OLYMPIA, WA LEGISLATIVE WATCH: Lowering the legal limit to .05, Taxes, Housing, Cannabis, Fossil..

HB 2425: a new 0.5% sales tax on new construction to fund a rental support program for low-income families. So, if you somehow in this day and age can scrape together enough money to buy a house, you're going to get tapped another .5% to pay for some low-income families rent.Show more

HB 2323: requires landlords to report on-time rental payments to a national consumer reporting agency if the tenant requests they do so. They would not be required to report late payments and the reporting can stop if rent is paid late. Just another hoop for landlords just to jump through. More hassle. More and more rights to renters.

HB 2308: Authorizes city governing authorities to establish a property tax exemption program for properties which are converted into buildings that contain affordable housing units for low-income households. This would last 8 years but can be extended to 12 years if the owner commits to renting at least 20% of the units to low and moderate income. More benefits and bribes to build more low income housing.

HB 2321: Modifying middle housing requirements and the definitions of transit stop.
Middle Housing. No later than six months after its next required comprehensive plan update, fully planning cities meeting population requirements must allow for the development of a minimum number of units on all residential lots as follows: Cities with a population of at least 75,000 must allow at least four units on all residential lots, at least six units on all residential lots within 0.25 miles walking distance of a major transit stop, and at least six units if two are affordable housing. • Cities with a population of at least 25,000 but less than 75,000 must allow at least two units on all residential lots, at least four units on all residential lots within 0.25 miles walking distance of a major transit stop, and at least four units if one unit is affordable housing. • Cities with a population less than 25,000, within a contiguous UGA with the largest city in a county with a population of more than 275,000, must allow two units on all residential lots. This will allow multi-unit low-income dwellings to be built in historically single-family residential areas. Cram as many people as possible into as little space as possible and get rid of single family neighborhoods.

HB 2196: lowers the legal blood alcohol limit to 0.05, down from .08. This will be for DUI and Physical Control. While I understand the reason for this, this effectively means one drink and your DUI.

HJM 4003: Endorses the call for a fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which is the United Nations body for assessing climate change science, states that humanity must achieve net zero in greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of the century in order to limit the effects of anthropogenic climate change to 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming. The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference called for transitioning away from the use of fossil fuels in energy systems by 2050. Recent Washington Environmental Laws. The Washington Legislature has passed a number of bills in recent years related to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, including: HJM 4003 Senate Bill 5145 (2019) prohibiting the use of hydraulic fracking in gas and oil exploration; • • House Bill 2311(2020) requiring progress toward zero-emissions by 2050; • the Climate Commitment Act (2021) creating a market mechanism to cap emissions; and • Senate Bill 5141 (2021) reducing environmental health disparities. Summary of Bill: The Legislature formally endorses the call for a fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty. It affirms the need for a plan to phase out fossil fuel production in a manner that prioritizes impacted workers and local government services. The Legislature urges the United States government to develop a fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty. This isn't a Bill, just our state Democrats kissing the UN's butts. They won't be happy until we are completely dependent on electricity and have rolling blackouts and no reliable source of energy. Everyone living in their little concrete box in their 15-minute city with no cars.

SB 6271: Requires the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) to collect data on cannabis product sales and submit a report to the Legislature by November 14, 2025. • Requires LCB to formulate a recommended approach and implementation plan for modifying the cannabis excise tax and submit a report to the Legislature by September 18, 2026. Cannabis is currently taxed at 37% of the sale price of each retail item. They want to raise that tax based on the amount of THC in the product. This is the highest taxed state for cannabis in the country. And of course, it's not enough.

SB 6205: Pledge of Allegiance in Schools. The board of directors of every school district must cause appropriate flag exercises to be held in each classroom at the beginning of the school day and at the opening of all school assemblies. Those students who wish to do so may recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Those students who choose not to recite the Pledge must maintain a respectful silence. Summary of Bill: Beginning no later than the 2025-26 school year, school districts must offer instruction in the meaning and history of the Pledge of Allegiance. At a minimum, the instruction must be offered once in elementary school, once in middle school, and once in high school. To the extent practicable, OSPI must make curricular resources related to the meaning and history of the Pledge of Allegiance available in the library of openly licensed courseware. Finally, a Bill that makes sense and is meaningful, but I'm guessing this will get shot down. We need to bring back some pride of country and historical education.