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Notes From Olympia January 31, Week 3 of the 2025 Legislative Session

Included in this edition: Governor Ferguson’s Budget Reduction Instructions, Staff Briefings and Leadership Media Availability, Bill Tracker, Bill Highlights and Split House of Representatives Trivia.

Erica Hallock January 31, 2025
  • Policy and Systems
  • Blog

Photo of the Capitol Building in Olympia, Washington in the early morning before the sunrise from Winter 2025.

The fog has lifted at the start of Week Three. Is that a good omen?

(Photo Courtesy: Erica Hallock)

Trivia!

Which legislator is the only member to serve during the two times the House of Representatives was evenly split with 49 Democrats and 49 Republicans?

Bonus Question: How many years apart did this occur?

Governor Ferguson Budget Reduction Target Exercise Instructions Released

On January 24, Office of Financial Management (OFM) Director K.D. Chapman-See released instructions to state agencies regarding Governor Ferguson’s directed budget reduction target exercise.

The instructions direct agencies to identify reductions of at least six percent beyond any reductions included in Governor Inslee’s budget proposal. This means we could see items that agencies originally included on their reduction lists from last November but were not a part of Governor Inslee’s budget reemerge.

Programs providing cash benefits to Washingtonians as well as the following agencies are excluded from this exercise: K-12, community and technical colleges, Washington State Patrol, the Department of Corrections and the Criminal Justice Training Commission. Four-year public universities are asked to identify at least three percent reductions.

In addition to suggestions for potential reductions such as pausing legislative reports, the instructions suggest consolidating management positions (10-25% within each agency) and reducing “administrative, executive, and externally focused positions that are not essential to the delivery of government services (10% to 25% within each agency).”

Agency recommendations are due to OFM by February 6 and will be posted on the OFM website following review.

Highlights of the Week

House Appropriations Receives Early Learning Staff Briefing

On Wednesday, January 29, the House Appropriations Committee received a staff briefing about early learning programs. This presentation is filled with rich data detailing early learning caseloads and investments over the years, highlighting changes since passage of the Fair Start for Kids Act.

Fiscal committees in both chambers are holding these types of briefings and work sessions to prepare themselves for the difficult budget decisions ahead.

Legislative Leadership Media Availability

Each week during the legislative session, legislative leadership holds media availability. These sessions aren’t very long, and they are good to watch to get a finger on the pulse of what is “on top” for that moment. It’s also helpful when you are knee-deep in an issue to pull back and look at the larger landscape.

Not surprisingly, the state budget dominated this week’s leadership media availability. For example, Democratic leaders spoke of how they are busy working on various scenarios but are waiting for the next revenue forecast in March to make more definitive public pronouncements.

I wanted to flag the Republican leadership media availability because child care was one of the first questions asked and Senator John Braun talked about his SB 5310, which will be heard on Monday, February 3 in the Senate Ways and Means Committee (starts around minute 6). Senator Braun’s bill would change the reimbursement rate for Working Connections Child Care to the lesser of the 75th percentile of the Market Rate Survey or a provider’s rate for a private pay family.

What’s on Deck for Next Week

First off, it will finally not be January. For me, January felt like it went on for 97 days.

Committee action continues at a brisk pace. Bill introductions are beginning to slow down slightly, and we are at the stage of heavy public hearings and the start of executive sessions (votes). This is also the time where we are watching for amendments (substitutes) and fiscal notes (expected costs for implementation). In short, things are moving FAST!

As a reminder, each Thursday, Start Early Washington updates its bill tracker with the latest information on bills we are following. If you would like us to do a deeper dive on a particular bill in a future newsletter, let us know!

Tuesday, Feb 4: Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee Hearing on Cost of Quality

  • The Senate Early Learning and K-12 Committee will hear SB 5500 (Alvarado). This bill would modernize the way the state reimburses child care rates to more fully account for the true cost of doing business.

Tuesday, Feb 4: House Early Learning and Human Services Committee Hearings on Provider Qualifications and Child Care Licensing

  • HB 1648 (Dent) would delay the requirement for child care providers to meet certification and training qualification conditions until at least August 1, 2035. It would also add a work equivalency option as an alternative to certification requirements for all child care positions.
  • HB 1582 (Caldier) seeks to make changes to child care licensing requirements so the calculated occupancy load of existing buildings with more than one use (such as churches), would only be based on the space where the child care is provided. The intent of the bill is to leverage existing buildings for child care space.

