Latest news with #Bill5174
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington legislature's first deadline claims hundreds of bills — But are they really dead?
This story was originally published on The Washington State Legislature hit its first 'do-or-die' deadline for policy bills on Friday. That means bills that don't significantly impact the budget — those focused more on setting public policy — had to make it out of their committee of origin in either the House or Senate to stay alive. As of Friday, lawmakers had submitted 1,802 bills this session. Hundreds didn't make the cut. If you've been following my coverage of this legislative session, you know I've written about dozens of bills on a variety of issues. Here's a list of notable bills that effectively died on Friday. The bills that didn't make it House Bill 1536 – Would have increased early intervention for minors caught unlawfully possessing firearms. Previous coverage here. Senate Bill 5174 – A proposed ban on wood-burning stoves. It actually passed its committee, but on Friday, its sponsor said she won't move it forward this year. Previous coverage here. House Bill 1512 – Would have prevented law enforcement from pulling over motorists for non-moving violations, like a broken taillight or expired tabs. Previous coverage here. House Bill 1630 – Would have required dairy farmers and cattle feedlot operators to track methane emissions from their herds. Previous coverage here. It also included a potential study on methane emissions from humans. Previous coverage here. House Bill 1938 – Proposed the creation of a Washington State Flag Redesign Committee. Previous coverage here. House Bill 1426 – A groundbreaking proposal that would have introduced the Impaired Driving Protection Order (IDPO), a new legal tool to address impaired driving. Previous coverage here. House Bill 1739 – Sought to regulate the use of automated checkout systems to protect grocery store clerks from being overwhelmed or exposed to unsafe working conditions. Previous coverage here. House Bill 1596 – Would have created a special restricted driver's license for individuals with suspended licenses due to excessive speeding or reckless driving. Previous coverage here. Senate Bill 5482 – Aimed to end the use of dogs by local law enforcement to track problematic wildlife — such as bears, cougars, and wolves — unless explicitly approved by the state. Previous coverage here. House Bill 1825 – Would have repealed a 30-year-old law barring Washington from actively participating in grizzly bear recovery efforts, which are currently under federal control. Previous coverage here. Senate Bill 5091 – A Republican-backed bill that would have severed Washington's ties to California's strict vehicle emissions rules. Previous coverage here. Senate Bill 5578 – Would have put Washington's minimum wage on track to reach $25 per hour by 2032. Previous coverage here. Dead or just on life support? That said, nothing ever truly dies in the Washington State Legislature. At any moment, Democratic leadership in the House and Senate could pull a Lazarus move and resurrect a bill from the grave. But let's be real — most of these bills aren't coming back. For now, these proposals are casualties of the legislative process. But in politics, there's always the next session.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Washington state bill would set new standards for wood stoves
() A Washington state Senate committee advanced a proposal Friday morning to update the rules around wood stoves. Democratic supporters of the bill argue it will promote better air quality, while Republican opponents are concerned it could make lives harder. Voted on by the Senate Committee on Environment, Energy & Technology, Senate Bill 5174 would update the state's air quality standards around wood-burning devices like wood stoves and fireplaces. Requested by the Department of Ecology, the agency would issue standards that match those published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 'as it existed on January 1, 2025,' according to the bill. The legislation states Washington's current regulations 'are weaker than those put in place by the Environmental Protection Agency.' If the EPA were to adopt standards that are less stringent than those from January 1, 2025, the bill says the Department of Ecology 'must retain the more stringent statewide emission standards.' Prime sponsor state Sen. Sharon Shewmake, D-Bellingham, said the standards would only apply to new wood-burning devices, and existing devices would not have to be changed or removed. 'My intention was never to take away anyone's wood stoves,' she said ahead of the committee vote. 'Wood stoves are a great source of heat, especially in rural areas. If you're willing to put some arm energy into it, they can even be free heat. Shewmake said the bill would implement a voluntary program for manufacturers to certify their devices meet federal standards. 'We need to make sure that they're clean,' she said. 'A voluntary program would allow people to see that they are actually passing the standards that they claim to be passing.' An earlier version of the legislation initially required the state to create a mandatory certification process, as a federal report raised questions about whether devices were burning as cleanly as claimed. 'The OIG found that EPA is approving deficient test reports, lacks robust oversight, fails to address known violations and allows non-compliant devices to be sold,' said Kathy Taylor with the Department of Ecology. 'These flaws in EPA's oversight program puts families in Washington at risk of buying what appears to be a cleaner wood stove, but in reality is a stove that might harm their health or contribute to unhealthy air quality in their community.' Republican senators argued the bill would overregulate wood stoves and make a crucial heat source more expensive, ultimately leading to a ban on them. State Sen. Shelly Short, R-Addy, questioned whether the Department of Ecology could meet the responsibilities outlined in the bill. ''Ecology doesn't have the bandwidth for this,' she said. 'They don't have the knowledge base. I don't think they are prepared for this.' Short also expressed concern the bill reduces consumer confidence in trusted manufacturers. 'It's actually made me very frustrated that, okay, if there's an issue with EPA, let's deal with it. Let's better understand that before you go after an entire industry,' she said. She offered an amendment to change the legislation, but it failed. The updated standards ultimately passed out of committee on a party-line vote. They now move to the Senate Committee on Rules for their consideration of whether to bring the bill to a floor vote. This article was produced as part of the Murrow News Fellowship program, a collaborative effort between news outlets statewide and Washington State University.
