Bill updates and status - ESHB 1791
Fourteen State Representatives (including House Transportation Chair Fey) co-sponsored this bill.
It addressed many of the concerns from our Town Hall meeting.
Amendments from Committee and one on the House floor make it an "engrossed substitute" (ESHB).
On March 8, the Bill passed the House 88-9, with one amendment. It is now in the State Senate.
The Senate Transportation Committee held a public hearing last week; thanks to all who testifed.
The bill will be heard in "executive session for recommendation Tuesday, April 4 at 11:30 a.m.
Contact State Senators to approve the bill and thank them for their work! The bill's link is here:
UPDATE - HB 1126 (supplemental transportation budget)
This bill has not moved out of committee, but it is an important budget bill (Transportation).
The companion Senate bill SB5164, is referred to committee but not scheduled for hearing yet.
This bill and it's Senate companion will most likely go to conference to work out differences.
ESHB1791 will eliminate CACC, but if that falters, a line item to fund/defund CACC is in the budget.
More importantly, if ESHB1791 passes, a line item will likely appear here to fund the Working Group.
To follow this bill, click on the button to go to the legislative web page:
other aviation legislation
There are other aviation bills active in the Legislature.
Although not siting airports, they maybe of interest.
A spreadsheet of legislation can be found by clicking below. (Thanks to "Stop the Airport".com)
calendar - NEw cacc meetings announced
The regular March 2 meeting of CACC has been postponed and tentatively scheduled for March 30.
CACC will be conducting and "online open house" from March 1-22.
Check the CACC website for registration and more information.
You can sign up for notices from CACC or view their page here:
Gov't 101 - the rules committee
After bills are passed in their respective committee(s), they are referred to the "Rules Committee".
It is one of the most powerful committees in the legislature. Each chamber has a Rules Committee.
Both parties are on committees, but the member ratio reflects the party makeup of each chamber.
The Rules Committee is made up of mostly senior members and leaders of both parties.
The committee is a "gatekeeper" that forwards proposed bills to the floor for debate and vote.
Most bills from the other's chamber have a cutoff of March 29.
For more on the Rules Committee(s), it's members and procedure, click here (Legislative Website):
Gov't 102 - The LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR
The legislature is a breadbasket of ideas, so many bills are introduced every session.
The number of bills can reach over a thousand; so a "calendar" is used to prioritize them.
March 8 was the policy bill cutoff from it's house of origin. Fiscal bills can be held longer.
Bills then go to the opposite house for reading and consideration, cutoff dates apply there as well.
It's important to contact your legislator(s), being mindful as to where your bill of interest is.
Check on it's status under "bill info" to make sure it hasn't been cutoff!
For the legislature's calendar (pdf), click here:
Click here for a webpage version of the calendar:
Gov't 103 - to testify on a bill