The cannabis policy committee in the Senate shuffled legislation to address House bills before the next cutoff as the behemoth operating budget was maneuvered between the chambers.
Here are some observations of the Washington State Legislature (WA Legislature) for Monday March 31st, the 78th day of the 2025 regular session.
My top 5 takeaways:
- On Friday, the Washington State Senate Labor and Commerce Committee (WA Senate LC) opened the public hearing on a bill requiring evaluation of the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) social equity program but did not get to public testimony.
- HB 1551 - Social Equity Program Evaluation
- See the bill text, bill analysis, and fiscal note for more details.
- On March 5th, representatives amended and passed the legislation introduced by Representative Kristine Reeves requiring an evaluation of the social equity program without pausing future application windows.
- Positions: testifying + not testifying = total (duplicates)
- Pro: 1 + 0 = 1 (0)
- Con: 4 + 556 = 560 (32)
- Other: 1 + 0 = 1 (0)
- During her introduction of HB 1551, Reeves emphasized the importance of evaluating how the first round of the social equity program went to make adjustments. Chair Rebecca Saldaña followed up to offer a reminder that she had been the prime sponsor of SB 5080 in 2023 which evaluated how the first round went and made statutory adjustments to the program which were incorporated in WSLCB rulemaking in advance of the pending second round.
- Executive sessions on other bills occupied the majority of the committee meeting and although some testimony was heard on other bills, HB 1551 was positioned last in the queue and received no additional committee time.
- Later that day, a continuation of the public hearing on Monday March 31st was announced.
- HB 1551 - Social Equity Program Evaluation
- The announcement of the decision to continue the public hearing on HB 1551 on Monday was accompanied by the deferral of planned executive sessions on two cannabis-related bills until Tuesday.
- Monday March 31st
- 10:30am: WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Tuesday April 1st
- 10:30am: WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Tuesday was the last scheduled meeting of WA Senate LC during the 2025 regular session, and the last opportunity to advance bills before the Opposite House Policy Committee Cutoff on Wednesday.
- Monday March 31st
- On Saturday, the Washington State Senate convened to amend and pass SB 5167, their version of the operating and supplemental operating budgets.
- SB 5167 - Operating Budget and Supplemental Operating Budget
- See the bill text, bill report, and fiscal website for more details.
- Following a hearing in the Washington State Senate Ways and Means Committee (WA Senate WM) on Chair June Robinson’s proposed substitute on Tuesday March 25th, 58 amendments were published regarding the Senate version of the operating budget.
- The democratic majority made quick work during the executive session on Thursday March 27th, recommending the legislation along strictly partisan lines.
- On Friday March 28th, the WA Senate WM report was read during the chamber pro forma floor session and the legislation was referred to the Washington State Senate Rules Committee (WA Senate RULE).
- Immediately afterwards on Friday March 28th, WA Senate RULE members convened briefly to calendar several bills including SB 5167, positioning the legislation for consideration on Saturday.
- On Saturday morning, Senators convened and adopted several amendments on SB 5167, none of which were cannabis-related. The measure was passed by the chamber along strictly partisan lines.
- On Saturday afternoon, the Senate Democratic Caucus published an announcement about the passage of the legislation.
- Meanwhile in the Washington State House Appropriations Committee (WA House APP), representatives recommended their version of the operating and supplemental operating budgets in HB 1198 in preparation for striking the Senate version to communicate their fiscal vision to their peers across the rotunda.
- On Sunday morning, Chair Timm Ormsby published the HB 1198 committee substitute as a floor striking amendment on SB 5167. At publication time, 22 amendments on the floor striker had been published by representatives, none of which were cannabis-related.
- SB 5167 - Operating Budget and Supplemental Operating Budget
- There were no introductions of cannabis-related legislation on Friday or Saturday, and none staged for Monday.
- On Saturday in the Senate, no cannabis-related legislation was introduced although Majority Whip T’wina Nobles presented a variation on her earlier tobacco and vapor product control and taxation bill.
- The draft introduction reports in the House and the Senate for Monday March 31st did not appear to include any cannabis-related legislation.
- On Monday, senators would continue the hearing on evaluation of the social equity program and hear testimony on a bill seeking to clarify the scope of the diminished authority of the WSLCB with regard to testing laboratories.
- 10:30am: WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Public Hearing
- HB 1347 - WSLCB Lab Certification Authority
- See the bill text, bill analysis, and fiscal note for more details.
- HB 1551 - Social Equity Program Evaluation
- HB 1347 - WSLCB Lab Certification Authority
- Executive Session
- Public Hearing
- 10:30am: WA Senate LC - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]