The House passed HB 2870 - "Allowing additional marijuana retail licenses for social equity purposes."
- Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins presided over adoption of the substitute version of the bill followed by sponsoring Representative Eric Pettigrew proposing a striking amendment that made "changes that the [Washington State Office of the Attorney General (OAG)] wanted" (video).
- The amendment was adopted by voice vote and the bill placed on third reading.
- Pettigrew described the bill as an "attempt" by WSLCB and the legislature to "make the access to the marijuana licenses more equitable."
- Representative Drew MacEwen offered remarks saying "there were unfortunate issues that arose early on in this process that were frankly the result of other things that happened over the decade when it came to drug enforcement and those issues perpetrated themselves in another manner then when we legalized it." However, he said some in his caucus believed the bill to be "rushed through at the end" and had concerns significant enough to oppose the bill.
- The final roll call vote passed the legislation out of the House by a vote of 55 yeas, 41 nays, and two excused. The legislation's next step would be delivery to the state Senate.