Welcome to Policy Watch 2007

PART I: Upcoming Advocacy Days:
PART II – WEEK 5 IN OLYMPIA

PART I: Upcoming Advocacy Days:

WEEK SIX – 2/12 - 2/16

2/12 Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice Lobby Day; co-sponsored by NARAL Pro-Choice Washington and Planned Parenthood of WA.Begins at 10:00 am, United Churches (11th Ave SE & Capitol Way). Contact: Alissa Haslam (alissahaslam@prochoicewashington.org)

2/12 African American Legislative Day, Registration at 9:00 am,
General Administration Building – 11th & Columbia.
Contact: Rosalind Jenkins (rjenkins@caa.wa.gov)

2/13 Asian/Pacific American Legislative Day
Contact: Diane Narasaki (dianen@acrs.org), mingt@acrs.org

2/13 American Civil Liberties Union – ACLU – Day; begins 10:00 am
Columbia Room (Capitol Bldg lower level). Contact: aguilar@aclu-wa.org

2/13 Community Health Network of Washington, and the Washington Association of
Community & Migrant Health Centers; Contact: mbelozer@wacmhc.org.

2/14 Earth Ministries, gathering at 9:00 am at United Churches (11th & Capitol Way).
Contact: LeeAnn Beres (LeeAnne@earthministry.org)

2/14 Senior Citizens' Lobby Day, gathering in the Columbia Room at Capitol.
Begins at 10:00 am. Contact: Seniorlobby@qwest.net.

2/14 Priorities for Healthy Washington; Registration at 8:30, United Churches
(11th Ave & Capitol Way). Contact: rattemann@pugetsound.org

2/15 Washington State Parent Teacher Association.
Contact: ptalegdir@wastatepta.org, Donna Christensen (DonnaRChris@aol.com)

2/15 Northwest Women's Law Center Legislative Day for staff, board & volunteers.
Contact: Nancy Sapiro (nsapiro@nwwlc.org) or (pjcrone@comcast.net).

2/15 Arts Day at the Legislature – Columbia Room in the Capitol Bldg; begins at 7:30 am.
Contact: (info@wsartsalliance.com)

2/15 University of Washington Lobby Day – mostly students but faculty and staff welcome.
alicia.levezu@gmail.com

WEEK SEVEN – 2/19 - 2/23

2/18-2/19 Junior Leagues of Washington, Capitol Days
Contact: ckblevins@comcast.net

2/19 National Association of Social Workers Day, General Administration Bldg.
Contact: Lynn Carrigan (ltc@u.washington.edu)

2/19 Have A Heart for Children Day, United Churches of Olympia – 11th &
Capitol Way. Gathering at 8:30. Contact: jon@childrensalliance.org

2/19 Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition
Contact: Lauren Smith (wrocadvocate@wroc.org)

2/19 Service Employees International Union - SEIU 925 Contact: Tricia Schroeder (tschroeder@seiu925.org)

2/19 Physicians for a National Health Plan and Health Care for All-Washington
Contact: joannagarritano@yahoo.com

2/20 Refugee and Immigrant Legislative Day Contact: norma@rewa.org

2/20 SEIU (Service Employee International Union) 775's Lobby Day
Contact: aglickman@seiu775.org

2/21 LifeLong AIDS Alliance – AIDS Awareness & Action Days
First Baptist Church in Olympia; Contact: aniab@llaa.org
2/21 Hispanic/Latino(a) Legislative Day
Contact: Carlos Jimenez (wastatehld@yahoo.com).

2/21 Washington CAN! (to Secure Health Care for All), in conjunction with Hispanic/Latino(a) Legislative Day. Contact Maru Mora Villalpando,
maru@washingtoncan.org, or 206-389-0050 x106.

