Latest news with #HouseBill1491
Axios
21-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
New laws aim to boost housing across Washington state
A suite of new laws aim to make it easier to build more housing throughout Washington state, including in Seattle. Why it matters: The state Department of Commerce estimates that Washington must add more than 1 million homes by 2044 to keep up with population growth, with over 300,000 of those housing units needed in King County. What's happening: Several laws signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson in recent weeks focus on removing barriers to housing construction. One measure makes it more difficult to designate a building as a historic landmark, a process that pro-housing groups say has sometimes been weaponized to delay or halt housing construction in Seattle. Other newly signed laws aim to increase density near transit stations, reduce permit timelines and cut parking requirements, among other changes. Zoom in: Right now, Seattle allows any person or group to nominate buildings as young as 25 years old as historic landmarks. Under the new landmarking reform law, House Bill 1576, most buildings under 125 years old will no longer be able to be designated as historic landmarks without the owners' consent if the designation would restrict development of the property. That will help prevent the landmarking process from being "co-opted to obstruct homebuilding," as it has in the past in Seattle, Dan Bertolet of the Sightline Institute told a panel of lawmakers in March. Yes, but: Eugenia Woo of Historic Seattle told lawmakers that the new landmarking policy will give developers too much control, "leaving communities little to no voice in terms of what happens to their historic places in their neighborhoods." The big picture: Another new statewide policy, House Bill 1491, will require cities and counties to allow denser housing near transit stations. To comply with the law, Seattle will likely need to change some of its zoning to allow denser housing near bus rapid transit stops and certain light rail stations, Callie Craighead, a spokesperson for Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, told Axios. Also now on the books is a new law to limit how many parking spots cities and counties can require as part of new housing developments, which Ferguson said will reduce the cost of building new units. "Each space can add up to $20,000 to the cost of developing a home," and much more if a parking garage is required, the governor said when signing Senate Bill 5184.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Next stop for Washington housing: More construction near transit
An apartment building under construction in Olympia, Washington in January 2025. (Photo by Bill Lucia/Washington State Standard) Noticed apartment buildings cropping up next to bus and light rail stations? More could be on the way. Gov. Bob Ferguson on Tuesday signed House Bill 1491 into law, setting new state requirements for mixed-income housing development near transit and incentivizing this kind of construction. So-called 'transit-oriented development' allows for more dense housing, which Washington desperately needs, while also potentially reducing pollution as more people use buses and rail to commute instead of driving. 'This bill can help Washington meet its housing and environmental goals,' Ferguson said. 'I actually live very close to a light rail station and so I have some familiarity with this and how important it is.' The first cities eyed for development around transit are Vancouver and Spokane, the governor said. 'By 2029, we expect to see new zoning around 100 rail stations and more than 200 bus stations in the Puget Sound area,' Ferguson added. Incentivizing transit-oriented development was one of the top priorities included in Lt. Gov. Denny Heck's Housing Action Plan, developed during Ferguson's transition to the governor's office. Not only that, the report said no other policy would result in more homes than this one. Last year, a similar bill passed the House before stalling in the Senate. This year's measure requires Washington cities to allow housing development in what are called bus and rail 'station areas.' This includes places within a half-mile of a light rail station, commuter rail stop in a large city or a western Washington trolley system, like Seattle's Streetcar. It also covers areas within a quarter-mile of bus rapid transit stops. In these locations, the bill sets guidelines for how dense the housing must be. Developers would get to fit even more building square footage on their lots if they build affordable housing or so-called workforce housing intended for people earning low and moderate incomes. The bill also requires 10% of units to be considered affordable and 20% set aside for workforce housing for the next 50 years. The legislation defines affordable as not costing more than 30% of the income for renters who make up 60% of the county's median income or homeowners who make 80% of the median. Developers who meet the requirements would get a 20-year multifamily property tax exemption. And they'd get half off local impact fees meant to help pay for transportation projects to accommodate the population growth. Cities also can't require off-street parking, except spots dedicated for people with disabilities or delivery drivers. Under the legislation, the state Department of Commerce also needs to set up a new grant program to help cities build infrastructure to provide utilities