⚠️ Action Alerts ⚠️Click on the links below to take action on bills. Want to know more about a bill and why we support it? Review our 2025 Legislative Issues page. |
Making Democracy Work |
Making Democracy Work
No actions this week.
ELECTIONS AND MONEY IN POLITICS
LOCAL NEWS AND DEMOCRACY
SB 5400 Supporting local news journalism. Key legislators remain interested in moving SB 5400 forward this session as they recognize the local news crisis is only worsening, further threatening Washingtonians' awareness of what is happening in our communities and our democratic system of government.
SB 5400 would generate about $20 million annually for qualifying local news outlets in to employ reporters. Funds, paid as grants based on the number of full-time reporters at a news outlet, would be generated by a nominal surcharge on for-profit social media platforms and search engines. Vitally important in these difficult budget times is that no General Fund dollars would be used.
Supporters say the bill would be the most significant effort to help keep Washingtonians informed and advance civic engagement since the 1972 passage of I-276, the open public records and campaign disclosure initiative.
Senate leaders have said if they hear from enough of their caucus members asking that it be voted on, they will bring it to the floor and send it to the House when the budget trailer bills move.
Meanwhile, lawmakers in Oregon are also looking at how to address the crisis as they consider the fate of SB 686, which would generate more than $120 million to support local news.
⚠️ Ask your legislators HERE to communicate their support for SB 5400 to Senate leadership and ask them to move the bill forward for a vote.
REDISTRICTING
No actions this week.
Environment
Social & Economic Policy
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
No actions this week.EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION
No actions this week.K-12 Education
No actions this week.HEALTH CARE
No actions this week.AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS
Several of League’s “support” bills have passed both chambers and will need reconciliation bills for both chambers to adopt. The most controversial one is HB 1217, Rent Stabilization, where there are big differences between the House and Senate. Please take one more action—in support of the terms that the League supports for the rent stabilization bill.
HB 1217 Rent Stabilization. The long title is “Improving housing stability for tenants subject to the residential landlord-tenant act and the manufactured/mobile home landlord-tenant act by limiting rent and fee increases, requiring notice of rent and fee increases, limiting fees and deposits, establishing a landlord resource center and associated services, authorizing tenant lease termination, creating parity between lease types, and providing for attorney general enforcement.” This bill would improve the current situation of rent gouging and short notices to tenants, making them unable to adjust to rent increases. It would limit rent and fee increases to 7% during any 12-month period and prohibit rent and fee increases during the first 12 months of a tenancy for tenants subject to the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act and the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord-Tenant Act, regardless of the length or type of lease, with certain exemptions. It would also provide a variety of other tenant protections. HB 1217 passed the House as a second substitute and was referred to the Senate Housing Committee, where it passed as a substitute on March 26. It has now passed the Senate. The Senate passed this bill with amendments, so the House and Senate will need to negotiate a reconciliation bill that both chambers can adopt.
⚠️ Ask your legislators HERE to adopt terms similar to the original bill in reconciliation.
CHILDREN'S ISSUES
No actions this week.CRIMINAL JUSTICE
No actions this week.REVENUE
As indicated in the background article for this action, the state faces many challenges in developing the 2025-27 budget. The reduction in anticipated revenue from current sources combined with the expanding needs for funding services and education have created a financial challenge that is exacerbated by anticipated large reductions in federal funding support.
The only way to fairly address this is to generate more revenue from those who can pay and minimize reductions in services for the state's most vulnerable populations. This is the message to send to legislators as they negotiate between the House, Senate, and Governor for the budget they will adopt.
⚠️ Ask your legislators HERE to adopt progressive new revenue and minimize service reductions.