2/21 Partnership 2020 (supported employment for people with developmental
disabilities); Contact: SethDawson@worldnet.att.net

2/22 Catholic Advocacy Day, gathering in Columbia Room of Capitol
Contact: Donna Christensen (DonnaRChris@aol.com)

2/22 Washington State Labor Council's 2007 Legislative Conference
8:30 a.m. at the Olympia Red Lion Hotel. Contact: dgroves@wslc.org

2/23 CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) Advocacy Day
Contact: lrogers@wacasa.org

Weekly (or Multiple) Lobby Days
EVERY WEDNESDAY, The Arc of Washington State will hold their weekly Developmental Disabilities mini-Advocacy Days, from January 31 thru April 11. Each week a different disability issue will be highlighted. For location and other details – go to: http://www.arcwa.org/advocacy_day.htm

EVERY THURSDAY, the Children’s Budget Coalition hosts a brown bag lunch.
Noon – 1:00 pm. – John L. O’Brien Building, Briefing Room. Briefings available on request. Contact: sarah@childrensalliance.org , or, jon@childrensalliance.org (206-324-0340 X 19).

PART II – WEEK FIVE IN OLYMPIA

THE SCENE

In every legislative session there are some issues that start strong, and seem to gather steam from the very first day. They may have been around for years, or they may be new issues forced to the forefront by natural disasters (like the earthquake) or unforeseen events. This year one of the hot issues concerns investments in early childhood. One bit of evidence that this is so reflects a bit of political wisdom about “odd couples.”

What wins – bringing in “political odd couples.”

Everybody in Olympia knows that to win, a bill needs to win majority support in a policy committee, a fiscal committee (if there are costs involved), and on the floor of the House and the Senate. To show legislators that there is broad enough support to attract those majority votes, advocates will line up as many groups as they can, representing as many networks full of voters as they can. The process typically starts by getting all the likely allies to publicly endorse, or “sign onto,” a statement of support for the bill, which is then mentioned at public hearings and included in their written materials.

That accomplishes two things: it shows legislators that there is support for the bill among groups with the ability to get the word out to their members (and hopefully generate calls/emails/
letters/visits on the issue), plus, it signals that any internal differences among the likely allies have been dealt with. As you might imagine, legislators don’t like to spend precious legislative time playing referee among supporters.

But just getting all the likely allies lined up in support is not the whole story. In most cases they only represent some of the voters, and part of the political spectrum.

A more powerful signal is sent when the “likely allies” are joined by some UN-likely allies – some “political odd couples.” E.g., a few years ago the legislature was asked to restore food stamp eligibility to people who had served their time for felony convictions. A federal law had passed allowing the change, but it required action by state legislatures. The initial supporters were all of the “likely” sort: faith communities operating soup kitchens, food banks, anti-hunger groups, low-income groups. But the issue really got traction when a new group came on board: law enforcement -- people who knew that some felony convictions fell into a category they called “the young-and-stupid.” That is, crimes that would have been minor if committed by a 17-year old, but which carried a felony conviction if the offender had turned 18. Once law enforcement supported the idea – among them a few former sheriffs and police in the legislature, from both parties, rural and urban – the bill passed easily.

That’s why so many people commented this week on the broad array of supporters backing this year’s new emphasis on early learning, early childhood. The issue has been around for a long time. Supporters have long worked to make the case that investments in early learning pay off in countless ways: in fewer later drop-outs, better school performance, fewer juveniles in the justice system, better more productive workers, a healthier economy….

The new allies have been seen for a couple of years, but now they are out in force: testifying at public hearings, showing up at this week’s celebration of the new Department of Early Learning, making appointments with key legislators to talk about the need for adequate funding. Along-side the “likely allies” (all the early learning and childrens’ advocates) was the visible presence of the “odd couples:” everyone from sheriffs and police officers, lobbyists for big corporations like Boeing, to university presidents and union leaders. As the Olympia regulars might say, this year the issue has legs.

Real People – “formers”
One unofficial pastime in Olympia is “spot the former….” This week alone one could spot two former Governors, a former Speaker of the House, several former “appointees” (people that other Governors had appointed to run agencies or play key roles), plus a fairly large contingent of former Representatives and Senators – a few who came to testify, several more as lobbyists.

Naturally those “formers” often remain on friendly terms with their old colleagues, and some are playing a role in the issues. Together they are working to bring issues like early learning, juvenile justice, health care, etc., into a new phase. And when there is a change in attitude, most observers credit three things: time - new ways of thinking always need that; good research well-presented; plus involvement by new groups not previously involved (like the business and law enforcement communities who’ve become newly visible on the early learning issue).

