Safer Streets 
Lower Costs 
Better Schools 
Stronger Economy 
Cleaner Washington 
Smarter Government 
The Ledger
Capitol Buzz
The Current
Email Updates
The Week Ahead
2024 legislative session •
Dear Friend:
I’d like to provide you an update on where we stand on day 42 of the 60-day legislative session. First, some recent news. Democrats announced on Friday that they will hold public hearings on only three of the six initiatives (see below). This follows weeks of House Republicans pushing for your voice to be heard on these policies.
- I-2111 | Prohibiting state and local personal income taxes
- I-2113 | Restoring vehicular pursuit
- I-2081 | Establishing a Parents’ Bill of Rights
The bad news: The three initiatives below will not receive public hearings.
- I-2117 | Repealing the carbon tax
- I-2124 | Opting out of the state long-term care program and payroll tax
- I-2109 | Repealing the capital gains tax
The public hearings will be held February 27-28. I will provide more details next week. In the meantime, please visit and share this new website we created for all of the initiatives: Initiatives | 2024.
House of origin cutoff
The Legislature hit house of origin cutoff on Tuesday. The lead-up to this cutoff included a lot of hours and days on the House floor voting on amendments and bills. Like every year, several good, bipartisan measures were passed — including 81 bills prime sponsored by House Republicans. There were also some bad bills that were made better or stopped by House Republicans. That’s the role of the minority party. Unfortunately, there was some bad legislation that advanced.
Bad bills that passed
Below you will find bad bills that passed, despite House Republican opposition, and stories on each one of them. These measures are now being considered in the Senate. Note: This is not an exhaustive list.
- Rent control. | House Bill 2114
- Natural gas ban for new residential and commercial buildings. | House Bill 1589
- Option to eliminate odd-year elections in cities, towns, and other districts. | House Bill 1932
- Allow striking workers to collect unemployment. | House Bill 1893
- Allow judges to reduce sentences of convicted criminals. | House Bill 2001
- Independent prosecutions within the AG’s office of criminal conduct arising from police use of force. | House Bill 1579
- Two measures relating to firearms — House Bill 2118 (firearm dealers) and House Bill 1903 (reporting lost or stolen firearms).
Bad bills that died
Now the good news. The bills below appear to be dead. Same caveat: This is not an exhaustive list.
- Allow incarcerated felons to vote, run for office, and serve on juries. | House Bill 2030
- Prohibit and penalize the use of small gas-powered engines. | House Bill 2051
- Change the name and membership of the Sex Offender Policy Board. | House Bill 2177
- Judicial dismissal of misdemeanors following completion of court-ordered conditions. | House Bill 1994
- Firearms permits for purchase and transfer. | House Bill 1902
State revenue forecast
The state revenue forecast, or tax collections report, was released on Wednesday. Modest revenue growth continues for our state, including an additional $337 million over the four-year outlook. In the context of the operating budget, this is a relatively small change. However, when added to previous forecasts, revenue is now up nearly $3.3 billion compared to the enacted budgets. This means our state continues to have plenty of revenue to pay for its priorities as budget writers craft their proposals.
State budgets
House operating, transportation, and capital budget proposals will be released starting tomorrow. This is a great opportunity for you to weigh in on these proposals, in addition to Senate bills being considered in House committees. You can learn more in our publication The Week Ahead.
Warmly,
Rep. Drew Stokesbary
House Republican Leader
drew.stokesbary@leg.wa.gov
