WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting
(January 17, 2023)

Here are some observations from the Tuesday January 17th Washington State Senate Labor and Commerce Committee (WA Senate LC) Committee Meeting.

My top 3 takeaways:

• Committee Counsel Matt Shepard-Koningsor expeditiously listed the impacts of SB 5069, “Allowing interstate cannabis agreements," ahead of the committee caucusing on the bill (audio - 1m, video).
  • Shepard-Koningsor briefed on the bill during the January 10th public hearing on the legislation.
  • During the executive session, he informed the committee that no amendments were offered, and a requested fiscal note had yet to be published. The committee then went at ease for caucus discussions on SB 5069 and other bills.
    • HB 1159—the companion bill to SB 5069—was scheduled for executive session consideration by the Washington State House Regulated Substances and Gaming Committee in their January 17th meeting but was subsequently canceled.

• Ahead of a vote to recommend the bill for passage, the Democratic and Republican committee leaders expressed agreement on the need to prepare the state to act on interstate cannabis commerce, but one member withheld their support over concerns about prioritizing social equity.
  • Vice Chair Rebecca Saldaña moved that the bill be recommended for passage by the committee and sent to the Washington State Senate Rules Committee (WA Senate RULE, audio - <1m, video).
  • Chair Karen Keiser described the consideration of SB 5069 as “early action on a bill that seems to have pretty substantial support to send to the Rule Committee” and urged passage of the measure (audio - <1m, video).
  • Ranking Minority Member Curtis King said the views of his caucus aligned with Keiser’s as he called SB 5069 “a good bill” (audio - <1m, video).
  • Senator Rebecca Saldaña announced that she wanted to vote for the bill as it “makes good sense,” but would be voting “without recommendation” in opposition of the measure to reflect concerns she’d heard that lawmakers needed to address legislation on equity in cannabis before “we take any action” on other cannabis bills. She noted this objection had been raised in public testimony as well as from constituents in her “community, it’s very important” (audio - 1m, video).
    • Saldaña served as the legislative Co-Chair for the Washington State Legislative Task Force on Social Equity in Cannabis (WA SECTF) and sponsored the social equity request bill from the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB). King, another legislative appointee to the task force, largely opposed their policy advice.

• The legislation was approved, with Chair Karen Keiser explaining the bill would go to the Washington State Senate Rules Committee rather than a fiscal committee.
  • Keiser remarked that the bill was being referred to WA Senate RULE, where she was also a member, and that it would stay there “until we have further action on cannabis issues,” without stating what issues or bills would need to be acted upon (audio - <1m, video).
  • Members then voted to recommend the bill for passage (audio - <1m, video).