THE PROCESS – Staying informed
One first-time visitor this week found that being in the Capitol gave her a new appreciation of just what we expect of our elected officials, and their staff.

She arrived in Olympia on a day that included the Backcountry Horsemen in cowboy hats, National Rifle Association members in tractor caps, Food Industry businessmen in dark suits and conservative ties, city council members from assorted localities, the Cascade Land Conservancy, long-term care provider members of OPEIU, and many, many more. She’d read about the different issues that pop up in Olympia, but being physically surrounded by the living embodiments of even a few of them really had an impact. “I’m just following one or two bills,” she said, “but they [the legislators and their staff] have to keep track of hundreds. I’m impressed.”

Happily for those of us who are citizen advocates - people with other lives and other jobs - following the progress and content of bills from week to week has gotten much easier. Four simple steps make it all do-able.

Step 1: find a good advocacy group that monitors the issues you care most about, and sign up for their legislative bulletins/alerts. Along with WEEK I of POLICY WATCH, readers got a 3-page list of groups that monitor health/human services/low-income/civil rights issues. All of them offer free updates throughout the session, tell their readers when their voice is needed, and most will also provide a “sample message” that their readers can tailor to fit their own personal style. (If you missed that document, called “USEFUL INFORMATION,” it can be found at http://depts.washington.edu/sswweb/policyw/ )

One example, the ARC of Washington, offers timely, useful information about the many bills affecting individuals with disabilities. They help readers understand not only what’s happening and who the players are, but they lace it with the kind of information sports fans call “color commentary.” E.g., in last week’s missive they noted that the Department of Social and Health Services had taken a Developmental Disabilities Ombudsman bill and “…hung a fiscal note on it like a toe tag on a corpse.” They went on to explain that any time a fiscal note projects high costs, the activity is pretty much doomed – hence the reference to a corpse. After noting what went into the fiscal note, they went on to tell their readers when and where the bill would be given a Public Hearing, and how they might influence its progress. (The advocacy group does the time-consuming legwork, and makes it easy for readers to do the 5-minute follow-up.)

Most advocacy groups offer Legislative Alerts with brief items on each bill they follow – descriptions short enough for even the busiest reader. E.g., the Statewide Poverty Action Network recently summed up the status of a bill they are monitoring, in just a brief heading followed by 2 sentences. “ISSUE UPDATE: Opportunity Grants. SHB 1096, which would create an Opportunity Grant program to provide financial assistance to help low income students pay for higher education, was heard by the House Higher Education Committee on Monday, Feb.5th. This bill passed out of committee the same day with over-whelming support and now awaits a hearing by the House Appropriations Committee.” (Because PW and most advocacy groups offer basic explanations of the process, an item like this is enough to tell a savvy reader that it’s time to contact Appropriations Committee members and ask for a Public Hearing.)

Like the ARC and SPAN, the Children’s Home Society offers its readers user-friendly, timely information – in this case on bills concerning foster care/kinship care/adoption, health & mental health, and the well-being of children. Last week they not only described the current status of a growing list of specific bills, they gave their readers a timely heads-up – and a little guidance - on a subject most people shy away from: the state budget. “…preliminary budget discussions are getting underway which means it would be a great time to contact your legislators about items you would like them to support in the budget! This update includes suggestions for budget items to talk about with legislators....” (Another big topic made manageable for busy readers.)

These three groups are not alone. Since this is a year when the legislature decides our state budget for the next two years, many groups will devote some of their bulletins to specific budget items related to their area of concern. All of them offer information about their priority issues (children, senior services, disabilities, mental health, environmental health…), as well as easy ways for their readers to help influence the outcome. For readers wanting something more in-depth, most advocacy groups and professional associations also post Position Papers - complete with charts, graphs, footnotes, and links to published research – along with ‘Talking Points’ and Fact Sheets that can be used in educating others about a topic. E.g., the National Association of Social Workers Washington chapter has posted position papers and information about a pair of bills important to its members (HB 2112/SB 5950): “Title Protection.” Other health and human service professional associations do the same for issues of importance to their members.

