Washington State Senate Rules Committee
(WA Senate RULE)

The social equity bill made it through the opposite house fiscal committee gateway on Tuesday as legislators prepared for floor sessions and budget fights till sine die.

Representatives moved the WSLCB THC bill on Monday and would consider the social equity bill on Tuesday just ahead of the opposite house fiscal committee cutoff occurring that day.

As fiscal committees focused on legislation from the opposite chamber, representatives considered the social equity bill on Thursday and planned to review the revised THC bill Friday.

Legislation to proscribe pre-employment screening for cannabis use was passed in the House as officials and staff in both chambers worked to revise and pass their respective operating budget bills.

Delays at another agency were presented as cause for extending the social equity licensing application window before a short legislative update and a lengthy conversation about two rulemaking petitions.

All 14 remaining cannabis-related bills made it through the opposite house policy committee gateway as sequencing of legislation by rules and fiscal committees became more crucial.

Three of four lingering cannabis bills were recommended through the upcoming cutoff gateway as initial revisions to biennium operating budgets consumed legislator attention.

14 cannabis-related bills remained active ahead of the opposite house policy committee cutoff on Wednesday including four which had executive sessions rescheduled for amendment work.

Interstate commerce was recommended out of committee, no action was taken on the commission bill, and the public received a first look at the Senate operating budget proposal.

Legislators heard two cannabis bills on Tuesday on pre-employment testing for cannabis use and social equity, and would presumably not be moving two bills out of the Senate Rules x-file.