Action on the data dashboard bill was deferred, cannabis came up in the impaired driving hearing, the production union bill may be amended, and a transfer of producer authority to WSDA seemed costly.
Here are some observations of the Washington State Legislature (WA Legislature) for Tuesday January 22nd, the 10th day of the 2025 regular session.
My top 4 takeaways:
- While scheduled for an executive session on Tuesday, action was deferred on the regulated substances data dashboard bill due to a previously unannounced pending amendment.
- HB 1066 - WSLCB Data Dashboard
- During the Washington State House Consumer Protection and Business Committee (WA House CPB) meeting on Tuesday afternoon, members heard a staff briefing on HB 1066 which appeared to have no amendments. After returning from caucus, Chair Amy Walen indicated they would skip the executive session on HB 1066 as prime sponsor Representative Kristine Reeves was working on a “minor amendment.”
- WSLCB Director of Legislative Relations Marc Webster was present during the committee meeting which included no other business of relevance for the agency.
- Earlier that day, WSLCB Chair Jim Vollendroff recited his personal list of legislation of interest to Webster during the Board Caucus, leading off with HB 1066. He stated, “I definitely want to follow that to make sure that we are on top of what is happening with that bill, particularly in lieu of the dashboards that we’ve put out and how do those two mirror one another” (audio - 3m, video - TVW).
- Vollendroff had been a champion for the establishment of the WSLCB Research Program which was responsible for designing and building data dashboards after the 2024 failure of identical legislation, HB 2182.
- At publication time, the legislation had not been rescheduled for another executive session.
- HB 1066 - WSLCB Data Dashboard
- A public hearing on the House version of the alcohol impaired driving bill was preceded by an official work session and—in contrast to the Senate context—questions about cannabis impairment swerved over the divide.
- HB 1315 - Alcohol BAC Limit and DUI
- Committee Sign In (testifying + not testifying - duplicates = total)
- Pro: 7 + 33 + 0 = 40
- Con: 5 + 155 - 7 = 153
- Other: 3 + 2 + 0 = 5
- The Washington State House Community Safety Committee (WA House CS) began their meeting on Tuesday afternoon with a work session on impaired driving to hear from officials from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC), Washington State Patrol (WSP), and the University of Washington (UW).
- In subsequent questioning, Representative Brian Burnett asked to correlate the timeline on the rise in traffic fatalities with the legalization of cannabis in Washington state, and for comparative statistics from states which had legalized cannabis since that time.
- At publication time, Burnet was a freshman Republican representative representing district 12 (Wenatchee, Chelan County). His official biography indicated that with “over 25 years in law enforcement, including 12 years as Chelan County Sheriff, Brian brings a wealth of experience to his role. He has served as the president of the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs and the Washington State Sheriffs’ Association.”
- In subsequent questioning, Representative Brian Burnett asked to correlate the timeline on the rise in traffic fatalities with the legalization of cannabis in Washington state, and for comparative statistics from states which had legalized cannabis since that time.
- During the public hearing on the House version of the impaired driving bill, many of the same voices which testified during the initial Senate public hearing on SB 5067 returned - although some emphasized different points.
- Washington Hospitality Association Director of State Government Affairs Julia Gorton again testified in opposition to the legislation, but encouraged legislators to target polydrug drivers instead of lowering the BAC limit.
- WTSC research has shown that alcohol plus cannabis is the leading polydrug combination found in driver blood draws after collisions.
- During subsequent questioning toward the end of the hearing, King County Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Amy Freedheim claimed that low levels of BAC and cannabis are "exponentially impairing."
- At publication time, Freedheim was a leader of the Washington Impaired Driving Advisory Council (WIDAC) which Cannabis Observer had been granted access to attend and observe for several years.
- Washington Hospitality Association Director of State Government Affairs Julia Gorton again testified in opposition to the legislation, but encouraged legislators to target polydrug drivers instead of lowering the BAC limit.
- Committee Sign In (testifying + not testifying - duplicates = total)
- HB 1315 - Alcohol BAC Limit and DUI
- Introductions of legislation went as planned on Tuesday and no cannabis-related bills were readied for introduction on Wednesday, but a Senate companion to the out of state investment bill had been spotted.
- HB 1449 - “Legalizing the home cultivation of cannabis by persons who are 21 years of age and older.”
- Cannabis Home Grow
- On Tuesday, Representatives Shelley Kloba and Brandy Donaghy introduced legislation to allow an adult to grow six cannabis plants (combined up to 15 per ‘housing unit’) while establishing parameters and penalties around the practice.
- By the end of the day, 14 new co-sponsors signed on to support the legislation: Wylie, Berry, Doglio, Fitzgibbon, Morgan, Goodman, Peterson, Macri, Fosse, Ormsby, Ryu, Reed, Hill, Simmons. In total, five members of WA House CPB sponsored or co-sponsored the bill - one third of all of the house of origin policy committee members.