For those wanting a broader look without a “call to action” or advocacy slant, there’s a relatively new Washington State Budget and Policy Center. Their periodic reports and analyses don’t include the “color commentary” or insider talk offered up by the advocacy groups, but they do try to help their readers understand key tax and budget issues – particularly as they affect low-income Washingtonians. E.g., in recent weeks they’ve offered their readers an analysis of the Governor’s “Rainy Day Fund,” and a look at the eroding value of “WorkFirst” benefits.

Step 2: Spend 30-60 minutes with the “Bill Information” link on the Legislature’s website: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/. It’s a goldmine. You’ll already have heard about the bills that interest you from reading the advocacy groups’ reports (see Step I above). With this website you can learn as much (or little) as you have time for. By typing in the 4-digit bill number (you don’t need “HB” or “SB”) you can: see the names of all the legislators who sponsored the bill (so you can learn whether YOUR legislators are among them), learn which Committee it was referred to, check to see whether it has had a Public Hearing and Executive action, read the bill itself or a very brief “digest” of its contents. Once there’s been a vote in Committee you’ll even be able to read a Bill Report that tells you which legislators voted yes or no, what amendments they adopted (if any), and how the final version of the bill differs from the way it started out. With a few more clicks of your mouse you can check the upcoming Agendas of the different legislative Committees, and get yourself on an email list for “bill tracking.” Best of all: everything is within easy reach of everyone with access to a computer – at home, a public library, or community center -- for every one of the 2,131 bills introduced thus far this year.

Step 3. Read your local newspaper, pay attention to the news. The advocacy groups are a wonderful resource, but they are what their name implies: advocates. That means they have a point of view. To hear what others say about your issues, you need to either check the websites of those with opposing views, or you need to pay attention to the news. You can also tune into TVW to hear (and sometimes see) Public Hearings, Executive Sessions, and a broad array of government-related events and activities – much of it available via computer, through webcasts. In addition to live broadcasts offering all the comments pro and con, TVW has handy weekly wrap-ups.

Step 4. Pool information; talk about the issues and bills you care about with friends & colleagues. Most Olympia lobbyists and regulars take part in weekly affinity group meetings to stay abreast of information, and to keep everyone well-informed and effective in a fast-changing environment. Can’t get to Olympia? You can create your own, local version of these groups – simply by spreading the word that anyone interested in X topic is welcome to join the big table in the back of a local coffee shop at, say, 7:30 am one day each week. If everyone joining the conversation is on a legislative alert list or two, and paying attention to the news, the conversation will be lively and informed. Thanks to the invention of cell-phones, at the end of the gathering everyone can take out theirs, call 1-800-562-6000, and leave a toll-free message for their legislators and the Governor on the topic discussed that week.

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By now everyone who reads POLICY WATCH should know the names of their SENATOR and two REPRESENTATIVES. If you haven’t contacted them yet, do it now: go to www.leg.wa.gov, and click on “Find Your Legislator” for a link to their email address. Or call the toll-free Hot-Line – 1-800-562-6000 – and talk to the friendly operator. Let your legislators know you live in their District and the issue or bill you care about. It’s that easy.

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ONE TIP worth repeating: if your bill has budget implications, or a Fiscal Note, you need to get a champion on the budget-writing committees for your item/your bill (the Appropriations Committee in the House and the Ways & Means Committee in the Senate). If the bill you are working on is missing that piece, and you could help, that would be worth doing.

Anyone wishing to follow a bill need only enter its number in the search box at www.leg.wa.gov, and check every few days to see whether the Policy or Fiscal Committee responsible for hearing the bill has held a Public Hearing, and scheduled the next key step: Executive Session.

SOME ISSUES
By now over 2,000 bills have been introduced. Because issue-specific groups and the state’s website provide such good information, POLICY WATCH only mentions a few of the many, many issues being taken up. To see a list of all the bills introduced to date, go to www.leg.wa.gov and at Bill Information, check the DAILY STATUS REPORT.

