GOOD – AND BAD – BILLS CLEAR LATEST DEADLINE

Here is a rundown of your major bills of interest still alive after the latest floor vote cutoff March 12:

• SHB 1953, allowing Fish and Wildlife enforcement officers to transfer service credit into LEOFF 2. Passed the House. Now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

• ESHB 2049, bringing new accountability measures to the Washington Management Service and the exempt service. Passed the House. Now in the Senate Labor, Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.

• ESHB 1792, increasing search and arrest authority provisions of offenders by Community Corrections officers. Passed the House. Now in the Senate Human Services and Corrections Committee. Public hearing set for March 19.

• HB 1878, authorizing the transfer of accumulated leave of employees at the state School for the Blind and the state School for the Deaf. Passed the House. Now in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

HB 1920, the bill explicitly allowing legislators to meet state employees at the worksite, did not come to a vote of the full House.

BAD BILLS:

Three major bad bills that harm our members and public services are still alive. Calls are still needed to stop them.

• E2SSB 5943, the bill privatizing Child Welfare Services. Passed the Senate. It will now go to a House committee. Ultimately, 98 House members will decide the future of Child Welfare Services. They need to hear from you. Call the Legislature’s toll-free hotline at 1-800-562-6000 and urge your two House members to oppose E2SSB 5943, the Child Welfare privatization bill.

• 2SHB 1951, the bill privatizing the seven fish hatcheries targeted by the governor for closure. Passed the House. Now in the Senate Natural Resources and Ocean and Recreation Committee. Public hearing March 18. Call 1-800-562-6000 and urge your senator to oppose 2SHB 1951, the fish hatchery privatization bill.

• ESSB 5288, the bill reducing the categories of offenders supervised by Community Corrections officers, passed the House. Now in the House Human Services Committee. A public hearing took place March 4. Call 1-800-562-6000 to urge your two House members to oppose ESSB 5288, the lowered supervision bill.