Slew of controversial bills move ahead in WA Legislature

(The Center Square) – Several contentious pieces of legislation – all of which have already been approved by the House of Representatives – got another step closer to becoming law in Washington state, moving through executive session before the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Monday with a do-pass recommendation.

PERMIT-TO-PURCHASE A FIREARM

Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1163 would require would-be-gun owners to obtain a permit to purchase firearms, undergo fingerprinting and a background check, and complete a certified firearms safety training program.

Prior to Monday’s vote out of executive session, there was a Friday public hearing before the same committee on the bill, where the majority of those who signed up to testify opposed the bill.

Daniel Mitchell with the Washington Civil Rights Association argued that the Washington State Patrol has struggled to keep up with the background check system even before any permit-to-purchase legislation is implemented.

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“Do the right thing,” he said. “Back away from this colossal waste of funding and a guaranteed lawsuit.”

Dave Workman, a certified firearms instructor and communications director for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms also testified the bill.

“The requirement to get a permit to purchase would include something equivalent to a literacy test, which is unconstitutional,” he said. “I can guarantee that if this becomes law, it will result in civil action and cost the citizens even more money. I happen to be a taxpayer, and I don’t want to see that happen.”

Jennifer Dolan-Waldman with Grandma’s Against Gun Violence testified in support of the bill.

“This bill is a top priority for my organization because of solid research showing permit to purchase reduces gun crimes,” she explained. “This is one way to keep bad guys from having guns.”

A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1296 aims to promote a safe and supportive public education system by addressing student rights, parental/guardian rights, employee protections, and requirements for state and local education entities.

Some critics, however, argue that it undermines Initiative 2081, often referred to as the parents’ bill of rights, which the Legislature passed last year.

Jenny Plaja, chief policy and legislative affairs officer with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, testified in support of the bill during a March 4 hearing before the Senate Ways & Means Committee

“We do support this bill as it provides much-needed clarity and transparency in the responsibilities of school districts and OSPI to ensure our schools are a safe and supportive place for each and every child,” she said. “OSPI will require additional staffing to implement the requirements in the bill and for OSPI staff to work proactively with school districts to mitigate areas of non-compliance in a timely, supportive and productive way.”

Pierce County pastor and father of eight Eric Lundberg urged lawmakers to reject the bill.

“As I have carefully read this bill, I have become increasingly concerned, as have hundreds of thousands of parents, that our taxpayer dollars are funding this anti-family legislation,” he said. “This will lead to lawsuits costing taxpayer dollars. Parents are waking up to the obvious attempt to strip away our God-given ordained responsibilities to raise and protect our children. Our vote will confirm our voice. We will no longer support those who draft this type of legislation with our tax dollars.”

EXPANDING THE COVENANT HOME OWNERSHIP PROGRAM

Second Substitute House Bill 1696 would dramatically expand the pool of those who could qualify for the state’s Covenant Home Ownership Program.

The Covenant Home Ownership program offers home buying assistance to minorities who have faced housing discrimination in the past. The program is open to those who lived in or had a parent, grandparent or great-grandparent living in Washington before 1968 and who meet one of the following government-defined racial identities: “Black, Hispanic, Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Korean and Asian Indian.”

The bill would increase the income threshold for applicants to 140% of the area median income and allow for loans to be fully forgiven after five years of repayment.

“Raising the income threshold and allowing loan forgiveness … would expand access to the program without impacting the state budget,” Steve Walker with the Washington Housing Finance Committee said at a March 4 public hearing in noting the program is funded through document recording fees.

During a floor debate last month, House Republicans offered 15 amendments to the bill, all of which were rejected by majority party Democrats.

“People in Washington are tired of taxes, and it’s the people in Washington who are ultimately paying for this program … and now when the state is facing a $10 or $15 billion deficit, now we’re looking to give more money away that we don’t even have?" Rep. Sam Low, R-Lake Stevens, asked.

LIMITS ON RENT HIKES

Engrossed House Bill 1217, which would limit annual rent increases to 7% for apartment renters and 5% for mobile manufactured home renters, was also passed out of executive session by the Senate Ways & Means Committee.