It’s been another quietly busy week in Olympia. At this point, we are nearing 2,000 bills introduced so far this session, and although we still have a consortium of new bills every single day, the legislative process is moving along quickly for those that’ve already had their public hearings. Many of the caucus priority bills (e.g. environmental crimes, rent control, etc.) have been, or are about to be, moved out of their policy committees and are in the next stage of life: the fiscal committees*. The first cutoff date, policy committee cutoff, is two weeks away – to stay alive, bills need to move through the policy committees by the 21st and must be out of the fiscal committees by the 28th. Any bills that don’t pass through their committee before those dates are considered dead; they’ll need to wait until next year’s session to continue their progress.

Late last week, Governor Ferguson told the agencies that their 6% cuts are due for review by the Gov’s office this Thursday. After approval, they’ll need to make those cuts within the week. Suffice to say, this has been a tense week for agency directors, and once the cuts are announced next week, there will be high drama. And who doesn’t love some high drama on the hill?

While there weren’t the fireworks that we’ve had in weeks past, there are a lot of significant undercurrents in the legislature. Arguably the most tenuous is the House’s decision not to bar the Governor’s policy staff from participating in caucus meetings without expressed permission by House leadership. This is almost certainly a retaliatory shot at Ferguson for his inaugural address – the Democrats weren’t just caught off guard, they were visibly offended by how moderate of a tone he took. The Senate, traditionally far less petty than the House, hasn’t yet joined their brethren across the rotunda in icing out the Gov from caucus discussions. Depending on what policies the aforementioned agency cuts will affect, the Senate may decide to join suit. Much more to come on this front.

The annual period of relative peace during session is in threat of falling apart, and my best guess is that by the end of the month, it’ll fall to pieces. Budget cut years can be particularly gruesome on the hill. I’ll be back in your inbox next week to shed some light on the ever-evolving ecosystem of Olympia politics.

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* A refresher on the bill cycle: bill is introduced to legislature → referred to relevant policy committee → first public hearing for comments and discussion → ‘executive session’ hearing (public comments and discussion before being voted out of the committee) → moved to fiscal committee → first public hearing → executive session → moved to ‘floor hearings’, where it is debated and voted on by the entire chamber → moved to the opposite house, entire process repeats → Governor’s desk → passed into law!

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About Casey Brown

As the Director of Government Relations in S360’s Olympia office, Casey offers expertise in political strategy and public policy at the state, local, and tribal level. Prior to joining S360, Casey served as Senior Policy Associate for Cascade Government Affairs, an Olympia-based lobbying firm. He advocated on behalf of a wide array of clients, participating heavily in policy discussions between the Washington State Legislature and industry stakeholders. During his time at Cascade, he helped influence energy regulatory policy, address agricultural concerns, craft organics management policy, and participate in the future of aviation and aerospace in Washington. Casey graduated with a degree in Economics and Environmental Studies from Western Washington University. An advocate for those living with mental illness, he is a board member of NAMI Pierce County, serving as the board’s legislative policy director.