Over 1,700 bills in the state house and over 1,500 bills in the state senate have been introduced so far in the 2020 legislative session in Olympia. Hundreds of terrible Democrat bills did not survive the legislative cutoffs, however expect them to be back next year. Also many bad Dem bills are now laws and many bills are still alive, here is a summary of several:
SB 6492 is a billion dollar B & O Tax that has became law. This is a new version of a already bad bill from last year that raises taxes on all service related businesses gross revenues to fund the Democrats' promises of 'free' college. It unfairly targets service industries taxing everything from health-care providers to housing services.
The new tax is egregious and totally unnecessary. We have over a billion dollars in additional revenue since the legislative session in April of last year. It will increase the B&O taxes on doctors, dentists, therapists, veterinarians, businesses that service nursing homes, forestry services, waste management, etc. It will force these businesses to raise prices for services and will translate into higher prices for everyone. To see floor debate on this bill click here.
HB 1110 would increase gas taxes by 57 cents per gallon. This tax significantly punishes all drivers and really hurts low income and the working class. All House Republicans, and even five House Democrats voted against it as the low-carbon fuel standard aspect to all of this does very little to actually help the environment.
SB 5811 and HB 2515 is legislation to ban all gas and diesel cars. Last month the Senate voted 26-23 to pass SB 5811, a bill that would enable Washington to join the national Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) program. Additionally, a bill requiring ALL new vehicles sold in the state to be electric by 2030 (HB 2515) was referred to the House Transportation Committee for a hearing.
The law exempts emergency response vehicles and anything weighing more than 10,000 pounds, such as farm equipment, and people could keep driving and reselling gas/diesel engine cars that are already in use as of 2030. This is being co-sponsored by seven different Chairs of House committees; including the Green, Energy and Environment, Money, Finance, Economy, and the Innovation, Technology and Economic Development Committees.
Phasing out gasoline and diesel vehicles over the next 10 years is all part of the Democrat Socialist agenda to ban all fossil fuels by the year 2045.
ESSB 5395 mandates that comprehensive sex education be taught in ALL Washington public schools beginning in kindergarten (grades K-12). This is being enforced by the WA State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal. Curriculum includes graphic LGBT "gender fluid" details, pictorial books, etc. to be shared with very young children about sex and discussions about gender identity, sexual orientation, etc.
ALL State Republican Legislators Oppose This Legislation. 17th LD Vicki Kraft voiced her concerns about mandated sex ed measures last month which had a public hearings in the House Education Committee, saying: "It seems there is movement on both of these very disturbing bills. Senate Bill 5395 passed the Senate on Jan. 22. And the House Education Committee voted to pass House Bill 2184 on Feb 4th. Both bills would force sex education in classrooms as early as kindergarten. With your help, we continue to fight this battle. Parents should have the right to decide what their children learn and when they learn about these sensitive subjects, not government. I invite you to watch my video on this subject, which explains why I oppose these bills." (Video). Of Note: Democrat LD 10 Rep. Dave Paul (Vice Chair of the House Education Committee) originally made the motion to approve the HB 2184 measure. HB 2184 was killed at the last cutoff, but we won't forget who supported it!
Also last week nearly 700 people showed up to oppose updated sex ed ESSB 5385 at the House public hearing. But again even with all the public backlash against this law, ALL the Democrats on the House Committee, including LD 10 Rep. Dave Paul still supported it, and voted to move it out of committee.
OF NOTE: Norma Smith reported that over 90% of all her emails on this subject were against it. House Republicans stand with parents who believe this is too much, too soon for kids and that local control is being taken away from school as school boards will be subject to having to choose this curriculum for their students
When we send our kids to a public school to learn, the focus should be about academics; reading, writing and arithmetic. The basics like Science, Home Economics, Shop and learning about the Constitutions and our founding documents should also be a priority. We need to promote school choice and make sure parents and the local school boards fully control school curriculum and get the state out of it. Instead the Democrat State Legislature have become obsessed with a radical liberal socialist agenda to indoctrinate and social engineer the next generation of children. I am vehemently against this legislation which is preditorial grooming and borders on child abuse.
