WA Legislature - Update
(January 24, 2025)

WA Legislature - Update (January 24, 2025) - Takeaways

Bills introduced Thursday accrued co-sponsors, a scheduling shakeup was observed, and Friday offered an opportunity to learn how the Consumer Protection Act may be applicable in the cannabis sector.

Here are some observations of the Washington State Legislature (WA Legislature) for Friday January 24th, the 12th day of the 2025 regular session.

My top 3 takeaways:

  • The preliminary schedule for the following week released on Wednesday evening was already being revised by Thursday, including deferral of initial public hearings on three cannabis-related bills and rescheduling potential action on the data dashboard bill.
    • Wednesday January 29th
      • 1:30pm: WA House CPB - Committee Meeting [ Event Details ]
        • Public Hearing
          • HB 1346 - Out of State Ownership
          • HB 1348 - Cannabis ESOPs
          • HB 1410 - Suspending Inactive Producer Licenses
          • No reason was provided for the calendaring changes which substituted hearings on alcohol-related legislation.  All three bills were prime sponsored by Representatives David Hackney or Sam Low who both traveled to speak at the Washington CannaBusiness Association (WACA) symposium on December 4th where the subjects of all three bills were announced as legislative priorities of the organization’s leadership.
        • Executive Session
          • HB 1066 - WSLCB Data Dashboard
          • While previously scheduled for an executive session on Tuesday January 21st, action was deferred on the regulated substances data dashboard bill due to a pending amendment by Reeves, the prime sponsor.  At publication time, no amendments had been published.
  • On Friday, legislators were not scheduled to take up cannabis-related legislation but members of the primary cannabis policy committee in the House would host an opportunity to learn about the Consumer Protection Act.
    • The House was scheduled to convene a pro forma floor session at 9:55am [ TVW ] and a regular floor session at 1:30pm [ TVW ].  The Senate planned to convene a pro forma floor session at 12:30pm [ TVW ].
    • During their committee meeting beginning at 8am, WA House CPB members planned to host a work session offering an “Introduction to the Consumer Protection Act.”  Non-partisan committee staff would provide a primer on the 1961 legislation which “forbids unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in any trade or commerce” (presentation).