The Washington State Senate Labor and Commerce Committee (WA Senate LC) considers issues relating to labor issues, including unemployment insurance, industrial insurance/workers’ compensation, prevailing wage, collective bargaining, worker rights and benefits, and the Washington Cares Act. The committee also considers commerce issues, including the regulation of certain professions and businesses, and alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis.
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.
Home grow and direct sales bills were set for introduction, data dashboard legislation may be advanced, and officials would lead a work session on impaired driving before a public hearing in the House.
The regular session got underway with the introduction of legislation and a briefing on the budget; Tuesday would include the first public hearing of a bill in the new cannabis policy committee in the House.
Four cannabis bills were primed for the regular session of the Washington State Legislature which began Monday under burdened conditions given new legislators, fiscal constraints, and national foreboding.
Legislative affairs, social equity, traceability, rulemaking, and the board’s role at WSLCB were among topics discussed at the first public meeting of agency leadership in 2025.
Implications of the 2024 election began to come into focus for agency leaders who received rulemaking updates before learning more about the unexpected departure of the board chair.
WSLCB Enforcement and Education leaders would present an update on SB 5367, the “THC Bill,” before a public hearing on the agency’s proposed rules the next day.
Public health and prevention interests expressed during a closed meeting with WSLCB leaders the previous day were top of mind for board members during the caucus.
Senators made changes to data gathering requirements in a bill regulating “high THC” products before almost unanimously passing the measure and returning it to the House for concurrence.
Senators reduced by half the period of time registered patients would be exempted from a cannabis excise tax under HB 1453, but a large majority again supported the change.
