Sine Die! End-of-Session Recap

We thank you for your thousands of Pro/Con committee sign-ins, letters, testimony, and visits to Olympia that made positive policy change possible!

The 60-day 2024 legislative session concluded Thursday March 7. The last day of the legislative session is called Sine Die (pronounced sigh-knee die), Latin for “without a day,” meaning the state legislature adjourned for the last time without setting a day to come back. This past week the Capital was filled with floor action focused primarily on concurring (and sometimes not concurring) changes made to Senate and House bills. A historic number of bills were dropped for a short session this year, with 369 bills sent to the governor’s desk, and 234 of those received unanimous votes. Lawmakers approved the Capital budget on Wednesday, and the Operating and Transportation budgets on Thursday.

Progressives faced challenges in advancing their more ambitious agendas, including unemployment insurance for striking workers, the Affordable Homes Act (REET 2.0), Keep Our Care Act, Working Families Tax Credit expansion and capping rent increases. Many of their priorities did not pass, reflecting the limits of fiscal and political realities. There is momentum, however, for these issues to be revisited in future sessions due to retirements and open seats in the legislature.

Citizen initiatives significantly impacted the session’s agenda and consumed considerable legislative attention, with legislators navigating six initiatives, approving three, and sending the remaining three to the fall ballot.

The Washington State Legislature approved three citizen initiatives on Monday. The passage of three initiatives in one day was historic in Olympia:

I-2111 Banning income taxes at both state and local levels, which could jeopardize current and future revenue streams. In the Senate lawmakers voted 38-11 for the initiative, and in the House it passed 76-21. The strong legislative support reflects the state’s historical opposition to such taxes despite arguments addressing the regressive nature of the current tax system and the need for progressive revenue.
I-2113 Expanding police authority for high-speed chases raised concerns about public safety and law enforcement practices. The Senate passed the measure 36-13 with only Democrats opposed. In the House, the measure passed 77-20. This will allow an officer to engage in a pursuit if they have reasonable suspicion a person has violated the law, and reverses restrictions set in 2021 to mitigate violence in police actions. Critics worry about the safety risks, especially for bystanders, and the disproportionate impact on Black people.
I-2081 Enumerating parental rights in education, with potential implications for LGBTQ+ children and access to comprehensive health care services. The initiative passed unanimously through the Senate and passed in the House by 82-15. Many of the rights outlined in the initiative are already in state or federal law. Democratic leaders have pledged to take corrective action in the next legislative session if the law is misinterpreted or negatively affects LGBTQ youth.

These other three initiatives will be directly presented to voters on the November ballot:

I-2117 Repealing the Climate Commitment Act, which funds major environmental efforts. FAN has endorsed the No on I-2117 campaign, with more information to come. The Climate Commitment Act is crucial for combating climate change, and repeal would undermine significant advancements.
I-2109 Repealing the capital gains tax, affecting funding for childcare, early learning, and K-12 education. This tax, paid by a small fraction of the wealthiest residents, generates significant revenue for vital programs. FAN has endorsed the No on I-2109 campaign. The Capital Gains Tax is crucial for funding education, and repeal would undermine significant advancements.
I-2124 Allowing opt-out of the long-term care program, risking the program’s financial stability and essential benefits for millions of Washingtonians. FAN is collecting more information.

The outcomes of these initiatives could either sustain or reverse progress in creating a more equitable tax system and addressing critical social issues.

BUDGET ITEMS APPROVED!

Congratulations on your budget advocacy—hundreds of letters were sent to legislators during the past two weeks! Important investments were made to fund the categories of our work, below. To see the comparison of what we asked for and what was funded, see our updated Bill Tracker.

Promoting Economic Justice

$2 million for Working Families Tax Credit Outreach. This funding for community organizations will make sure rural communities, BIPOC communities, immigrants, and other hard-to-reach communities know about this credit and can apply. In 2023, less than half of eligible households applied for their cash refund.

