Budgets begin to roll out, more bills die

OLYMPIA – Another major deadline just flew by in this whirlwind session. On Tuesday, Senators and Representatives had their last chance to debate and pass bills from their own chambers. Now, they head back to the committee rooms to evaluate more legislation.

Senators released their proposed capital budget on Thursday, allocating funds for construction and maintenance projects. The House will unveil their version Monday.

Two other proposed budgets will come out in the next week, one for operations, written by the Ways and Means and Appropriations committees, and the other for transportation.

Transportation costs

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In a press conference Thursday, Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, said with the budget looming, he is concerned about the potential impacts that a citizen initiative to repeal the Climate Commitment Act would have on transportation funding.

Money from the landmark legislation makes up one-third of the $17 billion Move Ahead Washington package funding transportation projects across the state.

Lawmakers passed the Climate Commitment Act in 2021. It was implemented in 2023. Critics blame the law for a spike in gas prices. Now, they are trying to repeal it.

If voters approve I-2117 and the act is repealed, it would have a “deep and devastating impact,” Liias said.

The ranking member on the Senate Transportation Committee, Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, didn’t share the same concern and urgency as Liias. If the initiative passes, the Legislature will have to adjust accordingly, he said.

“We’ve faced hardship of lack of funds in the past,” he told reporters.

Rent stabilization

As their final act before the house of origin cutoff Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed House Bill 2114, which would limit landlords to a 7% increase in tenants’ rents in one year.

“People are getting crushed by rising rents,” said Rep. Emily Alvarado, D-Seattle. “Rents are going up faster than wages.”

Republicans opposed the bill. In the debate, Rep. Chris Corry, R-Yakima, said the bill would present false hope to renters.

“If we want to stabilize rents, we need to build more housing,” Corry said on the House floor Tuesday. “Unfortunately, this bill will have the exact opposite impact of that.”

If the bill passes, he said, housing units will vanish, making rentals inaccessible and unaffordable.

Despite a few Democrats and all Republicans voting against the bill, it passed the House floor with a vote of 54-43.

It now heads to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, where it will have a public hearing Thursday.

13 free guarantee

House bill 2309 died before making it to the House floor this week.

Sponsored by Rep. Steve Bergquist, D-Renton, the bill would give students 45 credits of tuition free community college in their district.

Students could receive the credits regardless of income.

After the House Postsecondary Education and Workforce Committee passed it, the Appropriations Committee did not give the bill a hearing.

Another bill would have offered 90 credits, or two years, of tuition-free community college to qualifying students, but it also failed to pass committee.

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