Post by Logan on Apr 7, 2016 4:30:12 GMT -6
OLYMPIA – When a legislative session ends, a pile of bills wind up on a governor’s desk to become law or be vetoed, but an even bigger pile were introduced and never made it that far.
A few got close; many got nowhere.
With more than 3,800 bills, resolutions and memorials introduced in the past two years on topics ranging from abortion to zoos, no one can keep track of everything. Some shone brightly in the public spotlight for a while but faded before passing both houses. Here are some The Spokesman-Review reported on during the session that won’t become law.
Waivers for churches providing temporary shelter to homeless families. Written to help exempt churches working with Family Promise of Spokane from local building codes that require expensive fire suppression systems for older churches if they allow homeless families to spend the night there, the bill came about as close as any bill to passing. It received unanimous votes in both chambers, but a dispute over how many days in a row a church facility could operate doomed the bill on the final day of the regular session.
Transgender restroom rules. Probably nothing generated more controversy in the first month of the session than the Human Rights Commission codifying a rule that allows transgender people to use public restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities based on their gender identity, not their biology. It generated four bills. On a 24-25 vote, the Senate rejected a Senate bill that would have overturned the rule. Another Senate proposal, which required people to use those facilities based on their genitalia, got a hearing and vote out of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, but no vote in the Senate; the House companion bill got 37 GOP co-sponsors but no committee hearing. Another House bill, which called for use based on anatomy or DNA, also got no hearing.
Read more: www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/apr/06/slow-driver-penalties-abortion-bans-5-commissioner/
A few got close; many got nowhere.
With more than 3,800 bills, resolutions and memorials introduced in the past two years on topics ranging from abortion to zoos, no one can keep track of everything. Some shone brightly in the public spotlight for a while but faded before passing both houses. Here are some The Spokesman-Review reported on during the session that won’t become law.
Waivers for churches providing temporary shelter to homeless families. Written to help exempt churches working with Family Promise of Spokane from local building codes that require expensive fire suppression systems for older churches if they allow homeless families to spend the night there, the bill came about as close as any bill to passing. It received unanimous votes in both chambers, but a dispute over how many days in a row a church facility could operate doomed the bill on the final day of the regular session.
Transgender restroom rules. Probably nothing generated more controversy in the first month of the session than the Human Rights Commission codifying a rule that allows transgender people to use public restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities based on their gender identity, not their biology. It generated four bills. On a 24-25 vote, the Senate rejected a Senate bill that would have overturned the rule. Another Senate proposal, which required people to use those facilities based on their genitalia, got a hearing and vote out of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, but no vote in the Senate; the House companion bill got 37 GOP co-sponsors but no committee hearing. Another House bill, which called for use based on anatomy or DNA, also got no hearing.
Read more: www.spokesman.com/stories/2016/apr/06/slow-driver-penalties-abortion-bans-5-commissioner/