2020 legislative review
Editorial Scorecard
“ What a difference 60 days makes . When Washington lawmakers arrived in Olympia in mid-January for a short , two month election-year session , the state ’ s economy was riding high , homelessness and housing were top of mind and there was talk of trying to expel Republican state Rep . Matt Shea from the House .
As the Legislature adjourned Thursday , 60 days felt like a lifetime ago . A surreal new normal had taken hold as Washington finds itself in the grips of a global coronavirus pandemic — which poses a threat not just to the public , but also to the economy and to state revenues .”
— Austin Jenkins , KUOW , March 12
Four weeks into the 2020 legislative session , it ’ s impossible to say what new laws will be created to address major issues like the environment , homelessness or taxes . It is possible to predict with some certainty some bills that won ’ t become law .
Friday was the first of several deadlines known as cut-off dates , which a bill has to get past with a minimum level of approval to remain viable in the scramble to push legislation through the two chambers before the session ends March 12 .
Those that didn ’ t make it out of their first committee aren ’ t quite as dead as the Wicked Witch of the East under Dorothy ’ s house , but they ’ ll need some parliamentary magic to come off life support . — Jim Camden , The Spokesman-Review , Feb . 9
The accomplishments — and the failures — of the 2020 legislative session were quickly eclipsed by the coronavirus outbreak . As COVID-19 began to take hold in the waning days of the session , lawmakers found themselves adjusting to daily changes in the prognosis for what has become a pandemic .
Lawmakers approved $ 200 million from the state ’ s reserve fund to combat the virus . Whether that proves to be adequate or whether a special session will be needed remains to be seen as the virus wreaks havoc with public health and the economy while dominating news reports . — The Columbian editorial , March 26
House Appropriations Chairman Timm Ormsby , D-Spokane , said the budget and economic outlooks changed dramatically in the last month . In February , legislators got an unexpectedly strong forecast from Steve Lerch , the state economist , who projected revenue from taxes and fees would be $ 1.5 billion ahead of the amount they were told last April when they passed a record $ 52.5 billion two-year budget .
House and Senate budget writers developed plans that spent much of that money , adding to programs for a wide range of areas , including homelessness , health care , forest
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