HB 1551 passed the House (57 D to 40 R): Reduces the criminal punishment of people who knowing infect another with HIV from a felony crime of assault in the first degree to a misdemeanor or to a gross misdemeanor. Repeals prohibitions on an individual who has a sexually transmitted disease if the partner is unaware of the disease. Lowers the age of a minor from 16 years to 14 years of age to give consent to treatment of HIV infection WITHOUT a parent or guardian's consent. And consolidates and expands rulemaking authority for the State Board of Health relating to control of sexually transmitted diseases. This is a terrible law that puts the public at risk!
SB 6563 would allow all WA state school districts to have 'Health Privacy" clinics on campus. The school-based health centers would have no parental involvement and no limitations on the services/treatments. This takes away parents' authority and undermines their ability to make crucial medical decisions. The health centers would provide confidential health services to students while they are at school. If these centers provide certain services like sterilizations and vaccines, there are life-threatening effects. Just like in LA County, don't be alarmed to see Planned Parenthood-opperated clinics on many Washington school campuses in the future. Planned Parenthood is calling this "Their Bill" as they make money from abortions. This is more of the liberal government agenda to sexualize youth & keep parents in the dark.
HB 2829 authorizes the Governor to declare a "climate energy emergency" for purposes of limiting greenhouse gas emissions and building resiliency to the effects of climate change. Allows the Governor to declare a condition of energy emergency upon finding that an energy emergency exists within the state or any part thereof. Energy emergency means a situation in which the unavailability or disruption of the supply of energy poses a clear and foreseeable danger to the public health, safety, and general welfare. This is an abuse of power giving the governor legislative authority, essentially a czar where the governor can suspend ordinary law.
SB 6260: Allows any Washington tribe to file a description of its historical and current uses of a surface or ground water body that support the cultural, spiritual, ceremonial, and traditional rights or lifeways of the tribe, with the Department of Ecology. Requires Ecology to recognize the tribe's traditional and cultural interests in the water body when the filing is supported by certain documentation. Requires Ecology to consider recognized tribal traditional and cultural interests when reviewing various water right applications.
This means that Ecology must deem whether a new water right application will be detrimental to a recognized tribal traditional and cultural interest when issuing or rejecting any new water right permit. This is a very unfair law that would have many statewide adverse impacts regarding private property rights and severely punishes private property owners who pay the property taxes.
SHB 2567 “arrest free zones” around courthouses. This is designed to stop ICE from enforcing federal law. The Dems also tried to pass law 6442 that would ban private detention facilities – namely the ICE detention facility in Tacoma, this eventually passed but they were forced to water it down at the last minute to say they’re not sending WA inmates out of state to private prisons. Democrats also pushing through HB 2640 to prevent the ICE facility from expanding. This is all very dangerous policy that hurts law enforcement from keeping us safe and could allow problem criminals back into society to do more harm.
HB 2409 would significantly increase workers' compensation penalties on employers without contributing to worker safety.
SB 6610 seeks to deny voters the right to have citizen advisory votes on tax increases. Another terrible Dem law that takes away the ability of the voters to have input to the legislators.
HB 2947 is a new Democrat Gun Magazine Ban / Buy Back Program. Bill says: This law will prohibit the manufacture, possession, distribution, importation, selling, offering for sale, purchasing, or transfer of large capacity magazines, and making a violation of these restrictions a gross misdemeanor offense, by defining large capacity magazines to apply to ammunition feeding devices with the capacity to accept more than fifteen rounds of ammunition
Verbiage also says The Washington state patrol shall establish and administer a large capacity magazine buy-back program to allow a person in possession of a large capacity magazine to relinquish the device to the Washington state patrol in exchange for a monetary payment established under this section.
HB 2623 prohibits an individual from possessing firearms if they are convicted of the misdemeanor crimes of unlawful aiming or discharge of a firearm. It has no exceptions for an individual aiming or discharging a firearm for self-defense purposes in a location that is otherwise not authorized.
Senate Bill 6288 creates a new Office of Firearm Violence Prevention within the Executive Branch of the state government. This is what happens to the 2nd amendment and the Administrative state when you have a majority party that owns the House, Senate and Governor's office.
SB 5339: Abolishes the death penalty. OF NOTE: this was first passed on the floor of the Senate at the end of a long week late on a Friday afternoon as the Democrats brought the bill to the floor with no warning, so there was no chance for the public or press to be able to prepare or attend. You can't have a transparent fair civil debate over proposed laws when you don’t tell the other side you are bringing a bill to the floor. Democrats play shenanigans like this continually, and like many Dem bills, SB 5339 did not have a public hearing. That, too, is not appropriate behavior. This process is supposed to be public, especially when dealing with extremely controversial subjects – it is the public that lives with the consequences of these new laws. Thank you to LD 39 Senator Keith Wagoner who made some excellent points with his floor speech on this is issue (Video).
