Remote testimony this week on SB 5114 & HB 1135; other bills to watch
The Chamber Advocate
CEO Report on Advocacy, Policy and Business Issues
January 22, 2021
Vol. 7
Your Chamber at work
Business advocacy matters are front & center here at the Chamber now that the legislative session is in high gear. We’re taking swift action on bills that have moved into committees/public hearings and keeping an eye on others.
CEO Tara Doyle-Enneking testified remotely this week on two separate bills in committee, Senate Bill 5114 and House Bill 1135 (read more on those bills below).
We're working closely with our legislators in the 25th and 31st Legislative Districts, and they are listening:
"Thanks for your excellent testimony at today’s House Transportation Committee. I appreciated your informative testimony and concise advocacy!" - Rep. Eric Robertson, 31st Legislative District
Here are additional details and links for the two bills referenced above:
Senate Bill 5114: Safely reopening Washington
At Wednesday's public hearing in the Senate State Government & Elections Committee, we provided testimony along with Krista Linden of Step By Step/Farm 12, and Bryan Reynolds of Anthem Coffee. There was a record number of citizens who registered to testify for this bill, the majority of them in support. We also wrote directly to the Committee Chair asking for the bill to be brought up for a vote, and we've sent letters to senators in our Puget Sound region asking for their support of this bipartisan legislation. Among the sponsors of this bill are two from our area, Sen. Chris Gildon (25th Leg. Dist.) and Sen. Phil Fortunato (31st Leg. Dist.).
At Thursday's public hearing in the House Committee on Transportation, we provided testimony to urge completion of critical projects affecting our region. We have joined with members of the Puget Sound Gateway Coalition, including Puget Sound area Chambers of Commerce, Port of Tacoma, and others, to vehemently oppose proposed delays for Gateway projects, such as completion of SR 167, as the state struggles to balance the budget. We see such projects as critical not only for our businesses in East Pierce County but as part of critical economic recovery.
While there are approximately 25 bills we are watching (and nearly 1,000 bills introduced this session), here is a brief list of bills we are watching right now:
We encourage you to read up on these bills (and comment) if you have time, but rest assured that we will keep you posted throughout this legislative session.
2021 Legislative Agenda
Our Legislative Committee met earlier this week, and we are working on our legislative agenda. As part of the South Sound Chambers of Commerce Legislative Coalition, we’ve been made aware of a a long list of bills that pertain to business.
We will keep you updated regularly on specific bills as we are doing in today's issue of The Chamber Advocate.
Stay in the know
In addition to reading The Chamber Advocate newsletters, we invite you to join in our monthly Government Affairs Committee (GAC) meetings, held virtually on the first Tuesday of each month.
Updates are provided from city, county and state officials, and during the legislative session, we typically receive updates from our shared lobbyist in Olympia. We're also joined periodically by our NW region representative from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Nearly 1,000 bills have been introduced in Olympia this session.
We encourage you to learn more about any potential legislation that may affect your specific industry. Stay tuned to our Chamber updates, as well as any updates from your industry's associations. It's also a good idea to subscribe to email updates from state legislators in your district.
If you want to browse all bills and view their status, visit https://app.leg.wa.gov/bi/billstatus and check the box that reads “Run for All Bills.”
You will retrieve a list of nearly 1,000 bills from this session. That may sound overwhelming, but you can sort the list by title, status, sponsor, etc.
Chamber Advocate
The Chamber Advocate keeps our members & business community informed of developments regarding policies and issues pertinent to the business community. Here you'll find political and government affairs news, as well as calls to action for Chamber members to garner support for specific issues.
Please share your newsworthy stories with us as they relate to government affairs and economic development as we may feature them in this newsletter.
Our Chamber exists to be the catalyst for business growth, the convener for leaders and influencers, and the champion of business and stronger communities.
