What Did Legislature Pass, And NOT Pass This Session–Part 2
We present part 2 of what the Washington State Legislature did and did not pass during the 2019 legislative session.
We do know that we became the FIRST ever state to have it's budget exceed $50 billion dollars...! That includes states like New York, California, New Jersey. Yup, that's our legislature. Here's more of what they did and didn't do.
- Obamacare Protections (Affordable Care Act): as more lawsuits have been filed to overturn Obamacare and more legal challenges, Democratic legislators (who have the majority in the House and Senate) passed an insurance policy. They enshrined most of Obamacare inside state law, so even if it's overturned on a Federal level, most of the provisions will remain intact in our state.
- Overturned the Measles MMR Exemption: For years, a parent could get an exemption to having their child get the MMR (Measles, Mumps Rubella) vaccine which is required for public school or licensed daycare. But with that serious outbreak of Measles in Southwest Washington earlier this year, that religious or philosophical exemption was done away with.
- Clean Electricity Requirement by 2045: Gov. Inslee is running for President (or trying to) soley on an environmental platform. Legislative Democrats gave him what he wanted, by passing a requirement that all electricity and energy generated in the state has to come from 'carbon free' sources by the year 2045. Many in Olympia are still are not sure what that even means.
- Changing Eviction Notice Window from 3 to 14 Days: In response to what legislators say is the state's skyrocketing homeless problem, landlords now have to give tenants 14 days notice if they are going to evict them. The current requirement is 3 days.
- And finally The Adoption of Year round Daylight Savings Time: No more spring forward, fall back. Legislators actually agreed to keep the state on Daylight Savings time year round.