons ban and a requirement to obtain a permit to buy a gun are also on the calendar.

A whole bunch more are sitting in the House Rules Committee, their authors lobbying furiously to get them out and onto the floor. Among them is the highly controversial rewrite of rules for police chases.

In the Senate, the regular calendar had 95 bills as of Monday morning. Hospital staffing standards, a hot topic, is not on the list as it is stuck in the Senate Rules Committee for now.

Divided passions

On Friday, the Senate approved a sweeping response to the state Supreme Court’s Blake decision. The 28-21 vote on Senate Bill 5536 provided some Republicans a reason to smile and revealed the deep divide among Democrats on the best approach to those illegally possessing drugs.

Fourteen Democrats and 14 Republicans backed the bill. Fifteen Democrats and six Republicans dissented.

Let that sink in for a moment. Rarely does a majority party bring a policy bill up for a vote if their caucus isn’t on board and willing to pass it without any votes from the minority party. Expect a similar result should this bill get a vote in the House.

The court ruling in 2021 erased a longstanding law making simple drug possession a felony. Lawmakers responded by making possession a misdemeanor, requiring cops refer people to treatment before arresting them and setting June 30, 2023 as the date for those changes to expire.

What passed would make possession a gross misdemeanor. It envisions offering individuals a chance to avoid arrest, or prosecution, or jail time by getting treatment. They could even get a conviction vacated by completing treatment.

Supporters call it the right balance of compassion and accountability. Opponents in the Democratic caucus say it will push people into the criminal justice system from which they will emerge worse off. A sore spot is recently added language requiring judges to sentence a person convicted of simple possession to at least 21 days in jail if they fail to comply with substance use disorder treatment as a condition of probation.

“This is a very challenging public policy to talk about, to think about and to try to resolve,” said the weary prime sponsor, Sen. June Robinson, D-Everett, in Friday’s floor debate. “This is not the last (version). I’m sure it will change.”

Probably right. House Democrats I spoke with Saturday said they have a few tweaks in mind.

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

Customers enter and exit the Costco on Dec. 2, 2022, in Lake Stevens. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Costco stores could be impacted by looming truck driver strike threat

Truck drivers who deliver groceries and produce to Costco warehouses… Continue reading

Two Washington State ferries pass along the route between Mukilteo and Clinton as scuba divers swim near the shore Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Ferry system increases ridership by a half million in 2024

Edmonds-Kingston route remains second-busiest route in the system.

A view of a homes in Edmonds, Washington on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County to mail property tax statements this month

First half payments are due on April 30.

Ticket and ORCA card kiosks at the Lynnwood Light Rail station on Thursday, April 4, 2024 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Beginning March 1, Community Transit to reduce some fares

Riders eligible for reduced fares will pay $1 for a single ORCA card tap and $36 for a monthly pass.

Robin Cain with 50 of her marathon medals hanging on a display board she made with her father on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Running a marathon is hard. She ran one in every state.

Robin Cain, of Lake Stevens, is one of only a few thousand people to ever achieve the feat.

People line up to grab food at the Everett Recovery Cafe on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Coffee, meals and compassion are free at the Everett Recovery Cafe

The free, membership-based day center offers free coffee and meals and more importantly, camaraderie and recovery support.

Devani Padron, left, Daisy Ramos perform during dance class at Mari's Place Monday afternoon in Everett on July 13, 2016. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)
Mari’s Place helps children build confidence and design a better future

The Everett-based nonprofit offers free and low-cost classes in art, music, theater and dance for children ages 5 to 14.

The Everett Wastewater Treatment Plant along the Snohomish River on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett water, sewer rates could jump 43% by 2028

The rate hikes would pay for improvements to the city’s sewer infrastructure.

The bond funded new track and field at Northshore Middle School on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024 in Bothell, Washington. (Courtesy of Northshore School District)
Northshore School District bond improvements underway

The $425 million bond is funding new track and field complexes, playgrounds and phase one of two school replacements.

The amphitheater at Deception Pass during the 2021 concert series. (Photo provided by Deception Pass Park Foundation Facebook page.)
Deception Pass Foundation seeks Adopt-A-Trail volunteers

If you’re looking for a way to get outside and… Continue reading

A pedestrian is struck and killed by vehicle Wednesday in Everett

The pedestrian was a man in his 60s. The collision happened at 5:30 a.m. on Broadway.

Want coffee? Drink some with the Marysville mayor.

A casual question-and-answer session between mayor and constituents is planned for March 24.

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.