The good news is that his law was killed in the House of Representatives as Rep. Jenny Graham gave compelling testimony as to why the death penalty is so vitally important.
ESSB 6228 gives voting rights to felons still incarcerated who have not paid their fines, and gives voting rights to felons under active supervision by the Department of Corrections under what is commonly known as probation or parole. To see debate on this issue (44 min to 101 min.) click here.
GOOD NEWS: Republicans in the State Legislature have been successful in stopping much harmful Democrat legislation from moving forward such as killing over 30 anti-second amendment gun laws. Also GOP Reps have proposed many good ideas to combat the Dem onslaught of horrible legislation such as SB 6664 Parental Rights Bill Co sponsored by LD 39 Senate. It Says: This is a parental Bill of Rights. It affirms the primary rights of parents in Washington state, and puts parents control over their own children ahead of politicians and bureaucrats in Olympia. The legislature finds that important information relating to a child should not be withheld, either inadvertently or purposefully, from his or her parent, including information relating to the child's health, well-being, and education, while the child is in the custody of the school district. Of course the Democrat majority never gave this bill and many other good Republican bills a hearing.
Additionally there were several good House Republican bills that became causalities of House of Origin cutoff. These bills were important priorities to you, your families, and your businesses. Some of them included:
House Bill 2227 – $30 car tabs
House Bill 2479 – Reaffirm the prohibition of the imposition of a local income tax
House Bill 2222 – Reduce the state property tax
House Bill 1159 – Change the definition of theft
House Bill 2190 – Eliminate title-only (“ghost bills”) and increase legislative transparency
House Bill 2647 – Election security package
House Bill 2285 – Elevate road maintenance and preservation in transportation planning
Also the 2020 State House Republicans put forth several bills that address public-safety challenges that require accountability and enforcement. The proposed laws would help give communities needed resources and tools to respond to the root causes of the homelessness with compassion, breaking the cycle of addiction, not enabling it further. At the same time the below legislation would provide law enforcement with the tools they need to keep our communities safe:
HB 2537, HB 2538, HB 2539 and HB 2560 which all support our law enforcement community.
HB 1501 helps keep safe neighborhoods safe through proactive policing.
HB 1159 cracks down on property crime.
HB 2282, HB 2658 and HB 2639 provides local governments more options to address homelessness.
HB 2112 prohibits supervised injection sites.
HB 1035 and HB 1507 which encourages safe schools through common-sense reforms.
Moreover LD 31 House Rep. Drew Stokeburry's HB 2946 would deliver immediate tax relief for working families across the state. The bill would uphold voters' demand for $30 car tabs, while ensuing stable funding for roads and transit. It would also eliminate the sales tax on prepared food items sold at grocery stores. Of note all 41 Republicans signed onto HB 2946. For a list of other State Republican Bills that passed the House see link.
IN SUMMARY
The most updated state revenue forecast is projecting $1.5 billion in unexpected new tax revenue. Despite record revenues and voters repeatedly rejecting higher taxes, including the tax advisory votes and $30 car tab Initiative, Democrats have again increased taxes by billions of dollars. Last year it was taxes on businesses, gasoline, utilities, housing and transportation, and this year it is just more of the same as WA state now has a $2.4 billion budget tax surplus. There is no absolutely NO need for all the new Democrat taxes! It is clear that the Democrats want bigger government and more spending, and the Republicans want less government and more tax relief for working families!
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS OR CALL THE LEGISLATIVE HOTLINE @ (800) 562-6000 TO GIVE INPUT.
Last month a King County judge ruled that most of I-976 is constitutional, but kept the measure on hold while other claims in the lawsuit are being considered. While this is good news there are still legal challenges and I-976 $30 car tabs remain on hold. However, the Washington state Supreme court ruled that Sound transit can continue to charge car-tab taxes at rates that often reach hundreds of thousands of dollars per vehicle. That means despite the will of the people majority vote to pass I-976, millions of drivers across the state will continue to pay car-tab taxes that oftentimes reach hundreds of dollars per year. Very sad that the will of the voter is not being respected or upheld.
