Over the past two legislative sessions, state lawmakers have introduced nearly 4,000 bills, but as of last Tuesday’s cut-off deadline for voting bills out of committee in their house of origin, fewer than one thousand measures now remain under consideration, including 300 bills carried over from last year’s session. So far this year, only one bill, a massive tax hike on business owners, has been signed into law.

The pace of legislative action quickened on Wednesday, as members of both chambers began working through hundreds of bills in lengthy floor sessions, approving 240 bills (128 in the House, 112 in the Senate). The fast pace will likely continue through next Wednesday, February 19th, the last day for bills to be passed in their originating chamber. Both chambers will be working through the holiday weekend, according to legislative leaders. This year’s 60-day session is scheduled to end on March 12th.

A bill to allow sports betting in tribal casinos (HB 2638) passed the House late Thursday night with a bipartisan 83-14 vote, just two days after it was approved by the House Appropriations Committee. Under the bill, non-tribal business owners would be excluded. A last-minute amendment by Rep. Jim Walsh (R-Aberdeen) was approved to add an emergency clause to the bill, which would make the bill, if enacted, effective immediately and prevent a statewide referendum vote on it. Opponents said that expanding gambling should not be considered an emergency and that the emergency clause would likely be challenged in court.

In the Senate, majority Democrats pushed through a bill to require restaurants to offer milk or water as the default beverage for children’s meals. SB 6455 passed by a 25-22 vote. Only four Democrats joined all Republicans in voting against it. Sen. Keith Waggoner (R-Sedro Woolley) was among those who argued against the bill, saying “this is government overreach in the worst way. We’re literally telling restaurants what to put on the menu.”

An amendment to include apple juice as a default beverage was voted down by voice vote, even though the Senate went on to approve a separate bill to create a special license plate promoting Washington apples (SB 6032) by a 46-1 vote.

Also on Thursday, a bill to allow 17-year-olds to vote in state primary elections if they will turn 18 by the November general election in even years (SB 6313) passed the Senate by a party-line 28-19 vote. Sen. Tim Sheldon (D-Mason County), who typically votes with Republicans, was the sole Democrat to oppose the measure. Opponents of the bill argued that the state and national constitutions require voters to be at least 18-years old, and that the primary election is, in fact, the election that determines the winner in many races, because of the political make-up of the state.

House members on Wednesday engaged in a lively debate before passing HB 2602, a bill to ban discrimination on the basis of hair style or texture, and “traits historically associated or perceived to be associated with race.” The bill passed on a broad, bi-partisan 87-10 vote.

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