Protecting the Safety Net and Preventing Hunger

$45 million for Free School Meals. The bills died for free meals for all kids, but the budget includes an additional $45M for free school meals to ensure OSPI/local schools have sufficient funding to cover previous years’ legislation to expand access for more students.

$12.23 million for Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT). DSHS received final cost estimates a few weeks ago to launch Summer EBT, which were higher than what was included in the Governor’s budget proposal. The budget makes possible additional food benefits to eligible children during summer months when school-based meals are not available, and includes enhanced communications functionality that will make Summer EBT a more robust, family-friendly, school-friendly program.

$10 million for Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP). Advocates asked for $15M, and the final budget adds only $10M: $5M will be available in this current fiscal year, and an additional $5M in the next fiscal year for a total of $10M in new funding.

$12 million for Senior Nutrition Programs. Advocates asked for $15.2M/year and the final budget adds only $12M in one-time funding to cover 13,200 seniors. This budget seems designed to fill in where federal Covid money is ending, but doesn’t cover the caseload that the local Area Agencies on Aging are currently serving, many of which have waiting lists for their nutrition services like Meals on Wheels and home delivery for groceries.

$1.8 million to Fully Fund College Basic Needs Navigators. The budget funds basic needs navigators at .75 FTE at all college campuses as designed by last year’s HB 1559 (Post-Secondary Basic Needs Act).

$16.3 million so that 100% of Child Support Payments go directly to TANF families. This will allow families on TANF to keep the entirety of child support payments they are owed.

Increase Safe Affordable Housing and Prevent Homelessness

$127.5 million for the Housing Trust Fund on top of the $400 million investment last year in the biennial Capital Budget to build affordable homes. It includes additional funding for energy efficiency improvements and represents a significant second-year investment.

$60 million to help backfill the projected funding gap from document recording fees. This will help ensure that state-funded shelter and rapid rehousing programs can maintain their current service levels.

Advance Immigrant and Refugee Rights

$28.4 million in additional funding for Health Equity for Immigrants to fund the Medicaid-like program for undocumented immigrants and community organizations’ outreach.

$25.25 million to the Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance at DSHS for services for newly arrived immigrants who do not qualify for federal resettlement programs.

An additional $7.5 million is provided to the Department of Commerce for grants to local jurisdictions to provide transitional and long-term housing supports and for other costs incurred related to unsheltered recent arrivals.

$100,000 Unemployment Insurance for Undocumented Workers study. Funding to establish a group dedicated to creating a wage replacement initiative for undocumented workers. This team will evaluate funding sources, compare them with other states’ programs, and aim not to burden employers additionally, with a comprehensive report due by November 2024.

Foster Public Safety and Civil Rights

$500,000 in 2024 and $1.5 million in 2025 for Security Grants for non-profits and faith communities. Expands resources for physical security of nonprofit and religious nonprofit institutions that have been targeted by hate and vandalism.

$400,000 for Police Pursuits Study. Funds will support the gathering and analysis of data on police pursuits, leading to the preparation of a report with policy suggestions for the Legislature by June 2025. This report must also incorporate feedback from individuals who have had encounters with law enforcement, including communities of color.

BILLS THAT PASSED WITH YOUR ADVOCACY!

For the full list of the bills that passed or did not move, see our updated Bill Tracker.

BIG WINS for Public Safety and Gun Responsibility

SB 5427 Biased Incidents Hotline will support people who have been targeted by hate crimes and bias incidents.

HB 1903 Reporting Lost and Stolen Firearms within 24 hours of discovering weapons are gone.

HB 2118 Dealer Responsibility establishes further requirements of care for gun dealers.

SB 5444 Concerning Firearms in Sensitive Places will prohibit carrying a weapon into certain designated places like zoos, public libraries, and transit facilities.

Protecting the Safety Net

HB 1652 Ensuring Families on TANF Keep 100% of Their Child Support Payments. The bill will go into effect January 1, 2026.

Advance Immigrant and Refugee Rights

HB 2368 Funding for Services for Newly Arrived Immigrants within the Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance, allowing ORIA to provide emergency and legal services for people who do not qualify for federal refugee programs.

