Welcome to Policy Watch 2008
PART II – WEEK EIGHT IN OLYMPIA
THE SCENE
The 2008 Session is almost over, and the scene in the Capitol was part-frenzy, part-carnival.
After Monday’s “cut-off” for bills to come out of the Fiscal Committees on March 3, legislators spent most of every day from March 4th through March 7th on the Floor of the House and Senate, debating and voting on bill after bill after bill. Sometimes the voting went on long into the night.
The legislators weren’t the only ones putting in long hours: when legislators stay late, capitol staff and lobbyists stay. So, for example, the people in the Legislative Information Center had to stay at their posts till midnight (or later) “just in case” something was needed of them. (Late one night someone wandered in wanting the booklet with photos and short bio’s of the members; another late night someone wanted a copy of a bill.) One legislative staffer reported that the night before she had tried passing along yet one more batch of emails for her boss to read, and got back a terse message: “Stop. I can’t take in anything more.” So if visitors think everyone looks like they could use a little sleep … there’s a reason.
Then, on the same day that Senators were facing a list of 88 bills on its calendar for consideration, and the House had a whopping 130 on its list, something the Governor did broke the tension briefly. There she stood in the marble-domed Rotunda, announcing a proclamation honoring “J.P. Patches” and “Gertrude,” two iconic clowns known to generations of tv-viewing Washingtonians. The word went out and suddenly -- from throughout the Capitol building and grounds – staff, school groups, and lobbyists appeared. They leaned over the balconies from all three floors above to watch, while tourists streamed up the stairs and crowded around – cellphone cameras at the ready. And when the Governor asked “how many of you were ‘Patches’ Pals?’ ” the hands of people long past childhood shot up everywhere. Ditto when she asked: “How many of you ARE STILL ‘Patches’ Pals?’” amid the clapping and echoing cheers.
Minutes later everyone was back at work – citizens pulling legislators off the Floor; legislators inside the chambers casting votes, moving bills. At this point the voting can appear deceptively casual, but that is only because the bills have been heard at least once, and sometimes multiple times, in various forms.
Friday, 3/07, marked “cut-off” for bills to be considered on the Floor in the “opposite house;” bills that didn’t get a vote by 5:00 pm are DEAD. That left only one key date.
Thursday, 3/13 is the last day of Session for 2008. That’s when the gavel will come down for the last time this year, “sine die” – a Latin phrase that means: without naming the date on which to reconvene.
We may be down to hours and minutes, rather than weeks and days, but every one of those minutes will be filled with decisions large and small, affecting everything from Achievement gaps to Wetlands mitigation (couldn’t spot a bill beginning with “z”). Each decision is reason enough for us to stay involved till the very end of the process.
The PROCESS – last actions, looking ahead
The Committee Schedules for the final weeks of Session are brief. They read: No Meetings Scheduled. Those few that do meet, tend to meet for just an hour or two, holding an occasional Work Session, or deciding what they want the staff to work on during the Interim between adjournment and next year’s Session in 2009.
The House Early Learning & Children’s Services Committee offers a case-in-point: it held two 30-minute Work Sessions this week. First topic was “Childhood Hunger,” followed by a discussion of Childcare and Early Learning programs on Higher Education Campuses.
These committee meetings may be brief, and may appear to be “after the fact,” but savvy advocates plan for them… and use them.
During the Work Session devoted to childhood hunger, for example, legislators heard from the Children’s Alliance, and VOICES (a Spokane–based organization led by low-income people), about a plan to “end childhood hunger.” They were doing something many smart advocates do at this point in the process: providing members of key Committees with information, some new ways to think about their issue, and thoughts about the role state policy can play in changing things for the better. So although they gave Committee members some sobering facts (e.g., that 250,000 Washington households – containing 300,000 children – were so “food insecure” during the year they couldn’t be sure of putting food on the table every day), they also gave the Committee thoughts about steps the state could take to lower those numbers. Armed with a Power Point and informative hand-outs, they spoke of “multi-year campaigns” and “trying to come to you with a good plan….”
Equally important, those who came to speak offered information about hunger by county – the sort of information dear to the hearts of legislators, because it helps them relate an issue to their own constituents, their own Legislative District. And they provided a glimpse into the lives of people with very low incomes. VOICES has been asking low income parents: if you had another $200 a month, what would you spend it on? The answer: 90% of those surveyed said – Food. That’s not something the non-poor readily understand. When VOICES put middle-income people through an exercise related to what they knew about having very low-incomes, the middle-class people just assumed anyone could get all the food they needed from Food Banks. They were shocked to learn that most food banks limit participation to one time per month, and all of them face times during the month when they have little variety (or little food) to offer. Food banks and soup kitchens do wonderful work, the speakers explained, but they cannot make up for very low-incomes or provide a stable way to feed a family.
Work Sessions like that one have an impact beyond the moment. They help inform the “Interim planning” being done by all the Committees, laying useful groundwork for next year’s 105-day, 2009 Legislative Session.
Two important steps in the legislative process remain for the last week of Session.
