January 25, 2019: Week Two
Week two has concluded and we are now 12 days in to this 105-day session. This was another busy week here in Olympia as freshman legislators vied to make themselves known in a sea of new faces, prospective 2020 leaders emerged, and a wave of progressive policy proposals continued to appear in front of committee hearings. Despite the long session and many weeks still remaining, several hundred bills have already been introduced. This week was also marked by a large amount of civic engagement and citizen advocacy in Olympia with Monday’s MLK holiday and a variety of gun-related legislation receiving public testimony throughout the week.
Governor Inslee has continued his path towards an upcoming presidential run with a visit to New Hampshire early in the week focused around climate change, followed by an announcement that he will officially decide within “weeks not months”. Back in Olympia, he also announced an expansion of unemployment benefits to federal employees working without pay during the now-longest government shutdown in the nation’s history. State government employees are not directly affected by the shutdown but many at the local level are feeling trickle down effects.
The Governor’s expansive climate package received significant attention again this week; well-attended hearings were held on the 100% Clean Energy bill, Low Carbon Fuel Standards legislation, appliance efficiency standards, and clean buildings package. All of these pieces of legislation are continuing to gain momentum and are expected to take center stage this session as a long list of stakeholders and advocates compete to incorporate their preferential language.
Also this week, the Senate Transportation committee held a public hearing on Chair Senator Steve Hobb’s transportation revenue proposal, which is mostly funded by a carbon fee and fuel tax. The hearing drew a large crowd and the committee heard testimony from several dozen organizations, citizens, and local elected officials.
Finally, this week several labor bills-of what will likely become many more-were introduced and scheduled for hearings including non-competes, independent contractors, portable benefits, and secured scheduling legislation.
Most notable in the energy realm was the House hearing on the Governor’s 100% Clean Energy bill (HB 1211) on Tuesday, following which a new iteration of the bill has emerged. It can be found here. Similarly, the appliance efficiency bill, SB 5115, concluded public testimony on Tuesday and is currently under draft. The House version of the bill is being heard in the House Energy committee on Tuesday as HB 1444.
SB 5293, the Governor’s clean buildings bill, and HB 1226, Rep. Morris’ returning DER planning bill, were also both heard in committee this week. Several of these bills are scheduled for a vote in executive session next week including SB 5115, HB 1257 (House clean buildings), and SB 5116 (Senate 100% clean). There will also be a hearing on the Governor’s final bill, HB 1332 relating to ERSEC.
Finally, SB 5223 concerning net metering for solar, HB 1110 regarding LCFS, and HB 1112 involving Hydrofluorocarbons were all passed out of committee on predominantly party lines. The Senate version of LCFS, SB 5412, will receive testimony next week.
Upcoming Hearings
Environment, Energy & Technology (Senate) – SHR 1, JACB – 1/29 @ 10:00 a.m.
- SB 5116 – Exec Session – Supporting Washington’s clean energy economy and transitioning to a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future.
Environment & Energy (House) – HHR B, JLOB – 1/29 @ 3:30pm
- HB 1257 – Public Hearing – Concerning energy efficiency.
Environment, Energy & Technology (Senate) – SHR 1, JACB – 1/30 @ 8:00 am.
- SB 5115 – Exec Session – Concerning appliance efficiency standards.
- SB 5412 – Public Hearing – Reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation fuels. (Hearing is on the Proposed Substitute.)
Environment & Energy (House) – HHR B, JLOB – 1/31 @ 8:00am
- HB 1126 – Exec Session – Enabling electric utilities to prepare for the distributed energy future.
- HB 1113 – Exec Session – Amending state greenhouse gas emission limits for consistency with the most recent assessment of climate change science and with the United States’ commitment under the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
Bill Status
Monitoring Bills
| Bill # | Title | Status | Sponsor | Position |
| HB 1226 | Encouraging investment in and reducing the costs of transitioning to the clean energy future. | H Env & Energy | DeBolt |
Other Bills
| Bill # | Title | Status | Sponsor | Position |
| HB 1102 (SB 5134) |
Concerning the capital budget. | H Cap Budget | Tharinger | |
| HB 1109 (SB 5153) |
Making 2019-2021 biennium operating appropriations. | H Approps | Ormsby | |
| SHB 1110 (SB 5412) |
Reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation fuels. | H ENVIDPS | Fitzgibbon | |
| HB 1113 | Amending state greenhouse gas emission limits for consistency with the most recent assessment of climate change science and with the United States’ commitment under the 2015 Paris climate agreement. | H Env & Energy | Slatter | |
| HB 1126 | Enabling electric utilities to prepare for the distributed energy future. | H Env & Energy | Morris | |
| HB 1127 | Concerning the electrification of transportation. | H Env & Energy | Morris | |
| HB 1128 | Authorizing an alternative form of regulation of electrical and natural gas companies. | H Env & Energy | Morris | |
| HB 1129 | Concerning customer-sited electricity generation. | H Env & Energy | Morris | |
| HB 1211 (SB 5116) |
Supporting Washington’s clean energy economy and transitioning to a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future. | H Env & Energy | Tarleton | |
| HB 1257 (SB 5293) |
Concerning energy efficiency. | H Env & Energy | Doglio | |
| HB 1397 | Encouraging the use of electric or hybrid-electric aircraft for regional air travel. | H Trans | Slatter | |
| HB 1642 | Allowing the energy savings associated with on-bill repayment programs to count toward a qualifying utility’s energy conservation targets under the energy independence act. | H Env & Energy | Doglio | |
| SB 5108 (HB 1070) |
Concerning the tax treatment of renewable natural gas. | S Environment, E | King | |
| SB 5115 (HB 1444) |
Concerning appliance efficiency standards. | S Environment, E | Carlyle | |
| SB 5116 (HB 1211) |
Supporting Washington’s clean energy economy and transitioning to a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future. | S Environment, E | Carlyle | |
| SB 5118 | Concerning the right to consume self-generated electricity. | S Rules 2 | Palumbo | |
| SB 5134 (HB 1102) |
Concerning the capital budget. | S Ways & Means | Frockt | |
| SB 5153 (HB 1109) |
Making 2019-2021 biennium operating appropriations. | S Ways & Means | Rolfes | |
| SSB 5223 | Concerning net metering. | S Ways & Means | Palumbo | |
| SB 5293 (HB 1257) |
Concerning energy efficiency. | S Environment, E | Carlyle | |
| SB 5336 | Advancing electric transportation. | S Environment, E | Palumbo | |
| SB 5412 (SHB 1110) |
Reducing the greenhouse gas emissions associated with transportation fuels. | S Environment, E | Salda?a |