Committees, deadlines, votes, oh my! Well folks, we’ve made it past the first major milestone of the legislative session– what’s called ‘policy cutoff’ –where all bills must first pass out of a policy committee before getting a chance to be heard by the full House or Senate. Legislators have been pruning bills left and right, deciding on which ones will move forward.
We’re excited to see things we care about, like rent stabilization, sitting comfortably while they await their next step. But we have a few that will need your support, as the next few weeks brings the next fiscal cutoff and a flurry of voting. With these deadlines looming, read on for updates, our top actions for the week, and great things happening as we continue the work to grow together!
Transit-Oriented Development – HB 1491
Transit-oriented development (TOD, which would allow more homes near transit) is running against the clock. The Capital Budget Committee in the House has less than a week to hear and vote out this bill before the fiscal cutoff this Friday. Good news, it’s scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday the 25th at 9AM, so sign in ‘Pro’ right now and forward the link to your friends!
Rural Housing Solutions
Rural places across Washington have housing needs and affordability concerns just like anywhere else in the state, but the supply-side strategies that we need to adopt in our urban and suburban cities and towns don’t work for Washington’s rural communities.
Rural DADUs – HB 1345/SB 5470
HB 1345 and SB 5470, which would allow detached accessory dwelling units (DADUs) in rural areas with restrictions and accountability in place, are still in the Rules committee where we await to see if it gets pulled for a vote or not. Regardless, we have serious concerns about this bill threatening rural areas from sprawl and environmental damage. Please email your legislators, asking them to address the major concerns around nonconforming lots (small lots that can’t support a second home), wildfire and forest protection, and short-term rentals.
Wildfire Protections – HB 1254
HB 1254, which would help protect homes and rural communities from wildfires by setting new guidelines, like specific building materials and vegetation setbacks for new homes, is hanging out in the Rules Committee and awaits a floor vote.
Rent Stabilization – HB 1217/SB 5222
These Rent Stabilization bills would set a 7% cap on rent increases each year. SB 5222, the Senate companion bill, was voted out of the Senate Housing Committee last week! It won’t move further than that, but the vote gives us insight into how that committee will vote when HB 1217 gets to them.
HB 1217 is still in the Rules Committee and will likely stay there until much closer to the March 12 cutoff. This bill has a lot of opposition so lawmakers are waiting for the “3 minute rule” where each legislator only gets 3 minutes, instead of 10, on each proposed amendment to speak. This rule kicks in on March 7, but don’t be surprised if this bill isn’t voted on until March 12 at 5pm. We’ll have more actions later this week, but if you’re itching for more to do, you can learn more and sign up for the Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Day lobby day hosted by our friends at WLIHA on March 14.
GMA Compliance – HB 1135
This bill closes a legal loophole that could prevent our legal team from making sure cities and counties are in compliance with new updates to the Growth Management Act. HB 1135 is still hanging out in the Rules Committee! No action needed this week, but I can feel an action getting ready to sprout soon…
Upcoming Floor Vote Actions
March 12 is the Floor-Vote Cutoff, meaning each bill will be voted on by an entire chamber before moving to the next chamber. This is a big deal! This is the first time everyone in the House or Senate has to vote on a bill, and it offers a preview for the other chamber on how popular it is.
Over the next weeks leading up to March 12, Futurewise will have actions delivered to your inbox and events you can join to make it as easy as possible to make your voice heard.
Information for this article is from Futurewise. To get involved, contact Marcella Buser, Futurewise State Organizer, at: marcella@futurewise.org