and other services. The bill passed the Legislature along mostly party lines. Though supportive of the general concept, some Republicans objected to the affordability component, which they thought would drive developers away from building housing near transit. The legislation takes effect in late July. But implementation of the new requirements wouldn't come until 2029 for cities that updated their comprehensive plans last year. Cities that next revise their plans later than 2024 must follow the new rules within six months of updating. The piece of legislation is one of many Ferguson has signed in his first year to remove barriers to additional housing, including for condominiums. He also signed a bill last week to ease parking requirements that can pose a costly obstacle to development. It's the top issue he heard on the campaign trail last year, he said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill impacting state Board of Education agendas on brink of failure
House Bill 1491 would allow members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education, pictured Feb. 27, to place an item on a meeting agenda by submitting a written request. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — A House bill inspired by frustrations with state Superintendent Ryan Walters' leadership of the Oklahoma State Board of Education now is at risk of failing as it approaches a crucial deadline without yet passing through its assigned Senate committee. The Senate Education Committee met Tuesday for the final time before a Thursday deadline to advance House bills to the full Senate. The committee did so without considering House Bill 1491, which would allow members of school boards, including the state Board of Education, to place topics on their meeting agendas by submitting a written request. The committee's leader, Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, was critical of the bill, saying it would treat the state Board of Education differently from all other statewide boards and commissions. Pugh, as chairperson, decides which bills the committee will consider for a vote. 'I want to treat that state board like we would any other government agency,' Pugh said after Tuesday's meeting. 'And so, we have to ensure a fairly applied law, and I'm not sure that that's what that bill achieved.' House lawmakers drafted the bill after some of the governor's recent appointees to the state Board of Education said they were frustrated that only Walters controlled what agenda items the board could discuss during its meetings. The state superintendent, who is elected, leads the board and the Oklahoma State Department of Education, both of which oversee the state's public schools system. Gov. Kevin Stitt and top Republican leaders in the House and Senate endorsed the measure, and it passed a vote by the full House with overwhelming bipartisan support. At the time the bill was filed, Stitt said one member shouldn't have unilateral control over the whole board. The Governor's Office did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday. House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, and Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, declined to comment on the stalled bill. HB 1491 from Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada, would have allowed two members on the state board or any local school board with five or more positions to place an item on an upcoming meeting agenda with a written request. It would have taken only one member to request an agenda item on school boards with four or fewer members. Current state law doesn't outline any method for state Board of Education officials to have input on their meeting agendas. School boards that have an at-large board chair position, found in districts with at least 30,000 students, can add agenda items with a request from a majority of board members. State Board of Education member Chris Vandenhende proposed during a February meeting that the panel schedule a future vote to 'suspend all activity related to immigration.' His request referred to a rule the board had approved the month before that would require schools to collect and report students' immigration status. But, Walters has the final say on what topics the board will discuss. An agenda for its March meeting didn't include Vandenhende's request or any reference to immigration. The board ultimately canceled its March meeting because the agenda was posted online 19 minutes after a legally required deadline. Pugh said he is supportive of board members expressing dissent but questioned whether lawmakers had considered the possibility of 'unintended consequences' and disruption from HB 1491. 'You could just be creating gridlock and chaos on that board, and that's not healthy for the state either because they have a really important role to play,' Pugh said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers push for change in power at OSBE
