WA Legislature - Update
(March 6, 2025)

WA Legislature - Update (March 6, 2025) - Takeaways

The social equity program evaluation bill was advanced, preliminary schedules for the following week were published, and legislators prepared for another day of floor activity ahead of the next cutoff.

Here are some observations of the Washington State Legislature (WA Legislature) for Thursday March 6th, the 53rd day of the 2025 regular session.

My top 4 takeaways:

  • On Wednesday, representatives amended and passed legislation requiring an evaluation of the social equity program without pausing future application windows.
    • HB 1551 - Social Equity Program Evaluation
      • Representative Kristine Reeves put forward the legislation which had been envisioned as pausing the social equity program; requiring the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) and the Washington State Department of Commerce (WA Commerce) to create a legislative report on the first round for publication by December 2025; and deferring a second round until at least July 2026.
      • During the public hearing on February 4th in the Washington State House Consumer Protection and Business Committee (WA House CPB), one advocate representing certain initial social equity program applicants testified in support of the bill.  Several others testified against the legislation, highlighting concerns about pausing in-process first round applicants.  Other parties emphasized ways to improve the bill.
        • When asked directly during her introduction to the bill, Reeves stated a pause on first round applicants had not been her intent but did not at that time offer to modify the bill.
        • Unusually, uniformed Washington State Patrol (WSP) officers were present in the hallway during the committee meeting.
      • During the executive session on Wednesday February 19th, Reeves presented an amendment before acknowledging “I screwed up” and thanking “the community” for bringing unintended consequences to her attention.  She reiterated her reasons for moving the legislation as the social equity program “isn’t going as well as our community deserves” (audio - 1m, video - TVW).
        • Assistant Ranking Minority Member Jeremie Dufault appreciated how the amendment would help keep the State’s promise to applicants "regardless of what you think of the social equity program" (audio - 1m, video - TVW).
        • Dufault was the prime sponsor of HB 1959 which would have abolished the Washington State Office of Equity.  The Legislative Black Caucus, chaired by Reeves, published a response to Dufault’s bill which they interpreted as an attempt to “gut efforts aimed at achieving racial and social justice for marginalized communities across our state.”  At publication time, that legislation had not been granted a public hearing.
        • The amendment was adopted yet Dufault led Republican opposition to its recommendation resulting in a strictly partisan vote.
      • As the legislation required the WSLCB to undertake work within existing resources, the committee report recommended the bill bypass fiscal review.  On Friday February 28th during the House pro forma session, chamber leadership pulled HB 1551 out of the Washington State House Rules Committee (WA House RUL) and added it to the chamber second reading calendar.
      • The evening of Tuesday March 4th, Reeves published amendment CLOD 352 which was described as having the following effects:
        • “Removes the proposed restriction on the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) opening a new license application window under the Cannabis Social Equity Program (Program) while retaining the proposed requirement for an evaluation of the Program to be completed by December 1, 2025. Removes the restriction in the Cannabis Social Equity Technical Assistance Grant Program that the only cannabis licensees eligible for grants are cannabis licensees holding a license issued after April 1, 2023, and before July 1, 2024, who meet the social equity applicant criteria. Enables social equity applicants and cannabis licensees who meet the social equity applicant criteria, without restriction on their date of licensure, to be eligible for grants.”
      • During the House floor session on Wednesday morning, HB 1551 was selected by chamber leadership as the first bill for debate.
        • Reeves framed her amendment as incorporating further changes in response to community feedback, effectively removing any “pause” of subsequent rounds of licensure (audio - 1m, video - TVW).
        • Dufault spoke in support of the amendment but was gaveled for directing attention to the Washington State Patrol (WSP) presence at the public hearing on the bill rather than addressing the policy under consideration.  Referring to Black Excellence in Cannabis (BEC) President Peter Manning and Vice President Mike Asai, Dufault said, "these two gentlemen were African American.  Unfortunately, the Washington State Patrol came into the hearing room as a result of being 'enthusiastic while Black'" (audio - 1m, video - TVW).
          • Dufault, who is White, seemed to imply that WSP officers were summoned into the hearing room in relation to HB 1551.  They were not.
          • During his testimony on a different bill, WA House CPB Chair Amy Walen interrupted Manning to "correct" a comment that seemed to "impugn motives of members or talk about insults and things like that."  Returning to his seat after his testimony, Manning made a remark which prompted Acting Vice Chair Reeves to say "sir, we don't engage in that kind of dialogue in the gallery, thank you" as Walen struck her gavel.
          • It’s Cannabis Observer’s understanding that WSP officers were subsequently summoned, possibly while the committee was at ease for caucus and prior to the hearing on HB 1551.
          • Cannabis Observer doesn’t seek to impugn the member’s motives, but the record shows Dufault brought up an unrelated incident for unclear political purposes on the House floor.
        • Republicans supported adoption of the amendment.  But Dufault again led partisan opposition to the legislation as a whole and again was gaveled for attempting to bring up the same unrelated incident (audio - 1m, video - TVW).  The bill was passed by the chamber 57-39-0-2 in a strictly partisan vote with two representatives excused.
      • Following passage in the House, the legislation would be introduced in the Senate and likely referred to the Washington State Senate Labor and Commerce Committee (WA Senate LC).
  • There were no introductions of cannabis-related legislation on Wednesday, and none planned for Thursday.
    • The draft introduction reports in the House and the Senate for Thursday March 6th did not appear to include new cannabis-related legislation, reflecting the complications besetting introduction of legislation after the House of Origin Policy and Fiscal Committee Cutoffs.