Reconciling Bills
As anyone who has been following a bill or budget item knows by now, bills often emerge from the House and the Senate with significant differences. But the process requires that every bill (including the Budget) pass both bodies in identical form… right down to the punctuation.
The legislature has several devices to deal with any differences. Sometimes key legislators from the two bodies will meet in a Conference Committee to negotiate the differences between the two versions. The result will then go to both the House and Senate for one last vote. That commonly occurs with the budget bills.
Other times one body will ask the other to “concur in” (i.e., accept) its amendments. Or, the House (or Senate) may be asked to “recede from” (i.e., back off ) an amendment they added that the Senate (or House) refused to accept. Near the end of a Session they can also lump together bills like these, to keep things moving quickly. That’s because they all know that prolonging discussion on any one bill means running out of time for votes on other bills.
As soon as a bill has passed in identical form, two last actions must occur and be noted: Senate President signed, and Speaker signed. Once that happens, the final notation at each bill’s “History of Bill” is -- “Delivered to Governor.”
Finishing the Budget
House and Senate negotiators will continue to meet with people from the Governor’s office until all final details of the Budget have been decided. That version will then be submitted to the full House and full Senate for a final vote -- often one of the last votes of a Session.
It is hard to follow the budget process in the same detail as following the progress of a bill, simply because so much of the activity happens in small groups, away from public view, and without a anything like the “Bill Status Report” that keeps the public updated almost as soon as decisions are made. However, advocacy groups try to keep their members updated. Many provide through detailed side-by-side charts, showing the budget amounts they hoped for, as well as the amounts recommended for each item by the Governor, the House, and the Senate.
The Role of the Governor/Executive Branch
The Governor gets the last word (pretty much)
A quick check of the Governor’s website almost any day during Session would show press releases that begin: “Gov. Gregoire signs bill to….” These days, just before and after the end of Session, there will be Bill Signing Ceremonies (yes, plural) almost every day.
On paper it looks like the Governor just comes in at the end, but she – and her Executive Branch staff – have many, many opportunities to be involved. Start with the fact that our Governor has an office in the Capitol, on the 2nd Floor, within easy reach of the legislators and their staff. Legislators often stop in her office for brief meetings with her/her staff, and she can easily slip upstairs one flight to meet with them. (One day this week she was spotted in the cafeteria.)
Thus the final budget, as well as much of the legislation that ultimately gets signed into law, is not developed by the legislature in isolation from the Governor. All through the process, legislators know that the Governor gets the last word, and similarly, the Governor knows that she wants to get a budget, and bills, that she can sign. That’s particularly true this year. We have a Governor who won her office by just 133 votes (so she wants and needs the support of the legislators); and this is an election year, so everyone – legislators and governor alike – has a strong stake in how the budget comes out.
Every Governor has his/her own personal style, and all Governors get involved in trying to steer the final budget decisions in directions they prefer; the current Governor is no exception. Many observers have noted her willingness to be directly involved with the legislators, helping to broker compromises and paying attention to details.
But no matter what the personal style and personal involvement of the Governor may be, there are several ways the Governor’s office is involved at this stage in the process, not least because a Governor has a lot of staff at her command. There is the Governor’s Senior Staff (including a Policy Office Director and a Legislative Director), with responsibility for specific policy areas. There is an Executive Cabinet – made up of the heads of all the Executive Branch agencies, along with the members of assorted State Boards and special units with particular expertise – and other Gubernatorial Appointees with a variety of roles throughout the Executive Branch Agencies. And when it comes to the budget, the Governor’s Office of Financial Management (OFM) Staff play an absolutely critical role.
Any of these individuals may be called upon to help convey the positions of the Governor to the legislators, and carry questions or concerns back to her from them. That’s why it’s common to see one or more staff people who represent her in the legislative offices -- working out details with Legislative Committee staff, or meeting with key legislators.
OFM staff are particularly in evidence – working closely with the staff of the Ways & Means, Appropriations, or Finance Committees; checking in with the legislative Leadership; making sure that everyone is on the same page and hoping to avoid any last-minute surprises.
In good years, when there is a good working relationship, even something as complex and contentious as the State Budget can be handled smoothly. In bad years, when there is a poor working relationship and a lot of competition, there may be dueling press events, or, on rare occasions, they may even fail to finish the budget on time … and have to be called back into Special Session. That is a situation that NOBODY likes.
But this year’s Session is expected to end on time, with a final budget for the Governor to sign. That said, important details remain. It helps to remember that:
- With policy bills, the Governor can Sign the whole bill into law; Veto the whole bill; or veto “Sections” of a bill.
- When it comes to the budget, the Governor can even veto a specific item.
OUR ROLE: Even after the legislature has finished its work on the budget, the work of good advocates continues. They will be asking their members to send messages to the Governor in favor of, or opposing, specific items in the budget, or asking her to sign their priority bills. In short: the citizen lobbyist’s work is not done till the bills and/or budget are finally signed.
Be sure to check the emails/websites of the advocacy groups monitoring the issues you care about, to know whether any last action is needed.
It is easy to send the Governor a quick message to convey your wishes.