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – Lawmakers have put forward legislation that would allow State Board of Education members to have more of a say in Oklahoma education. 'For me, the way I look at this is if we're going to have a board overseeing how taxpayer dollars are being spent and the education of our kids, then the board members should be able to have some say on the agenda items,' said House Speaker Kyler Hilbert (R-Bristow). Hilbert is pushing for the amendment which would allow board members to introduce an item at the monthly board meetings. According to the legislation, two members would agree, and then that item would be added. Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada, repurposed House Bill 1491 to allow board members to place items on their meeting agendas. Many lawmakers on both sides if the aisle endorsed the measure. Stitt-appointed OSBE members clash with Supt. Walters As of right now, the law states that the Superintendent of Public Instruction has all the say in what goes on the agenda. That is Ryan Walters. Governor Stitt recently appointed three new members to the board of education after Walters proposed a rule to count undocumented students and their families. 'Do your job,' said Stitt at a presser after his announcement. It was the following board meeting where the new members brought up that they had concerns surrounding the proposed rule and wanted to discuss it or take action. But they found out they couldn't take action, that it was up to the superintendent as to what goes on the agenda. 'Why am I even here?' asked new board member Ryan Deatherage during the meeting. Now, lawmakers appear to be stepping in to try and give them more power at the meetings. 'This isn't about Supt. Walters. This isn't about Governor Stitt. I want to take the focus of everything that we're doing and bring it back to the students,' said Speaker Hilbert. Walters responded to the push from lawmakers in part with, 'I'll let them argue over this like kids in a schoolyard kickball game. I'm going to focus on fighting for the best interests of Oklahoma's parents and students.' Attorney General Gentner Drummond responded by approving of the move by lawmakers in part saying, 'I applaud our legislative leaders for doing what they can to clean up the mess that Gov. Stitt and Supt. Walters have made of our public education system.' It passed Wednesday morning but still must go through the Senate and the governor. Supt. Walters responded saying, 'Governor Stitt and Attorney General Gentner Drummond want to continue to play politics with President Trump's mandates. I'll let them argue over this like kids in a schoolyard kickball game. I'm going to focus on fighting for the best interest for Oklahoma's parents and students.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oklahoma bill would curtail state superintendent's control over school board meetings
The House Education Oversight Committee meets Wednesday at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. The committee advanced a bill that would give members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education authority over the topics discussed in the board's meetings. (Photos by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice) OKLAHOMA CITY — Following complaints from the Oklahoma State Board of Education, lawmakers introduced legislation to limit the state superintendent's control over the board's operations. Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada, repurposed House Bill 1491 with new language that would allow board members, not only the state superintendent, to place items on their meeting agendas. Leaders of the House and Senate, as well as Gov. Kevin Stitt, endorsed the measure. 'No one member should unilaterally control a board, especially one that directly impacts the outcomes of our students,' Stitt said Wednesday. State Superintendent Ryan Walters' office didn't immediately return a request for comment Wednesday morning. Three members whom Stitt appointed last month complained that they had no control over the topics they're able to discuss during meetings. One of the members, Chris Vandenhende, said he wanted to schedule a meeting and vote to 'suspend all activity related to immigration.' The board in January had agreed to submit rules to the state Legislature that would have schools report students' immigration status. The governor, who pledged to block the immigration rule, appoints all members of the state Board of Education except for the state superintendent, who is elected and acts as chairperson of the board. The board oversees the state's public education system and the Oklahoma State Department of Education. The House Education Oversight Committee unanimously approved Johns' amended bill on Wednesday, advancing it to a potential vote by the full House. Originally, the bill focused on teacher certification penalties before Johns replaced the language. The bill would allow any two state Board of Education members to place an item on a meeting agenda if they submit the request in writing. Currently, the state superintendent decides the meeting agendas as the chairperson of the board. Oklahoma administrative codes require the board to follow Roberts' Rules of Order, which advises that a board's chairperson should set meeting agendas. Johns said the state board has followed this procedure for decades. State law largely forbids a public board from taking up any matters not posted on its agenda. House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said board members should have a say, and it's a 'longstanding issue that needs to be fixed.' Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, said the new legislation would reinforce transparency and accountability in the education system by giving all board members a voice on the matters they meet to discuss. 'With the current structure, the board is neutralized and has no say in shaping policy,' Paxton said in a statement. 'Allowing this will provide a fair and more effective structure.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
