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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We’ve reached some important dates for this 2023 legislative session. Friday, Feb. 17 was the last day bills without a fiscal note could be considered and passed out of their respective committees in the chamber in which they originated. Today, Feb. 24 is the cutoff for bills with a fiscal note, except for bills considered “necessary to implement the budget.” These bills, which are determined by the Speaker of the House, are not subject to the normal cutoff dates.
Things really start to ramp up next week. Starting Monday, Feb. 27, we head to the House floor where we will spend many hours a day voting on bills through Wednesday, March 8. After that, it will be much clearer which policies have a chance to become law and which ones will be dead for the year.
17th District Legislative Survey Results
Earlier this year, me, and my 17th District seatmate, Rep. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver, asked you to fill out an online survey to provide us some insight on your priorities. Here are the results of that survey.
You made it clear that public safety is still one of your top priorities. That is no surprise, as it remains a top issue throughout Washington. Nearly 32% of our respondents said public safety is their top priority, and more than 55% said it’s one of their top three priorities. I want you to know I share your concerns.
House Republicans continue to offer real solutions to make our neighborhoods and communities safer. Click here to learn more about our efforts to:
- Confront substance abuse by getting people the help they need.
- Get more officers on the street and allow them to pursue people who have committed crimes.
- Address the rise in auto thefts and other property crimes.
- Close homeless encampments and help people dealing with mental illness.
- Make drug possession a crime again.
Unfortunately, many of the good policies we have introduced are not moving forward. However, you can still make your voice heard and share with lawmakers in Olympia how important public safety is to you. If you’d like to share your input about this, or any other issue, please click here to choose how you would like to be involved.
One of House Republicans’ top priorities coming into session was to restore reasonable suspicion as the standard for initiating vehicle pursuits. We had high hopes with bipartisan House Bill 1363 that this would happen. This bill would authorize police to pursue criminal suspects based on “reasonable suspicion” rather than the much more stringent “probable cause” put into place with sweeping police reforms passed in 2021.
Unfortunately, this bill was amended and watered down before it passed out of the House Community Safety, Justice and Reentry Committee and later the Transportation Committee. We will continue working on his bill as it moves forward and attempt to restore it to its original impact via floor amendments. Stay tuned.
Repealing the long-term care trust act and payroll tax is another top issue for Republicans. Unfortunately, our calls to either repeal or fix this program have not been addressed. We will continue to push for changes, and we encourage you to share your opinion with state lawmakers.
Thank you for sharing your input with us. If you missed the opportunity to participate, you can still reach out to me by using the contact info listed at the bottom of this email. I look forward to hearing from you.
Update on My Legislation
As a freshman legislator, I introduced four bills this session. Here’s where these bills currently stand.
House Bill 1730 would allow, under specific and limited circumstances, youth between the ages of 18 to 21 to be employed in establishments traditionally classified as off-limits to persons under the age of 21. It would make it legal for anyone at least 18-years-old to perform services unrelated to the sale or service of alcohol to enter and remain on premises, but only to carry out the duties of their employment and only under certain conditions.
This legislation, which would help many businesses in Washington that are struggling to fill job openings, has passed out of committee, and is waiting for a vote on the House floor. You can learn more about this bill by clicking on the links below:
Editorial in The Columbian: Smart legislation can help ease labor shortage
Article in the Columbian: Southwest Washington lawmakers back bill to help bars fill job ranks
KGW Report: Proposed bill would allow 18-year-olds to work at bars in Washington
Article in The Reflector: Bills from lawmakers in Legislative District 17 progress through Legislature
House Bill 1731, which is also waiting for a vote in the House, would allow short-term rental operators, such as individuals who rent properties through Airbnb, to acquire permits to offer their guests complimentary alcoholic beverages upon arrival. This would be a simple way for short-term renters to build positive relationships with their guests through a friendly gesture. Click on the link below from an article in The Columbian, to learn more about this, and the next bill on the list:
The Columbian: Two bills from Rep. Waters survive committee cutoff
House Bill 1772 is my third bill to pass committee. It would make it illegal to manufacture, import, offer, or sell in Washington a consumable product that contains cannabis or any form of tetrahydrocannabinol in combination with beer, wine, spirits, or any other type of liquor in the same product. Mixing alcohol and THC can be dangerous and this bill would make it illegal for products to contain both substances simultaneously. Next up for this policy would be a vote on the House floor.
House Bill 1794 would provide Washington with an economic tool it currently lacks, a tax incentive for investments in research and development (R&D). Studies have found that innovation through R&D has a more pronounced impact on job creation in the manufacturing sector compared to other sectors, including the services and agricultural sectors. Therefore, incentivizing more R&D in Washington will assist us with our state’s goal to double jobs, firms, and women and minority owned manufacturing firms by 2030. Unfortunately, this bill has yet to receive a hearing, so it is likely done for the 2023 session.
Stay Involved and Stay Up to date
I’m honored to represent you in Olympia, and I’m grateful for your input and feedback. I joined the Legislature to represent the 17th District, so please continue reaching to out to me whenever you wish. Just use the contact info below. My door is always open.
It’s an honor to serve you!
Kevin Waters
