Olympia Round-Up, Week 1

The first week of the 2018 legislative session was a whirlwind of activity. Here’s everything you need to know about what has happened so far:

• Both the House and Senate sent clear messages that our Breakfast after the Bell legislation is a top priority. In the House, 1508 was the first bill voted off the floor for this session. The bill continues to have strong bipartisan support, passing on a vote of 83-15. The Senate version, SB 6003, had a hearing in Senate Early Education and K-12 on Thursday afternoon. Thanks to many of you who asked that your individual or organization’s support for this bill reflected in the hearing record– our bill had a whopping 100 named supporters! Sen. Wellman, Committee Chair and bill sponsor, especially took note of the many local food banks that were represented on the list.
• From our support agenda, SB 5407, the Senate bill to address Source of Income Discrimination, was heard in committee this week. Our friends at the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance report that their support list had 136 names and organizations!
• Two bills were introduced this week related to childhood hunger and food rescue for food banks:
  • HB 2610, Creating the Hunger Free Students’ Bill of Rights Act, is sponsored by Rep. Strom Peterson and would address school meal lunch debt by ensuring that schools and school districts increase their efforts to help eligible families enroll in the free and reduced-price school meals program and prohibit tactics that shame a child if they are unable to pay for a school lunch.
  • HB 2411, sponsored by Rep. Beth Doglio, would require Washington to establish a goal and a plan to cut food waste in half by 2030. Part of the plan should address salvaging edible food to donate to food banks.

This week, we hope to see the Legislature come to agreement on a policy solution for private water well rights, otherwise known as the Hirst decision, so that we can break a stalemate and pass a $4 billion capital budget and the bonding authority needed to fund it. We also hope to see SB 6003 pass out of the Senate Early Education and K-12 Committee as soon as Monday. Stay tuned for more updates from Olympia and calls to action!

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