Education – in many forms, at all levels – continues to be a hot topic.
On Monday, 2/12, the House Higher Education Committee has scheduled Public Hearings on three bills: HB 2072 - access to higher education, HB 1394 – encouraging medical students to work with patients with developmental disabilities, and HB 2024 – on the UW law school’s loan repayment assistance program.

On Wednesday, 2/14 the House Higher Education Committee will hold a Public Hearing on HB 1660 – requiring that part-time community college faculty be paid on the same basis as full-time.
On Monday, 2/12 the Senate Higher Education Committee will hold a Public Hearing on SB 5609 – on health care eligibility for part-time employees of community & technical colleges.

On Tuesday, 2/13, the House Early Learning and Children’s Services Committee will hold a Public Hearing on 3 bills affecting early learning: HB 1560 – regarding preschool tuition scholarships for children in foster care, HB 1905- creating early learning and child care program grants, and HB 1959 – regarding the new Department of Early Learning.

On Thursday, 2/15, the House Early Learning and Children’s Services Committee will hold a Public Hearing on 2 foster care bills: HB 1716 – supporting educational achievement for children in foster care, and HB 1927 – concerning foster care benefits.

On Monday, 2/12, the Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education, will also devote time to a Public Hearing on the companion bill to HB 1905: SB 5769 - creating early learning and child care program grants.

On Tuesday, 2/13, the House Education Committee will hold a Public Hearing on HB 1573 – for a program for comprehensive dropout prevention, intervention, and retrieval.

Health/Mental Health related topics are also commanding continued attention.
SSB 5093 (HB 1071) which would provide health coverage for all children by 2010 was voted on in the Senate’s Health & Long-Term Care Committees Executive Session, and passed. A few amendments were adopted, chiefly to raise eligibility to 300% of the poverty line, and to permit families with incomes above that amount to “buy-in” if that was their best chance for coverage for their children. This week it got a Public Hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee.

On Monday, 2/12, the House Health Care & Wellness Committee has scheduled a Public Hearing on 2 mental health bills: HB 1460 – Extending mental health parity requirements to individual and small group plans and HB 1456 – providing backup for mental health professionals doing home visits. That same day they will also hear HB 2098 – for high quality, affordable health care (the Blue Ribbon Commission’s recommendations).

On Wednesday, 2/14. the House Health Care & Wellness Committee has scheduled HB 1825 – to provide dedicated funding for Public Health Services for Executive Session.

On Thursday, 2/15, the House Health Care & Wellness Committee has scheduled HB 1456 – providing backup for mental health professionals doing home visits for Executive Session, along with HB 1460 – Extending mental health parity requirements to individual and small group plans.

On Monday, 2/12, the Senate Health & long-term Care Committee has scheduled a Public Hearing for the companion bill to HB 2098, SB 5930 – for high quality, affordable health care (the Blue Ribbon Commission’s recommendations).

On Wednesday, 2/14, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a Public Hearing on SB 5787 – concerning death penalty eligibility for persons who are mentally retarded or have a severe mental disorder.

On Wednesday, 2/14, the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee will hold a Public Hearing on SB 5297 – re medically accurate sexual health education in schools.

HB 1215 – which would prohibit the sale, purchase, or use of alcohol vaporizing devices –
Passed out of Committee, and was sent to the Rules Committee to be scheduled for Floor Action.

Housing
The House Committee on Housing continues to devote time to bills concerning homelessness and/or ways to increase affordable housing.

On Monday, 2/12, the House Committee on Housing will hold a Public Hearing on HB 2014 – regarding the regulation of Condo Conversions.

On Wednesday, 2/14, the House Committee on Housing has scheduled an Executive Session on 3 bills: HB 1921 – assistance to homeless individuals and families, HB 1922 – creating an Independent Youth housing program, and HB 1148 – on mobile home location.

On Thursday, 2/15, the Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections will hold a Public Hearing on SB 5959 – assistance to homeless individuals and families (the companion bill to HB 1921).