- CALL (directly at 360-902-4111, or TOLL FREE 1-800-562-6000)
- EMAIL/WRITE (Go to: www.governor.wa.gov and click on “Contact the Governor”)
- KEEP THE GOVERNOR INFORMED of how you feel about the bills being voted on. Remember, she has the power to sign, or veto any bill or budget item that is passed.
THE BUDGET, and Budget-Writing Process
Those wishing to read the various Operating Budget proposals (in whole, or “highlights”) can find them at: http://leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/budget/detail/proposals.asp (A “Citizen’s Guide to the Washington State Budget” is available at the Senate Ways & Means Committee website.)
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SNAPSHOTS:
** Self-description of one legislative aide “…I’m no expert; just a redhead with an attitude.”
** A close look inside one staff cubicle revealed the local “Firefighters’ Calendar,” complete with photos of buff, stripped-to-the-waist young firemen. Said the motherly aide: “They cheer me up, and sometimes I peek ahead just to see what’s coming….”
** Anybody can be confused by the Rules Committee actions. Evidence: even a former Speaker of the House was spotted asking where the Rules Committee would be meeting.
** One group hovering off the House and Senate Floors had the initials “HVAC” on their t-shirts. Turns out they are sheet metal workers and the letters stand for Heating, Venting, and Air Conditioning. (Update: By cut-off, their bill had passed.)
** One legislative aide was asked to name the “top 3 issues” generating messages sent to his boss this week. The answers: Arts funding (108); Working Families Credit (37); and 520 bridge repairs (about a dozen).
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SOME ISSUES -- Last UPDATE
Bills have been introduced on such a broad range of issues that PW cannot mention them all. This list simply notes a few health/human services Bills still alive after cut-off this week.
Just a few of the bills heading for the Governor to sign
BILL TOPIC Status
Some House Bills Committee or Chamber
HB 1421 Privacy Protect’s for DV victims Passed: On way to the Governor
HB 2474 Superv’n Require’t’s for Social Workers Passed House and Senate
HB 2551 Juvenile Treatment Passed House and Senate
HB 2602 Victims of Domestic Violence Passed House and Senate
HB 2679 Educa’l Outcomes for Foster Youth Passed House and Senate
HB 3104 Expand’g Domestic Partner Rights Passed: On way to Governor
Some Senate Bills
SB 6267 Nurse Practitioners Passed: On way to the Governor
SB 6333 Work Group on Health Care Passed Senate and House
SB 6357 Protection Orders in Domestic Violence Passed Senate and House
SB 6448 Behavior Supports for Children w/DD May survive as budget proviso
SB 6483 Local Farms/Healthy Kids Passed Senate and House
SB 6809 Working Families Credit Passed Senate and House
And much, much more… Check the House and Senate Floor Calendars to see whether bills you care about got a Floor vote. Click on “Agendas, Schedules, and Calendars” and then click on House Floor Activity Report, and Senate Floor Activity Report.
In a few cases, a bill may die, but an activity will get funded and survive through a “budget proviso;” be sure to check this possibility with the group monitoring your issue closely.
YOUR PART. Use the tools available. We have three ways to contact our representatives to tell them how we wish to be represented: we can CALL, WRITE, or VISIT.
If you go to Olympia in Week Nine, don’t expect much publicly visible action. But do visit your legislators’ offices, and leave notes with them and the Governor’s office, identifying any bills or budget items you’d like to see signed, or vetoed.
Every Senator gets two aides, every Representative gets one aide, and the whole place gets the help of Committee staff (who work for members of both parties) and Caucus staff (who work for either Democrats or Republicans). Talk to them: all are eager to be helpful, and all are very good about passing information along.
TWO EASY ACTIONS -- Same As Last Week
- Get and read the legislative alerts from an advocacy group that monitors the issue(s) you care most about. POLICY WATCH lists health/human service/low-income groups, at:
http://depts.washington.edu/sswweb/policyw/2008Useful_Info.pdf
If that doesn’t have what you need, ask friends, co-workers – or google.) Those who write alerts monitor what is happening and will tell help you use your voice effectively. You don’t need to be an expert, you just need to care about an issue, and tell your legislators what you want.
- Try to make a call or send a note or email about the issues in the Legislative Alert you care most about. Use the state’s TOLL-FREE LINE (1-800-562-6000) to leave a brief message for your Senator, your 2 Representatives, and the Governor – all in just minutes.
Brief Note. POLICY WATCH should be read with three things in mind. First, we ask a lot of the men and women we elect to serve. They deserve our respect. Second, every activity, every program, every issue affected by the budget has its champions and detractors; legislators will be pressured from all sides on every item. Third, it is our privilege to help our citizen-legislators sort among competing needs and difficult choices. They need us to help them make hard choices.
Pay Attention to the Legislative Calendar.
The 2008 Legislative Session runs from Jan. 14 – March 13. Every day is counted (Weekdays/ Sat/Sun/Holidays) Session. The legislature may also meet on weekends late in the Session. “Cut-off dates” control the action on bills; those failing to get action before “cut-off” usually die.
…here are the last critical points in the 2008 Session:
- Final votes on the Budget.
- 3/13 – 2008 Session adjourns for the year.
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