Left to right, EASC Director of Governmental Relations Rashma Agarwal, Sen. Marko Liias, D-Everett, Rep. Carolyn Eslick, R-Sultan, Rep. elect Sam Low, and Rep. Brandy Donaghy, D-Everett talk on a panel during the Economic Alliance Snohomish County 2023 Legislative Kick-off on Thursday, at Hotel Indigo in Everett. (Annie Barker / The Herald)

Left to right, EASC Director of Governmental Relations Rashma Agarwal, Sen. Marko Liias, D-Everett, Rep. Carolyn Eslick, R-Sultan, Rep. elect Sam Low, and Rep. Brandy Donaghy, D-Everett talk on a panel during the Economic Alliance Snohomish County 2023 Legislative Kick-off on Thursday, at Hotel Indigo in Everett. (Annie Barker / The Herald)

Lawmakers prepare for first in-person session since 2020

More homes, less homelessness, a Blake ruling fix and an assault weapons ban are among the issues to watch.

OLYMPIA — Washington’s 147 citizen legislators return to the state Capitol on Monday for the 2023 session.

Their return is kind of a big deal.

Most everything got transacted virtually the past two years. Only in the final days of last session did the House and Senate allow a limited number of masked lawmakers to participate from their regular seats on the floor.

Working remotely certainly didn’t slow lawmakers. They churned out hundreds of bills in the past two years.

Still, with a 105-day session, in which a new two-year operating budget must be passed, there’s bipartisan joy at the chance to discuss, negotiate and iron out wrinkles in person — barring any COVID resurgence, of course.

“It’s definitely a net positive,” said Rep. Strom Peterson,D-Edmonds, who is chair of the House Housing Committee, which is expected to be one of the busiest panels this session.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 
Rep. elect Sam Low, left, and Rep. Brandy Donaghy, D-Everett, right, talk on a panel during the Economic Alliance Snohomish County 2023 Legislative Kick-off on Thursday, at Hotel Indigo in Everett. (Annie Barker / The Herald)

Rep. elect Sam Low, left, and Rep. Brandy Donaghy, D-Everett, right, talk on a panel during the Economic Alliance Snohomish County 2023 Legislative Kick-off on Thursday, at Hotel Indigo in Everett. (Annie Barker / The Herald)

Democrats hold majorities in the House, 58-40, and the Senate, 29-20. Add Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee and the party’s grip on the reins of legislating power is complete.

Republican leaders will press hard to slow the majority’s agenda — with the help of a few moderate Democrats — and keep a focus on theirs.

There are 24 lawmakers — 16 representatives and 8 senators — whose districts include a slice of Snohomish County. That’s three more than last session due to redistricting.

The roster includes four newly elected state representatives. Three are Democrats — Julio Cortes and Mary Fosse, both of Everett, and Clyde Shavers of Oak Harbor — and the other is Republican Sam Low.

Here are five things to watch this session.

Snohomish County Executive Policy Officer Stephanie Wright speaks during the Economic Alliance Snohomish County 2023 Legislative Kick-off on Thursday, at Hotel Indigo in Everett. (Annie Barker / The Herald)

Snohomish County Executive Policy Officer Stephanie Wright speaks during the Economic Alliance Snohomish County 2023 Legislative Kick-off on Thursday, at Hotel Indigo in Everett. (Annie Barker / The Herald)

More homes, less homelessness

Increasing the supply of housing and decreasing the number of people without shelter sit atop most lawmakers’ agendas. Gov. Jay Inslee’s too. He’s gone big, proposing a $4 billion bond to catalyze the building of thousands of new affordable housing units in the next six years. Lawmakers would need to put it on the ballot and voters would need to approve it. Meanwhile, there’s a bipartisan push to intensify development in neighborhoods near transit centers by allowing development of at least four units on residential lots, and six units if two of them are affordable. Expect the capital budget to again contain very large sums to remove homeless encampments from roadways and assist local governments with buying and converting motels into transitional housing.

Drugs and guns

Since the state Supreme Court in 2021 erased a law that made drug possession a felony, lawmakers have been trying to find a good solution. What’s on the books, and expires in June, makes drug possession a misdemeanor and requires cops to direct folks to where they can get treatment. What’s on the drawing board now would increase the penalty for possession to a gross misdemeanor, create paths for those arrested to avoid prosecution or get convictions vacated by completing treatment, and increase availability of services. A ban on assault weapons will be debated for a seventh year. Also expect discussions on the need for longer waiting periods to obtain a firearm and a means to hold gun makers and sellers accountable if one of their products harms someone.

Highways and byways

Last session Democrats muscled through a 16-year, $17 billion transportation package without a single Republican vote. At the time, they only laid out where money would go in the first two years. This session they will try to decide, maybe in a bipartisan way, what sums will go to which projects and when. A new U.S. 2 trestle and a wider Highway 522 are among those vying for some serious cash. There will be a search for ways to reduce fatal accidents and pedestrian deaths. And a bill has been introduced to lower the maximum blood-alcohol content, or BAC, for drivers from 0.08% to 0.05%. At that mark, Washington would join Utah with the toughest standard in the nation.

EASC President and CEO Garry Clark speaks during the Economic Alliance Snohomish County 2023 Legislative Kick-off on Thursday, at Hotel Indigo in Everett. (Annie Barker / The Herald)

EASC President and CEO Garry Clark speaks during the Economic Alliance Snohomish County 2023 Legislative Kick-off on Thursday, at Hotel Indigo in Everett. (Annie Barker / The Herald)

Staffing shortage

Arguably the most widespread problem facing public and private sector employers is a lack of workers. There aren’t enough nurses, cops, ferry crews, child care providers, health care professionals, etc. And there are too few people applying, let alone in the pipeline, to fill vacancies of retiring Baby Boomers and Great Resignees. Lawmakers may provide money for higher wages, retention bonuses, and school loan payments to help out in several fields. License requirements for health care professionals may get overhauled in hopes of bolstering their ranks. A revamped nurse staffing bill will be rolled out soon. Last session a bill to limit the number of patients assigned to a nurse and to fine hospitals that failed to comply with staffing plans died in the final days.

Budget wild cards

State bean counters are gearing up to start collecting a new capital gains tax. It’s supposed to generate hundreds of millions of dollars a year for childcare, early learning and education-related programs. The money is assumed in the next budget. But the tax might not be legal. A Douglas County judge reached that conclusion last March. The state Supreme Court will hear arguments Jan. 26. While a decision might not come before adjournment, if justices uphold the lower court ruling, it will create an impressive hole that may require filling with reserves until the 2024 session.

In the meantime, the Department of Ecology is expecting a big pay day for state coffers Feb. 28 when it holds its first auction of carbon emission allowances under Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. There are going to be four auctions a year. Officials think they might net around $480 million this year — more than double previous projections. Higher-than-expected receipts are anticipated for the next few years. Lawmakers will want to spend the extra dough if they can agree on exactly where it should go.

Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @dospueblos.

This story has been modified to correct the number of Republican state Representatives.

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.