HB 1541 Nothing About Us Without Us will ensure the meaningful participation of people with direct lived experience on statutorily created or mandated state committees.

Addressing Climate Change and Environmental Justice

HB 1368 Clean School Buses directs $40 million from the transportation budget towards replacing over 10,000 diesel buses with zero-emission alternatives, prioritizing areas with high pollution and leveraging the Climate Commitment Act for funding. This will ensure a healthier environment and improved air quality for children.

Though not on FAN’s formal agenda, SB 6058 facilitating linkage of Washington’s carbon market with the California-Quebec carbon market and HB 1589 accelerating Puget Sound Energy’s transition from natural gas also passed.

The Climate Commitment Act raised $1.2 billion in 2023. This revenue is allocated across the operating budget ($249 million), the transportation plan ($323 million), and the capital budget ($688 million). Part of this funding, $150 million, is designated for a $200 electricity bill credit for low- and moderate-income households, set for distribution by September 15, 2024. This move has faced criticism, especially as it coincides with the upcoming vote on a ballot initiative that could abolish the cap-and-trade program. Additional investments include acquiring hybrid-electric fire engines, setting up electric vehicle charging stations, transitioning ferries to hybrid-electric power, enhancing air quality monitoring, and supporting the development of fusion technology and green hydrogen.

Supporting Workers

HB 6007 Concerning Employment Standards for Grocery Workers will retain grocery workers’ jobs and protect from layoffs caused by corporate mergers.

Access to Healthcare

SB 5853 Extending the Crisis Relief Center Model will provide behavioral health crisis services for minors.

HB 1929 Supporting Young Adults Following Inpatient Behavioral Health Treatment will provide critical services.

The legislature prioritized mental healthcare this year allocating $339 million on behavioral health programs, staffing and facilities.

Housing

A number of big housing policies failed, including HB 2114 capping annual rent increases for tenants at 7% per year, and the Affordable Homes Act (REET 2.0) which would have increased transfer tax on properties sold over $3M but exempt those $1M and below. We will continue to pursue housing justice with our coalition partners.

Police Accountability and Incarceration Reform

Four years after the death of Manny Ellis who died while hog-tied in police custody in Tacoma, SB 6009 Hog Tying Ban was passed. This session, however, saw the failure of key initiatives supported by police accountability proponents, notably HB 1513 Traffic Safety for All aimed at limiting police traffic stops and HB 1579 Independent Prosecutor legislation intended to broaden the attorney general’s power to probe into unlawful use of force by police officers. Bills we supported for reform of our incarceration system also did not pass.

Thank you for your advocacy! We will continue to work together for policies that didn’t pass during the 2025 session. In the meantime, we can celebrate what we accomplished together.

Celebrating Ramadan

Ramadan begins the evening of March 10th this year. Please consider joining a public iftar dinner to break the fast with your neighbors at your local mosque. MAPS in Redmond, MAYF in Burien, and Pacifica Foundation in Tacoma welcome you. Use this guide to see other local interfaith iftars that may be happening in your area.

Upcoming Events

Friday, March 8, Happy International Women’s Day!

Saturday, March 9, 3:00pm, Interreligious Dialogue Initiative Film Screening and Discussion: Carving the Divine, in-person, Seattle University, Seattle. An event in solidarity and support for the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple which recently experienced arson. Register here.

Sunday, March 10, 1:30-3:30pm, American Democracy in Peril: What History Tells Us and How We Take Action Today, in-person and online, University Unitarian Church, Seattle. Learn from lecturer David Domke about how the civic choices that we make today will determine the future of American democracy and justice. Learn more here.

Tuesday, March 12, 1:00pm, Grandmothers Care: Safe Storage Saves Lives, online. Presented by Grandmothers Against Gun Violence, join this panel discussion to learn more about the importance of safe firearm storage. Register here.

Wednesday, March 13, 7:00pm, The State of Behavorial Healthcare, online. Presented by Heathcare for All Washington, hear from Max Lau of the Children’s Alliance about the current mental health state of youth, racial and wealth equity in Washington state and more. Register.