State lawmakers returned to work this morning after a long night of committee action ahead of today’s deadline for passing bills out of fiscal and transportation committees in their originating chamber. The House Appropriations Committee worked until midnight to pass dozens of measures and move them to the Rules Committee, which schedules bills for action by the full House.

Today’s deadline sets the stage for debate and action on major issues as this year’s scheduled 105-day legislative session, now in its 47th day, nears the half-way point.

As expected, Governor Jay Inslee announced his campaign for President this morning that is focused on fighting climate change. Against a video backdrop featuring images of fire-scorched landscapes and flooding, Inslee said the nation must rise to the challenge, portraying a clean-energy revolution as a potential win for the economy and the environment.

At about the same time this morning, the state Senate, controlled by Democrats, took up debate on SB 5116, a sweeping measure to move the state to what the bill’s proponents say is a “clean-energy” economy.  Under the bill, Washington’s electric utilities would have to eliminate all coal-fired energy sources by 2025 and meet 100 percent of its retail electric load using non-emitting and renewable resources by January 1, 2045.

Republican senators offered nearly two dozen amendments to the bill, pointing out that Washington utilities already rely heavily on clean hydroelectric power and that the bill’s provisions would really only result in additional costs and rate increases to be borne by consumers.

Most of the amendments failed, and the bill passed along strictly partisan lines by a vote of 28-19. Two members—one Republican and one Democrat—were excused.

In other floor action, the Senate passed a comprehensive all-grades sex education bill, SB 5395, on Wednesday. The proposal would require schools across the state to teach sex education classes that are science-based and include information about affirmative consent and abusive relationships.

Republicans opposed to the measure proposed more than a dozen amendments including proposals to block the classes from being taught to the youngest students. The amendments failed and the bill passed with a partisan 28-21 vote. Sen. Tim Sheldon (D-Mason County), who has joined Republicans in the past, was the only Democrat to vote against the bill.

Earlier this week, the Senate also passed SB 5074, to assure that presidential electors in the state vote for their party's presidential and vice-presidential nominees. In the 2016 presidential election, a third of Washington’s electors voted for candidates that were not on the ballot. Under this bill, electors who do not vote for their party’s voter-approved nominees would be disqualified and replaced by alternate electors. The bill passed  29-20, with one Republican in favor, and one Democrat against.

Visit washingtonvotes.org to keep up with legislative action in the second-half of the session and follow us on Facebook and Twitter #waleg.

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