DUI limits, prison wages and abortion are already on the docket for 2023 WA legislature
State lawmakers have less than a month to go before the 105-day legislative session convenes, and many of those lawmakers have already submitted legislation prior to the Jan. 9 start date.
So far, more than 100 bills have been submitted leading up to the Legislature. Here’s a look at a few of them:
House Bill 1020: This legislation sponsored by Rep. Melanie Morgan, D-Parkland, would designate the Suciasaurus rex as Washington’s official state dinosaur. This is the third time the lawmaker has sponsored the legislation, and though the bill passed the House last year, it did not make it out of the Senate.
House Bill 1024: This bill would change the current practice of paying working incarcerated individuals less than minimum wage in the state. Instead, incarcerated individuals would at least be paid minimum wage for work inside correctional facilities. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton.
House Bill 1025: Sponsored by My-Linh Thai, D-Bellevue, this bill would create a pathway for victims of police violence to seek justice in a courtroom. Officers who violate a person’s civil rights would no longer be protected by qualified immunity under this legislation.
House Bill 1051: Currently, Washington’s laws against robocalling and telephone scams are weak, according to the state Attorney General’s Office. This new legislation would protect consumers by making robocalls to those on the Do Not Call Registry a violation of the Consumer Protection Act. The bill is sponsored by Mari Leavitt, D-University Place, at the request of Attorney General Bob Ferguson.
Senate Bill 5002: This legislation would lower the maximum blood alcohol concentration to .05 instead of the current .08 limit. According to the bill, Washington had 540 fatal car crashes in 2021 and half of those were a result of impaired driving from drugs and alcohol. The legislation is sponsored by Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek.
Senate Bill 5098: Filed by Sen. Mike Padden, R-Spokane Valley, this legislation would prohibit abortions on the basis of Down Syndrome. Although not likely to pass, Republicans in Washington continue to sponsor anti-abortion legislation every year during the Legislature.
Senate Joint Resolution 8202: This legislation would amend the Washington State Constitution to protect and codify abortion as well as access to reproductive health. The resolution is sponsored by Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, and Sen. Patty Kuderer, D-Bellevue, at the request of the governor’s office.
This story was originally published January 1, 2023 at 5:00 AM with the headline "DUI limits, prison wages and abortion are already on the docket for 2023 WA legislature."
