Breathe Easier As These “Bad Bills” Failed In Washington State

Before the legislative session begins each year, a number of bills are pre-filed to give us an idea of what will be pursued.  After session begins, even more bills get filed.  A number of those bills, if passed, would fundamentally alter your way of life as a Washingtonian...and not necessarily for the best.

There are two classification of bad bills:

1. Bills that will cost you more money
2. Bills that will limit your choices

Bills that will cost you money are those that will raise taxes on you or on businesses, take money out of your paycheck, or cost you more because businesses will pass their cost on to you.

Bills that limit your choices are those that tell you what you can and can't buy, can and can't use, and other ways that control some of the simplest things in your daily life (an example of this is banning gas powered vehicles).  The following 'bad' bills didn't make it out of committee this session:

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The Wood Burning Stove Bill

Senate Bill 5174 was backed by the State Department of Ecology, and would have given them the authority to regulate wood burning, pellet, and other solid fuel burning stoves.  Proponents of the bill cited pollution regulation.  Opponents said the rules Ecology would have put in place would have driven manufacturers out of business and forced people to use alternate heating sources.

State Provided Healthcare for Immigrants

House Bill 1482 would have expanded the state Applecare program to include coverage for all immigrants in Washington that are ineligible for coverage through federal healthcare.  Immigrants 19 and older, and at or below 138% of the federal poverty level would be eligible.  While the bill on it's own didn't get a hearing, it could wind up being written into the budget as a proviso.

The Cow Farts Bill

House Bill 1630 would have forced dairy and feedlot owners in the state to report their cow's methane emissions to the Department of Ecology.  If those methane emissions (cow farts) surpassed a set level, then those operations would fall under the parameters and requirements of the Climate Commitment Act.

Indoor Climate Change

House Bill 1031 was a...doozy.  This bill, sponsored by a State Rep. from Federal Way, would have address climate change INSIDE the classroom.  OSPI would have been required to create climate standards for schools because...as the bill states:

the realities of climate change, including rising temperatures, are already upon us. Consequently, average and extreme temperatures in Washington state are likely to rise dramatically over the next century.

...but wait...there's more:

The legislature further finds that because many of the state's school facilities lack adequate cooling systems, our teachers and students are likely to experience increasingly negative climate change-related impacts on their ability to teach and learn in the classroom.

This is the first year of the biennial cycle, meaning that because the bill dies this session doesn't mean it can't be brought back in January of 2026 for another go.  We can hope that the emphatic refusal to pass these bills makes it less like they become zombie bills and rise from the dead.