On Thursday, 2/15, the Senate Ways & Means Committee has scheduled a Public Hearing that includes 3 housing-related bills: SB 5737 – allowing a freeze in home values to provide property tax relief to seniors, retirees with disabilities, and veterans with service-related disabilities, SSB 5200 – providing tax credits for contributions to low-income housing efforts, and SB 5201 – providing property tax relieve for senior citizens and persons retired because of disabilities.

Other issues:
HB 1351 – protecting individuals in domestic partnerships by granting certain rights and benefits has been sent to the House Rules Committee – to be scheduled for Floor Action.

The House Committee on Early Learning & Childrens Services will devote a Public Hearing on Friday, 2/16 at 1:30 pm, to HB 1703 – creating a domestic violence pilot program, and to HB 1791 – concerning the WA Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.

On Tuesday, 2/13, the Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections will hold a Public Hearing on 5 bills affecting children: SB 5643 – for children and families of incarcerated persons, SB 5807 – for a Child Protective Services Training Program, SB 5803 – regarding Home Visitation programs, SB 5839 – on the Reporting of child abuse and neglect, and SB 5909 – on the Needs of Children in Foster Care.

PayDay Loans: On Tuesday, 2/13, the House Committee on Insurance, Financial Services & Consumer Protection will hold a Public Hearing on HB 1817, and HB 2027 – two bills regarding “payday loans.” People following this issue will recall that the Chair of this Committee initially insisted that he would not schedule any hearings on this topic – particularly on HB 1020 and HB 1021 – which would limit the amount of interest that could lawfully be charged. After growing pressure, he has submitted a bill of his own HB 1817 (which is opposed by low-income advocates) and scheduled a hearing.

Revenue
A bill that might escape notice will get a Public Hearing on Tuesday, 2/13 in the House Finance Committee. It holds promise for fairer collection of the revenues needed to support the services citizens desire: HB 1827 – requiring a tax expenditure report as part of the biennial budget documents. The Washington Tax Fairness Coalition is following this bill.

By now there have been eleven bills introduced that address one or more aspect of campaign and/or election reform – included the public financing of campaigns (judges and others’), voluntary limits on campaign contributions, how we conduct primaries, and tamper-proof voting. Hearings or Executive Session on some of these bills continues in Week VI.

BUDGET

Because writing the two-year budget is the one thing the legislature must do, and because it affects every constituent in every area of the state, it is the legislature’s major task this year.

SOME BUDGET-RELATED MEETINGS NEXT WEEK

On Wednesday, 2/14 at 3:30 pm, the HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE will hold a
Work Session on mental health, Health Services Account, and the Basic Health Plan.
J.L. O’Brien Building – House Hearing Room A.

On Thursday, 2/15 at 1:30 am, the HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE on EDUCATION has scheduled a Work Session on Education Budgets. J.L. O’Brien Building – House Hearing Room B. On TVW. (This Subcttee is following up on a variety of K-12 issues.)

PART III
BILL NUMBERS:
House Bill numbers have four digits and begin with 1_ _ _ , or 2_ _ _;
Senate Bill numbers have four digits and begin with 5_ _ _, or 6_ _ _.
Thus a bill identified as HB 1058 would be the 58th bill introduced in the House; SB 6264 is the 1,264th Senate Bill introduced in the session. More recent bills have higher numbers.

KEY DATES It is important to understand the Legislative Calendar.
The Legislative Session in Olympia runs from January 8 – April 22, 2007. Every day – including Saturdays, Sundays, and all holidays – is counted in setting the 105-day Session. The legislature may also be in session on weekends later in the Session. The “cut-off dates” below control the action on bills. Bills that fail to get the requisite action before “cut-off” usually die.

…here are critical points in the 2007 Session:

1/08 – 2007 Session begins.
2/28 – last day for bills to be considered in the Policy Committees of the House/Senate - where they originate (a.k.a. "house of origin")
3/5 – last day for bill consideration in the Fiscal Committee (House or Senate) where they originate
3/14 – last day for bills to be considered on the floor in their “house of origin”
3/30 – last day for bills consideration in the Policy Committees of the "opposite house"
4/02 – last day for bill consideration in the Fiscal Committees of the "opposite house"
4/13 – last day for bill to be considered on the floor of the opposite house
4/22 – 2005 Session adjourns for the year.

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