Thursday, Feb. 6: Senate Ways and Means Hearing on Early Learning Facilities Bill; House Education Expected to Hold Executive Session on Transition to Kindergarten Bill; and House Appropriations Committee Hears Proposal to Push Out Fair Start for Kids Act Provisions

  • The Senate Ways and Means Committee will hold a public hearing on SB 5297 (Trudeau/Torres). This is the Senate companion to HB 1314 (Callan/Abbarno) which was heard in the House Capital Budget Committee this week. It would make technical changes to the Early Learning Facilities Fund.
  • HB 1450 (Santos) is scheduled for an Executive Session (vote) in House Education next week. In the public hearing this week on the Transition to Kindergarten Bill, Representative Santos stated she plans to propose a substitute bill with changes.
  • Finally, the House Appropriations Committee will hold a public hearing on HB 1489 (Ormsby). This bill adjusts implementation dates for Working Connections Child Care income eligibility and ECEAP entitlement created through the Fair Start for Kids Act to align with former Governor Inslee’s proposed regular budget.

Friday, Feb 7: House Labor Committee Action Scheduled on Child Care Workforce Standards Board and House Finance Committee to Consider Sales Tax Removal on Diapers

  • The House Labor and Workforce Standards Committee has scheduled an Executive Session for HB 1128 (Fosse) related to the establishment of a Child Care Workforce Standards board. Refer to the January 17th Notes from Olympia for a more detailed summary of that.
  • Last week I highlighted the various efforts to ease some of the affordability challenges facing Washington families. Two bills in this area are scheduled for hearings next Friday in the House Finance Committee. The first, HB 1307 (Caldier), would remove the sales and use tax on diapers and other essential child care products. The second, HB 1318 (Rule), is narrower and would remove the sales and use tax, but only for diapers. It will be interesting to watch how this conversation advances.

Trivia Follow-Up Items

After last week’s focus on the Pritchard construction project, Monday saw the timely introduction of House Concurrent Resolution 4403, which would officially rename the Joel Pritchard State Library to the “Joel Pritchard Building.”

The resolution cites a desire to reduce confusion for campus visitors as a main rationale for the name change, since the building no longer serves as a library. The resolution also – of course – references Pritchard’s love of pickleball.

I was not kidding about my fascination with the 188-foot crane moving big items for the Pritchard project. I stopped one of people working on the project this week to ask about the required training to operate the crane and was told it involves a four-year apprenticeship! The operator also has to climb up a 188-foot ladder each day to operate the crane. It is a dangerous job, so it looks like I will have to stick with writing this newsletter while I watch the crane transport large items around the construction site.

Trivia Answer

Former Representative Helen Sommers from the 36th Legislative District is the only legislator to have served during the two times that the House of Representatives was evenly split between Democrats and Republicans.

Bonus Question: 19 years! The first tie was in 1979 and the second tie was in 1998.

Portrait of former Washington State Representative Helen Sommers.

Representative Helen Sommers
Served in the House of Representatives from 1972-2008

(Photo Courtesy: Helen Sommers: An Oral History)

Former Representative Sommers has a tremendous legacy and I plan to devote a future trivia to her story.

Co-Speakers

After the Republicans picked up 13 seats in the 1978 election, the body was split evenly with 49 D’s and 49 R’s. Since there was no precedence for what to do in this situation, the body opted to select co-speakers. The Democrats selected Representative John Bagnariol (known as “Baggie”) from Renton to serve as their co-speaker and the Republicans selected Representative Duane Berentson from Burlington to represent their caucus. (My internet sleuthing did not uncover a clever nickname for Representative Berentson.)

The co-speakers decided to preside on alternating days, selected co-chairs for the seven “most important” committees and divided the remaining 14 committee chairs evenly between the two parties. They also decided that no big decisions would happen without the engagement of both parties.

Photo of Washington State House of Representatives Co-Speakers Jon Bagnariol and Duane Berentson inside the House Chamber, taken in 1979.

Washington House of Representatives Co-Speakers Jon Bagnariol and Duane Berentson
Olympia, 1979

(Photo Courtesy: Six Speakers of the House)

The second tie occurred following the 1998 election. This time, Democrats selected Representative Frank Chopp of Seattle to be their co-speaker and Republicans chose Representative Clyde Ballard of Wenatchee. (Fun Helen Sommers fact: during this time Representative Sommers served as the Co-Chair of the House Appropriations Committee.)

A 2001 special election gave House Democrats the majority and Representative Chopp went on to become the sole Speaker. Many Olympia followers are well aware that Representative Chopp would go on to be the longest serving Speaker of the House until he stepped down from that role in 2019 and then retired from the Legislature in 2024.

In both instances, a two-handed gavel was created for the co-speakers to signal the partnership.

Portrait of Washington State House of Representatives Co-Speakers Clyde Ballard and Frank Chopp holding the two-handed gavel created to signal the partnership of co-speakers.

Co-Speaker Clyde Ballard and Co-Speaker Frank Chopp

(Photo Courtesy: Six Speakers of the House)

Sources:

Helen Sommers: An Oral History; Legislature Oral History Project, Published 2010

Six Speakers of the House; Legislature Oral History Project, No Year Provided

About the Author

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Erica Hallock

Director, Policy & Advocacy, Start Early Washington

Erica Hallock serves as the Director of Policy and Advocacy for Start Early Washington. She has worked in early childhood, health and human services policy in both California and Washington state.

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