Swinomish Tribal Chairman Brian Cladoosby, a 23 year incumbent who was seeking his 5th term in the tribal senate, lost in a landslide election to political newcomer Alana Quintasket (final vote total was 220 to 103). Quintasket, 27, is an intern in the Swinomish Department of Planning and Community Development, and taught Lushootseed in local schools, and studied Indigenous Rights and Social Justice at Arizona State University and American Indian studies at University of Washington. Her campaign slogan was “Make Shift Happen.” The official vote for Chair will be on March 9th. Good luck to Alana in the coming years!
The U.S. Justice Department is suing King County to force it to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation flights to leave from Boeing Field. King County announced last year that it would seek to stop ICE-chartered flights from using county-owned Boeing Field to send immigrants to their home countries or to bring others in from around the country for incarceration.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court says the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause and federal law do not allow the county to discriminate against federal contractors or to impose obstacles to enforcing federal immigration laws. The lawsuit is part of the federal government’s attempt to crack down on so-called sanctuary policies, in which states and localities decline to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
Last month the Seattle City Council voted to allow up to 40 tent cities, designated homeless camps and designated parking lots for people living in their cars. This is expected to be a huge increase over existing levels. Expect more drug abuse, disease, defecation, crime, etc.
A congregation of Satanists from Washington state were permitted to perform a ritual on the Capitol Building grounds next week. A release from The Satanic Temple of Washington State said the group was given a permit to perform an invocation March 6 during the current legislative session from noon to 1 p.m. on the north steps of the Legislative Building.
The Democrat Iowa caucuses descended into chaos as results were delayed several days because the state party had issues tallying votes. To make matters worse a top Iowa Democrat party state official was unable to answer questions about delayed vote totals and then hung up on conference call with field reporters of the various Democrat Presidential campaigns. This chaotic caucus train wreck eventually lead to Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price to resign.
The final caucus results showed Pete Buttigieg beat Sanders by .10 of a percentage point, receiving 26.2 percent of the vote to Sanders’s 26.1 percent. Buttigieg won Iowa with 14 delegates, while Sanders received 12 delegates, although Sanders won the popular vote. The final results were ironic as Buttigieg is advocating the abolish the U.S. Electoral Collage.
Democrat Congresswoman AOC has new proposed legislation entitled "The New Way Forward Act." The law would force U.S. taxpayers to bring criminal Illegal Aliens who have been deported, back to the U.S.. Yes, AOC wants to use taxpayer dollars for the benefit of illegals who have been convicted of murder, rape, assault, etc. The bill also says convictions for a crime would never lead to automatic deportation, says all criminal illegal aliens would still be eligible for citizenship, and gives federal immigration judges the ability to nullify deportation orders. This is a catastrophic law that would turn heinous criminals loose, seriously endangering U.S. citizens, and would literally make America a "Sanctuary Country." This is part of a Democrat "Open Border" agenda in efforts to bring as many illegal voters to the U.S., all the while forcing U.S. taxpayers to fund illegals with free healthcare, school, etc.
AOC also wants to ban fracking that could radically change the U.S. energy sector. Sen. Bernie Sanders also introduced a version of the "Fracking Ban Act" bill to the Senate last month that he worked on with Ocasio-Cortez. The American Petroleum Institute slammed the bill saying it would hurt the people who work in the energy industry: "Banning a safe, successful method of developing energy would erase a generation of American energy progress and in the process destroy millions of U.S. jobs, spike household energy costs and hurt farmers and manufacturers."
A recent Gallup poll found that Americans have become considerably more optimistic about the state of race relations since Trump took office, with a 14-point increase over just three years. Also 84% of respondents reported satisfaction with their overall quality of life, and public opinion on the state of the nation’s economy has risen 22 points to 68 percent satisfaction under the Trump administration. Respondents’ satisfaction with “the position of blacks and other racial minorities in the nation” also rose nine points over three years to 46 percent in 2020, as part of a larger trend which showed that Americans overall satisfaction with the direction of the country was at its highest point since 2005.
In another Gallup poll, Economic optimism has reached a 44-year high and economic gloom a record low under President Trump in the latest survey that shows people are cheering their best personal economy in decades. For the first time in its history, the Gallup “Mood of the Nation” economic survey found that 59% of people believe that they are “better off,” a trend that has soared under Trump. It is even higher than President Reagan's best years.
