Y = Yes, N = No, E = Excused, X = Not Voting
E2SSB 5688 – Expanding the rights and responsibilities of state registered domestic partners
E2SSB 5688, which passed the Senate by a vote of 30 to 18, declares that state registered domestic partners shall be treated the same as married spouses. This act makes any privilege, immunity, right, benefit, or responsibility granted or imposed by statute, administrative or court rule, policy, common law or any other law available and applicable to an individual because the individual is or was in a state registered domestic partnership or because the individual is or was, based on a state registered domestic partnership, related in a specified way to another individual. The stated purpose of E2SSB 5688 is to achieve equal treatment of state registered domestic partners and married spouses. E2SSB is now in the House Judiciary Committee for further consideration.
41st District: Sen. Fred Jarrett, (D-Mercer Island), Y
48th District: Sen. Rodney Tom, (D-Medina), Y
E2SSB 5735 – Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
E2SSB 5735 requires the Department of Ecology (DOE) to study alternative strategies the state may implement to meet the greenhouse gas emission targets established in 2008. The study by DOE is required to include a comprehensive examination of all measures, not market-based, that the state could employ to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases, such as regulatory emissions caps and other performance oriented regulations, as well as an analysis on the economic impact to the state’s consumers, businesses and citizens. In addition, E2SSB 5735 requires DOE to move forward on recommending emission caps for specific sectors that annually emit at or above 25,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalents. DOE is required to report back to the Legislature by December 1, 2010. E2SSB 5735 passed the Senate by a vote of 29 to 19 and is now in the House Ecology and Parks Committee for further consideration.
41st District: Sen. Fred Jarrett, (D-Mercer Island), Y
48th District: Sen. Rodney Tom, (D-Medina), Y
E2SHB 1393 – State-Mandated warranty on new and substantially remodeled homes
E2SHB 1393, which passed the House by a vote of 52 to 45, would require all new and substantially remodeled homes to be covered through a state-mandated warranty. E2SHB 1393 establishes the Office of Consumer Education for Home Construction and the Home Construction Board under the Office of the Attorney General for the purpose of consumer education and to resolve disputes that arise between contractors and consumers regarding defects during the construction or remodeling of a home. The state-mandated warranty may not be disclaimed, waived, modified, or limited by contractual agreement and extends to a homeowner for up to six years. The warranty is transferable from one owner to the next. E2SHB 1393 is now in the Senate Labor Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee for further consideration.
41st District: Rep. Judy Clibborn, (D-Mercer Island), Y; Rep. Marcie Maxwell, (D-Renton), Y
48th District: Rep. Deborah Eddy, (D-Kirkland) , Y; Rep. Ross Hunter, (D-Medina), Y
E2SSB 5895 – State-Mandated warranty on new and substantially remodeled homes
E2SSB 5895 provides that all new and substantially remodeled homes to be covered through a state-mandated warranty. E2SSB 5895, which is similar to E2SHB 1393, also requires a more stringent inspection process during the various construction phases and increases bonding requirements for registered contractors. E2SSB 5895 passed the Senate by a vote of 25 to 24 is now before the House Judiciary Committee for further consideration.
41st District: Sen. Fred Jarrett, (D-Mercer Island), N
48th District: Sen. Rodney Tom, (D-Medina), Y
SHB 1517 – Changing requirements for the restoration of the right to vote for convicted felons
SHB 1517, which passed the House by a vote of 53 to 43, requires the Office of the Secretary of State to review current statutes and regulations as they relate to the restoration of felon’s right to vote and recommend a solution to the 2010 Legislature with the intent to create a clear delineation to determine when a person convicted of a felony, upon meeting specific responsibilities of his or her sentence, becomes eligible to gain the restoration of the right to vote. SHB 1517 is now before the Senate Government Operations and Elections Committee for further consideration.
41st District: Rep. Judy Clibborn, (D-Mercer Island), Y; Rep. Marcie Maxwell, (D-Renton), Y
48th District: Rep. Deborah Eddy, (D-Kirkland) , Y; Rep. Ross Hunter, (D-Medina), Y
SHB 1329 – Providing collective bargaining for child care center directors and workers
SHB 1329 creates the access to quality child care workforce act. This act would require union membership of directors and workers at daycare centers across the state and would apply to small daycare centers that have one or more children from a family receiving subsidized child care. SHB 1329 also would provide the unionized workers at daycare centers access to collective bargaining rules. SHB 1329 passed the House by a vote of 65 to 31 and is now in the Senate Labor Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee for further consideration.
41st District: Rep. Judy Clibborn, (D-Mercer Island), N; Rep. Marcie Maxwell, (D-Renton), Y
48th District: Rep. Deborah Eddy, (D-Kirkland) , Y; Rep. Ross Hunter, (D-Medina), Y
ESSB 5840 – Modifying the energy independence act
ESSB 5840, which passed the Senate by a vote of 27 to 21, modifies the Energy Independence Act, also known as Initiative 937. The original act required electric utilities with 25,000 or more customers to meet targets for energy conservation through the use of eligible renewable resources. ESSB 5840 recognizes and promotes the use of low-cost renewable hydroelectric generation to meet energy conservation targets. ESSB 5840 also expands the geographical boundary limitation for an eligible renewable resource, expands the definition of a renewable resource and increases the energy conservation target requirements. ESSB 5840 is now before the House Technology, Energy and Communications Committee for further consideration.
41st District: Sen. Fred Jarrett, (D-Mercer Island), Y
48th District: Sen. Rodney Tom, (D-Medina), Y
SOURCE: WashingtonVotes.org, a free, non-partisan website to find plain-English explanations of bills and a record of each legislator’s votes. Visit www.WashingtonVotes.org today.
