Washblog

Bills supported by the LAC that passed

• Antidiscrimination legislation:
  HB 2661: Expanding the jurisdiction of the human rights commission.  It's the law now, no discrimination in housing, employment, or insurance on the basis of sexual orientation!  Of course, Eyman and others will try to get this overturned.   Washington Won't Discriminate is organizing a campaign to defeat these efforts.
• Electronics recycling:
  HB 2662: Providing electronic product recycling through manufacturer financed opportunities, will make it easy for consumers to recycle their computers and other electronic equipment.  Now, in order to legally dispose of this equipment it costs the consumer time and money  -- including a trip to out-of-the-way location (I know, I've had to do this and it was a pain).
• A compromise on "medical malpractice":
  HB 2292: Addressing health care liability reform was brokered by Gregoire and creates a compromise at least marginally acceptable to both doctors and lawyers.  Too bad these groups couldn't have figured this out  before spending $14 million on I-330 and I-336 in 05.  One of the best aspects of this bill is that it gives legal protection to medical personnel who apologize to victims or family members.  This bill excludes these apologies from use as direct evidence in malpractice lawsuits.  It's a policy that'll save much more money than any caps will.  It turns out, surprise, that people are much less likely to sue when they have received a simple, human apology for a medical error - even a serious or fatal error.  See Sorry Works.
• Remember the Sotelo challenges?
  SB 6362: Modifying voter registration provisions. addresses some of those issues.  Now it'll be a little more difficult to make frivolous, disenfranchising challenges to homeless and otherwise vulnerable voters.

• Shameful High School graduation rates:
  HB 2582:  Expanding high school completion programs appears as of this morning to have not passed the Senate. With a 70-something percent graduation rate among white students, a 50-something percent rate among African American students, and an even lower graduation rate among Native American students, clearly something's got to be done. [Added note: As of the afternoon of 3/6 -- this bill is still alive. The leadership on both sides agreed to exempt it from the deadline. We'll see what happens!]

• Flame Retardants:
  SB 5515:  Prohibiting the sale of products that contain polybrominated diphenyl ethers, will have to wait for another day.  There weren't enough legislators ready yet to protect us -- and our children -- from these toxics.
• Clean elections
  HB 1526:  Establishing the public financing of campaigns didn't pass.  1226 was a good first step toward a less corrupt system.  There's lots more work to be done.
• Felon disenfranchisement:
  HB 2873:  Modifying provisions relating to voting rights for incarcerated felons would have addressed one aspect of the injustice associated with Washington's dysfunctional penal system that leads to nearly one quarter of all black men in the state being barred from voting.  Zappini wrote me about a case, first filed in 19996, that will go to trial this month in the Eastern District of WA federal district court.  Plaintiffs in Farrakhan v. Locke argue that the actual rates of disfranchisement in Washington state relative to actual crime rates is so disproportionate as to violate equal protection.
• Simple majority for school levies:
  SJR 8202:  Amending the Constitution to provide for a simple majority of voters voting to authorize school district levies, again failed to pass.
• The "Walmart Bill"  -- AKA "Fair Share":
  SB 5637, Health Care Responsibility Act didn't make it through due to some obscure Democratic machinations in the Senate.  At least that's the impression I'm left with.  I don't think there's been an explanation given to the public by our legislators as to why companies like Walmart weren't held to account for paying so little into health insurance -- and for encouraging their employees -- by deeds and words -- to get publicly subsidized insurance.  Resolutions to encourage this legislation for next session were introduced at many of the Democratic caucuses held this weekend.