Monday was the fiscal cutoff, where over 150 bills were heard, amended, caucused, and voted on. Tuesday through Friday, around 200 bills were caucused, amended, debated on the floor, and voted on to pass out of the second house chamber before final negotiations and signature by the Governor.

On Tuesday, FAN held our annual Governor's Meeting where interfaith leaders led discussions on FAN's priority bills, and Governor Inslee emphasized safe health practices in the midst of the coronavirus. On Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence met with the Governor for more on Washington state's approach to this outbreak.

We celebrate 18 successes this week! Each of these bills made it past both chambers and will be concurred next week before being signed into law:

• HB 1590, Rep. Doglio - Gives authority to city and county councils to increase local sales and use taxes by one tenth of one percent to dedicate to affordable housing.
• HB 1694, Rep. Morgan - Allows apartment move-in fees to be paid in installments
• HB 1783, Rep. Gregerson - Establishes a state racial equity office within the Governor's office
• HB 2231, Rep. Pellicciotti - Bail jumping bill: Reforms our current bail system to create more racial, economic, and legal equity by allowing judges the right to determine consequences for missed court hearings, rather than prosecutors. Needs concurrence by the House.
• HB 2277, Rep. Peterson - Bans the use of solitary confinement in our juvenile justice system
• HB 2441, Rep. Entenman - Reforms the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program around time limits and sanctions. Needs concurrence by the House.
• HB 2455, Rep. Kilduff - GRADS bill: Creates childcare opportunities for teenage parents to attend high school and create self-sufficiency.
• HB 2567, Rep. Thai - Courts Open to All Act: Prohibits federal immigration agents from communicating with and arresting people at and around county courthouses.
• HB 2576, Rep. Ortiz-Self - Authorizes the Department of Health to study the effects of private detention in our state agencies.
• HB 2602, Rep. Morgan - Establishes hair styles as a protected civil right, especially in workplaces.
• HB 2632, Rep. Valdez - Swatting bill: Designates the false reporting of crimes or emergencies as a felony offense.
• HB 2660, Rep. Riccelli - Increases access to free school meals for high-eligibility areas.
• HB 2793, Rep. Hansen - Automatically vacates criminal records for eligible people.
• SB 5947, Sen. McCoy - Sustainable Farms and Fields bill: Establishes a grant program to incentivize carbon sequestration by growers and food producers. Needs concurrence by the Senate.
• SB 6261, Sen. McCoy - Removes the nonprofit exemption from farm labor contracts to protect farm workers from unsafe practices and retaliation.
• SB 6309, Sen. Lovelett - Increases the WIC/Farmer's Market Nutrition Program voucher amount to $28
• SB 6442, Sen. Saldaña - Prohibits the Department of Corrections from using private contractors for incarceration unless it is a Governor-declared emergency. Needs concurrence by the Senate.
• SB 6478, Sen. Nguyen - Reforms standards for economic assistance programs.

Looking Ahead to Week Nine

Next week is the last week of session! Concurrence of bills happens when a bill has a difference in policy between the two chambers - this process could begin as early as Saturday and continues through the final day on March 12. All three supplemental budgets - Operating, Transportation, and Capital - have been in negotiations this week and will continue through March 12. Any revenue bill that is necessary to implement the budget is still alive through March 12 as well.

Take Action For Justice!

Thank you for all your hard work advocating for bills this session! Because of your voices of faith and conscience, our state will move toward greater justice and equity for all. We will keep you updated on any emergency advocacy efforts needed next week, and we will send out a full list of successes following the end of session.