- The bill was referred to the WA House CPB and had not been scheduled for a hearing at publication time.
- SB 5403 - “Allowing direct to consumer sales of certain cannabis products.”
- Cannabis Direct Sales
- Senator Rebecca Saldaña introduced legislation to authorize limited farm gate sales by cannabis producers to sell flower they cultivated directly to consumers.
- Two new co-sponsors signed on in support of the legislation: Senator Deborah Krishnadasan and Majority Whip T’wina Nobles.
- The bill was referred to the Washington State Senate Labor and Commerce Committee (WA Senate LC) which Saldaña chairs and had not been scheduled for a hearing at publication time.
- SB 5456 - “Removing cannabis industry barriers.”
- Out of State Ownership
- While there were no cannabis-related bills scheduled for introduction on Wednesday, a link to the companion bill to HB 1346 was perhaps accidentally added to the WA Legislature website late on Tuesday night. If that information was correct, Senators Derek Stanford and Drew MacEwen planned to introduce an identical version of the legislation in the Senate.
- At publication time, House Bill 1346 had not been scheduled for an initial public hearing in WA House CPB.
- HB 1449 - “Legalizing the home cultivation of cannabis by persons who are 21 years of age and older.”
- On Wednesday, legislation to empower cannabis production unions was lined up for potentially significant modification before an opportunity to be advanced and the fate of the production authority transfer bill could be determined by a hefty fiscal note during a budget crunch biennium.
- 8am: WA House LAWS - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Executive Session
- HB 1141 - Cannabis Production Unions
- During a public hearing of the Washington State House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee (WA House LAWS) on Wednesday January 15th, the bill to permit collective bargaining by cannabis agricultural workers was supported by claims it may help worker conditions, but opposed by those who felt the cannabis sector was singled out.
- Early on Tuesday afternoon, a proposed substitute was published by the prime sponsor Representative Lillian Ortiz-Self which included several changes:
- “Requires the ballot for an exclusive bargaining representative election to include an option for employees to designate that they do not desire to be represented by any bargaining representative (Instead of requiring an option for employees to designate that they desire to be represented by any bargaining representative).
- “Removes a process for cross checking if there is only one employee organization seeking certification as the exclusive bargaining representative of a bargaining unit with no incumbent exclusive bargaining representative.
- “Makes technical changes to update the spelling of colocated in the definition of ‘employer.’
- “Breaks a subsection into two subsections to clarify that controlling, dominating, or interfering with a bargaining representative; and engaging in or creating the impression of surveillance of protected activities are distinct unfair labor practices for employers.
- “Makes technical changes to section 5 to use consistent terms, by adding ‘representation’ in two places and ‘prospective’ in one place.
- Subsequently, five amendments on the proposed substitute were put forward by Republican committee members.
- Amendment MCCB 002 by Assistant Minority Whip Suzanne Schmidt
- “Specifies that exclusive bargaining representative elections be done by secret ballot.
- “Removes the cross-check process for determining an exclusive bargaining representative that is used when a prospective bargaining representative shows written proof a at least 50 percent representation of employees within a bargaining unit for which there is no incumbent exclusive bargaining representative.”
- Amendment MCCB 003 by Representative Joel McEntire
- “Allows employees to opt out of having their information shared with the exclusive bargaining representative who represents the employees' bargaining unit.”
- Amendment MCCB 004 by McEntire
- “Removes restrictions on when employees may vote on a new exclusive bargaining representative.”
- Amendment MCCB 005 by Schmidt
- “Allows employees to revoke their authorization for payroll deductions of union dues through a written, electronic, or recorded voice revocation, instead of only allowing written revocations.”
- Amendment MCCB 006 by Representative Alex Ybarra
- “Incorporates the provisions of the statute relating to exclusive bargaining representative access to new employees instead of incorporating the provisions by referencing the statute.
- “Allows employers to not pay employees for the time the employees are meeting with the exclusive bargaining representative.”
- According to the agenda, the legislation was second on the list of bills up for executive session after one public hearing.
- HB 1141 - Cannabis Production Unions
- Executive Session
- 1:30pm: WA House CPB - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
- Executive Session
- HB 1067 - Cannabis Production Authority Transfer
- During a public hearing on Friday January 17th, agency remarks on a bill to move producer/processor regulation to WSDA raised questions of cost and timing, while all but one member of the public testified in favor.
- The much anticipated fiscal note on HB 1067 was published on Tuesday afternoon. While revenue from licensing fees and penalties was expected to hold steady, WSDA staff estimated needing an additional $14.7M in operating expenses during the 2025-27 fiscal biennium and $5.5M more in subsequent biennia after deducting WSLCB cost savings.
- At publication time, there were no amendments.
- HB 1067 - Cannabis Production Authority Transfer
- Executive Session
- 8am: WA House LAWS - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]