NYBA lobbyist Jim Hedrick has shared his thoughts on the current legislative session, and highlighted the following items that will be of particular interest to our NYBA members:

"The Washington State Legislature is now about a third of its way through to its adjournment date on April 23. This past Friday (2/18) was the policy committee cutoff and next Friday (2/24) is the fiscal committee cutoff. 

This week the House Capital Budget Committee is hearing  SHB 1378 concerning the removal of derelict aquatic structures and restoration of aquatic lands. The bill would authorize the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to purchase or otherwise acquire lands and facilities related to derelict aquatic structures, and to remove, refurbish, or dispose of derelict aquatic structures. The Senate companion bill, SB 5433, will also be heard in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

House Bill 1085 concerning plastic pollution continues to advance and is now in the House Rules Committee. HB 1085 was amended to narrow the restrictions on plastic foam in floating overwater structures to apply only to structures or blocks and floats that are not fully enclosed and contained in a 0.15 inch-thick plastic shell or a concrete, aluminum, or steel shell.  The Substitute version is expected to come to a House vote as early as Wednesday of this week. 

Senate Bill 5371 which would expand the perimeter to protect southern resident orcas from 400 to 1,000 yards continues to advance and is in the Senate Rules Committee. The bill would make it unlawful for a person to cause a vessel or other object to approach, in any manner, within 1,000 yards of a southern resident orca or position a vessel to be in the path of a southern resident orca at any point located within 1,000 yards of the whale. This includes intercepting a southern resident orca by positioning a vessel so that the prevailing wind or water current carries the vessel into the path of the whale at any point located within 1,000 yards of the whale. 

The House Finance Committee will hold a hearing on the Margins Tax, HB 1644. The bill has received heavy opposition from businesses across the board as not fully understanding how the bill affects their industry while others argue they would pay significantly more taxes under a new Margins Tax than the current B&O tax. The Margins Tax is not expected to pass the legislature this year until it’s better understood by businesses and the legislature.

Check out the full Hedrick Weekly for February 13th-17th here.