Lawmakers gathered today in Olympia for the start of the 2019 legislative session hoping to make progress on mental health services, affordable housing, education funding and many other issues. Regional news organizations published their preview coverage over the weekend and you can catch up here:
Rolling up their sleeves, heading to Olympia (Lewiston Tribune):
Nearly 200 bills have been prefiled for the session. When legislators aren’t buried in the budget weeds, they’ll be debating a number of other issues, such as affordable housing and mental health reforms. By the time they’re done, they may be channeling Will Rogers:
“I don’t make jokes,” Rogers once said. “I just watch the government and report the facts.”
Spokane-area senators lead both parties as new session starts (Spokesman-Review):
It might help most when it comes to finding money for capital projects in Eastern Washington, (Sen. Mark) Schoesler said. There are no big “asks” as in some past years, such as when Washington State University and the Spokane community put on a full-court press for a new medical school.
“The delegation works quite well together on those things,” said Schoesler, who was majority leader when Republicans controlled the Senate.
Democrats now have big new majorities in Olympia. What do they want to get done? (Seattle Times):
“Now the troops have arrived,” Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee said Friday in an interview. The governor has for years seen many of his signature priorities on climate change wither away in Olympia due to opposition or disinterest.
The governor already has laid out an ambitious $54.4 billion 2019-21 state operating budget proposal. It includes Democratic priorities to fight climate change and save killer whales, fund state-worker raises and expand education spending.
You can get down in the weeds of lawmaking by reviewing new bills and following legislation through the committee process at the Legislature’s website.
Many of the committee hearings and votes will broadcast on TVW alongside news analysis and interviews with legislators.
You can also contact local lawmakers via this list. And here are the links to their individual websites:
There are not as many independent reporters directly covering the session from the Capitol as there used to be, but you can still find a few here:
- Associated Press: Rachel La Corte (@RachelAPOly)
- Seattle Times: Joe O’Sullivan (@OlympiaJoe)
- Spokesman Review: Jim Camden (@jcamden)
- Northwest News Network/TVW: Austin Jenkins (@AustinJenkinsN3)
And to follow the major political parties on Twitter throughout the session:
- House Democrats: @WaHouseDems
- House Republicans: @WaHouseGOP
- Senate Democrats: @WaSenDemocrats
- Senate Republicans: @WashingtonSRC