Gallup found that those who feel that they are “worse off” are down to 20%, the lowest ever. The positive survey came a day after Gallup reported that Trump had reached his highest job approval as president. They reported a 63% satisfaction with the president’s handling of the economy, calling it, "The highest economic approval rating not only for Trump, but for any president since George W. Bush after the first few months of Sept. 11, 2001. And in a CBS poll 82% of Independents approved of Trump's SOTU Address. What’s more, people are at “peak optimism” when asked about their future economic situation To view Trumps the Best is Yet to Come video click here.
We Build The Wall just finished project two which is 3.5 miles in Mission, Texas which is in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. This location was a hotbed for illegal drug activity and cartels smuggling human cargo, with many major border patrol busts on the property itself. Needless to say illegal crossings, crime, trafficking, etc. has ceased in the area. To view this project and other updates click here.
Thank you to LD 10 Representative Norma Smith who sponsored several bills (HB 2363, 2364, 2365 and 2366) that seek to address online data privacy for consumers. Norma has been advocating to empower consumers, while holding corporations responsible and accountable for their policies. Her legislation is designed to have consumer needs be the focus of meaningful data privacy bills, providing consumer rights and access to justice to exercise their rights.
Congratulations to LD 7 State House Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber who receive the WACOPS, Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs, Legislator of the Year Award. Thank you Jacquelin for supporting all those who proudly wear the uniform and protect our families!
Congratulations to LD 10 State Sen. Ron Muzzall, his first bill in the Senate was approved unanimously. SB 6421 would revive a pilot program to expose young workers to the agricultural industry through farm internships. If re-enacted it would direct the state Department of Labor and Industries to reestablish the pilot project that began in 2010 and involved 20 of Washington’s 39 counties when it expired at the end of 2019. The project, which is primarily geared toward supporting small farms, removes regulatory barriers to employ interns who will receive training and other benefits such as housing while they may be starting their own farming operations.
“Young folks don’t always know the options they may have to learn a trade or find a career path,” my legislation will open up opportunities for young workers to explore a career in agriculture and, also importantly, support small farms in our state." Muzzall said.
Thanks and great job to Norma Smith, Ron Muzzall, Keith Wagoner, Carolyn Eslick and Robert Sutherland and their staffs who all did multiple Town Halls recently in Legislative District 10 and 39.
Thanks to everyone who helped organize and participate in last weeks 2020 Skagit County republican Precinct Caucuses. We had 12 very successful and well attended caucuses across our county. Great Job!
Thank you to WA state Lieutenant Governor Candidate Ann Davison Sattler who joined me for a joint meet & greet event last month in Mount Vernon. Also a Big Thank You to all the volunteers who helped make the Elect Bill Bruch for State House Campaign Kickoff a huge success, about 130 people attended the event at the Burlington Corporate Air Center. For more information on the campaign please see billbruchforhouse.com.
There will be an America First Rally On Saturday, March 7, from Noon to 4:00 pm at the OAK HARBOR WIND JAMMER PARK. This event is being sponsored by 2nd Congressional candidate Tim Hazelo. For more information about the event call (360) 929-8805.
Don't forget that the 2020 Presidential Primary is March 10th. Please take the time to vote and tell your friends to vote!
The Republican National Committee (RNC) announced that so far in 2020 the Washington State Republican Party (WSRP) is ranked as the #3 most-engaged state party in the country. The top 5 states are #1 New York, #2 New Mexico, #3 Washington, #4 South Carolina, #5 Virginia and. Thank you to the WSRP staff and all of our volunteers across the state who have stepped up and are dedicated to getting our state back on track!
The WSRP Legislative District 10 Campaign Headquarters Office in Oak Harbor is now fully operational and staffed. Office phone is (360) 675-0610 and hours are Monday through Friday from 10 am to 5 pm. Feel free to drop by, address is 520 Highway 20, Suite #200. A Very Big Thank You to the WSRP and everyone that made this happen!
As a reminder the SCRP County Convention is at the Mount Vernon Christian School on Saturday, March 28th (10 am - 3 pm). Cost is $10 or $25 if you want a provided box lunch. To be a delegate or alternate to the County Convention you must be a current member of the SCRP. For more information call (360) 820-1700.
Respect and Blessings,
Bill Bruch, SCRP Chairman
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