State lawmakers debated and voted on dozens of bills this past week ahead of Tuesday’s house-of-origin cut off deadline. The Senate passed SB 5096, to impose an income tax on capital gains by a tight 25-24 margin on Saturday. The income tax bills has been covered extensively, but other key issues also made news this week.
Also on Saturday, Senate Democrats pushed through a broad expansion of child care and early learning programs, SB 5237, on a mostly party-line 28-21 vote. All Republicans, and one Democrat, Sen. Tim Sheldon (D-Mason County) voted against it.
Called the “Fair Start for Kids Act” by Democrats, the bill would increase subsidies for licensed child care providers, reduce co-pays, and expand eligibility for programs like the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program. The cost for this expansion would be about $720 million over the next four years. Democrats said much of this cost could be covered by federal funds to be made available to the state by the COVID Relief bill passed by Congress.
They also linked passage of the capital gains income tax bill on the same day to the child care bill, saying proceeds from the new tax would, in part, support expanded child care programs. The House passed its own version of a child care program expansion bill, HB 1213, on Monday, also by a mostly partisan 58-38 vote.
Republicans argued against the expanded mandates and entitlements proposed by these bills, saying they would result in new taxes. The best way to expand access to child care, they said, would be to reduce regulations on child care providers.
The House also debated HB 1310 on Saturday to establish a statewide standard for police use of force, including deadly force. Under the bill, a peace officer may use physical force against another person when necessary to effect an arrest, prevent an escape, or otherwise protect against an imminent threat of bodily injury to the peace officer or another person. A peace officer may use deadly force against another person only when necessary to protect against an imminent threat of serious physical injury or death to the officer or another person.
The bill passed by a mostly partisan 55-42 vote, with all but one Republican and two Democrats voting against it.
On Sunday, House members spent most of the day debating nearly two dozen amendments to HB 1236, a measure that would limit landlords’ ability to evict tenants. The bill would extend the statewide moratorium on tenant evictions imposed by Gov. Inslee executive order last year until federal and state authorities declare an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Most of the amendments proposed by Republicans aimed at easing restrictions that make it harder for landlords to remove nonpaying problem tenants failed, and the bill passed along mostly partisan lines by a 54-44 vote, with all Republicans and three Democrats voting against it.
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