Monday was make-or-break day for hundreds of House and Senate bills — the last day for most bills to pass their chamber of origin or die for this session. The exceptions are budget and transportation bills.
Dead for the session is Senate Bill 5297, a controversial measure that would have required signature-gatherers on initiative petitions to sign an oath verifying that the signatures were properly obtained and provide their names and addresses on signature sheets. The measure, strenuously opposed by anti-tax activist Tim Eyman and Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, was modified from the original version, which would have required signature-gatherers to register with the Secretary of State, but it still faced constitutional questions.
“For the ninth year in a row, a bunch of union-funded Democrats tried once again to shut down the initiative process with their usual regulate-to-death strategy,” Eyman said in a letter e-mailed to his supporters. “Thanks to public pressure from all of you, none of this year’s anti-initiative bills will make it to Gregoire’s desk; none will become law.”
A partial list of bills sponsored by Clark County legislators:
Bills that failed
o Benefit cards: Senate Bill 5327, which would have restricted the venues where electronic benefit cards can be used to access public assistance funds. State Sen. Joe Zarelli, R-Ridgefield, a co-sponsor of the measure, also failed to win passage of two other bills designed to reduce reported widespread abuse and fraud in programs administered by the Department of Social and Health Services.
o Breast reconstruction: House Bill 1101, sponsored by state Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, would have required surgeons to inform their patients that group health plans are required to cover reconstructive surgery for breast cancer patients after mastectomies. Plastic surgeons withdrew support for the measure at the last minute, saying they preferred that hospitals, not physicians, be responsible for informing patients of the federal health coverage requirement.
o Presidential primary: Senate Bill 5119, sponsored by Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver, would have canceled the 2012 presidential primary, saving the state $10 million in election expenses.
Bills that survived
o Corrections workers: House Bill 2011, rushed through the House at the last minute, would allow corrections workers to seek binding arbitration under the Public Employees Collective Bargaining Act if they reach impasse with the state over working conditions in prisons. Corrections officers in Vancouver and across the state staged informational pickets last week calling for strengthened bargaining rights following the killing of a corrections officer Jan. 29 at the Monroe Corrections Complex. No committee hearings were held on the bill, which was introduced Saturday and was the last bill acted on by the House before the Monday cutoff. It passed 59-36.
o Vaccine waivers: House Bill 1015 and Senate Bill 5005 would require parents seeking to exempt their children from receiving required childhood vaccines to present a statement from a health care practitioner affirming that they have been provided with information on the benefits and risks of immunizations. Current law requires children in school or day care to provide proof of immunization against vaccine-preventable diseases, but allows the requirement to be waived for health, religious or philosophical reasons. The House bill passed 75-18; the Senate bill passed 35-11.
o Health premium transparency: House Bill 1220 would give the public access to information filed with the Washington Insurance Commissioner by health insurance carriers justifying why they are requesting permission to increase their premiums. It passed the House 57-40.
o Campaign reform: Senate Bill 5021, sponsored by Pridemore, would crack down on deceptive campaign practices that mask the sources and agendas of groups that sponsor campaign messages and make political contributions. It passed the Senate 46-0.
o Habitat conservation plans: House Bill 1009, sponsored by Rep. Bruce Chandler, R-Granger, would require certain state agencies to consult with the Legislature before applying to the federal government for new or amended habitat conservation plans. The plans allow landowners to manage their land while protecting habitat for threatened and endangered species. Chandler, whose 15th District includes heavily forested Skamania County, noted that the plans last for 50 years and said they often have a great impact on use of private and public lands. The bill passed 91-6.
o Discover Pass: Senate and House bills that would keep state parks and other state lands open to the public by charging $30 for an annual pass remain in their respective Ways and Means committees. Because they are considered “necessary to implement the budget,” the bills were not subject to the Monday 5 p.m. cutoff. “They are still in play,” state parks spokeswoman Virginia Painter said Tuesday. State agencies proposed the so-called “Discover Pass” as a potential new source of funding that would prevent the state from shuttering more than 100 state parks as soon as this fall. The pass would allow its holders to visit state parks, wildlife areas and forests. Only six parks generate enough revenue to cover their costs.
o Safer neighborhoods: Senate Bill 5154 addresses a recent rise in thefts from parked cars by making vehicle prowling in the second degree a class C felony if the thief has two or more prior convictions for vehicle prowling in the second degree. Though the rate of stolen cars has dropped recently in Washington, thefts of property from inside cars have increased. It passed the Senate 49-0.
Kathie Durbin: 360-735-4523 or kathie.durbin@columbian.com.
