Another manic Friday as state lawmakers work toward deadline

2020 Washington Legislature, Day 54 of 60

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

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OLYMPIA, March 6, 2020 — It’s Friday. And another cutoff arrives today.

Policy bills not necessary to implement the budget need to be be voted out of the opposite chamber by 5 p.m. or they are supposed to be done for the session.

Bills on data privacy and eliminating the state’s death penalty law are among the higher profile measures on today’s watch list.

• Republican Sen. Randi Becker announced Thursday she will not seek reelection this fall. Becker, who is the chairwoman of the Senate Republican Caucus, is in her third term representing the 2nd Legislative District,which includes parts of Thurston and east Pierce counties. Here’s her announcement.

• Washington is going to establish an office dedicated to collecting data on firearm violence in the state and using the findings to support violence prevention programs. The House passed Senate Bill 6288 on a 53-44 vote after majority Democrats defeated a multitude of Republican amendments. As a result of some changes made by the House, the bill will return to the Senate for final action.

• The ability to bet on most collegiate and professional sporting events is getting closer. A House bill allowing tribal casinos to start offering such wagering passed the Senate on a 34-15 vote late Thursday night. Republicans tried without success to amend it in several ways, including removing the emergency clause at the end of the bill. If the governor doesn’t veto that clause, there will be no chance to put the issue in front of voters via referendum.

• The number of confirmed coronavirus cases statewide rose to 70 on Thursday. The death toll remained at 10.

Vice President Mike Pence traveled to Washington Thursday to get a first-hand report on the situation from Gov. Jay Inslee, along with state and local officials managing the state’s response to the outbreak.

In the course of a press conference, the vice president said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has prioritized getting federal coronavirus test kits to Washington. “We are going to be with you all the way,” Pence said.

Earlier in the day, Inslee told reporters that the state is doing “everything humanly possible” to prevent the spread of the virus.

When asked about canceling public events, he said he won’t, for now. He’s counting on organizers to do the right thing, such as delaying them.

“Acting even before we see mass casualties may be the most effective thing to do,” he said. “We’re asking people to look ahead a few weeks and not be in a position of Wuhan, China.”

He said he is deferring the decision to close schools to district administrators. That could change.

“For those who have wondered why I have not made that decision today it is because we are still evaluating the efficacy of that,” he said. “We’re also weighing this against the needs for childcare. It is profoundly a challenge for families already.”

Here is what we know: Washington coronavirus outbreak at a glance.

What we’re writing and reading

• Pence offers praise, supplies and assurances to Inslee as partisanship takes a break. Coverage of the VP’s visit by Jim Camden of The Spokesman-Review and Joseph O’Sullivan of The Seattle Times.

• In Snohomish County, more than 13,000 signed petitions to shutter local schools, reports Joseph Thompson of The Herald.

• The fight goes on, Elizabeth Warren told supporters when she ended her presidential campaign Thursday.

• After a marathon House debate, a new sex ed mandate for public schools is closer to becoming law. James Drew of The News Tribune covered the six-hour hearing.

• The Herald’s Phillip O’Connor and Andrea Brown write about how coronavirus is straining Snohomish County’s health care system.

• And the state’s public health system was short on money even before this new disease arrived, report Mike Reicher and Patrick Malone of The Times.

What’s happening

• There are no committee meetings today.

• The House and Senate will be laser-focused on passing bills ahead of the 5 p.m. cutoff.

• This morning, the Governor’s Prayer Breakfast is taking place on Olympia’s west side. Inslee was to speak at 6:45 a.m.

• Later, at 11:30 a.m., the governor will visit the Snohomish Health District’s Incident Command Center in Everett.

• At noon, the Satanic Temple of Washington will hold an invocation on the steps of the Capitol Campus, according to the public calendar of events.

Legislative agendas, schedules and calendars

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