Cutoffs are a necessary part of the legislative process, designed to keep bills moving forward. The Washington State Legislature is a part-time citizen legislature, meeting for 60 says in even numbered years and 105 days in odd numbered years. In order to ensure that bills move through the legislative process, the legislature uses a set of self imposed deadlines called cutoffs. The Policy Committee cutoff is the first in the series of cutoffs – in the 2025 Legislative Session, this first cutoff was on Friday, February 21st when all bills that are not necessary to implement the budget (NTIB) must pass out of the policy committies in their House of Origin. Bills will then have one more week before the next cutoff, where they have to make it out of the fiscal committee in their House of Origin. Essential Questions:
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In order for a bill to move along in the Legislative Process, it must be voted on by the entire House and Senate. This is done “on the floor”, where all members gather to hear and debate bills. These gatherings on the floor are very formal and strict procedural rules are followed. This allows debate to be civil, orderly, and timely in nature. In this 8 minute video, Ms. Paulson speaks to Lieutenant Governor Denny Heck, who is also President of the Senate, about the Orders of Business that help govern actions on the floor. Watch this before you watch a Floor Debate, so you, like the Lt. Governor, know what the heck is going on. Essential Questions:
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Here in Olympia, there is a concept called “the 5 o’clock bill.” The legislature operates on a series of self imposed deadlines that are designed to winnow down the thousands of bills that are introduced each year to the few hundred that are passed into law. March 12th marked the halfway point in the legislative session, and all bills needed to move out of their House of Origin by 5pm. To learn why some legislators debated late into the night on the 12th, watch this 5 minute video that explains some of the strategies behind the “5 o’clock bill”. Essential Questions:
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As in most states, and in the federal government, our Legislature is split into a House of Representatives and a Senate. Bills must pass through each chamber to make their way to the governor’s desk. We spoke with Republican Representative Chris Corry and Democrat Senator Yasmin Trudeau about the parallel processes in the adjoining chambers, as well as how the second half of the legislative process allows for more consideration time on bills while simultaneously moving ever closer to the next cutoff date. During the “second half”, bills can still be amended and all changes to the bill take more time to discuss, which could make it less likely to pass this year. Essential Questions:
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Another week, another cutoff. By end of day, Friday February 28th, bills must be voted out of the fiscal committee in their House of Origin. So, bills with a financial impact that were introduced in the House of Representatives must move out of the Finance or Appropriations Committees and bills introduced in the Senate must move out of the Ways and Means Committee if they have any hope of becoming law. In this 4 minute video, learn about the importance of a fiscal committee, how it differs from a policy committee, what a fiscal note really is, and how to specialize your testimony for a fiscal committee. Essential Questions:
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What power does the governor have in the Legislative Process? In the United States and in Washington State, we pride ourselves on our system of representative democracy and the checks and balances that help keep this system in place. With Sine Die, the bulk of the legislative branch’s work is finished for the year, and now the Executive Branch’s role in the legislative process begins in earnest. Legislation that passed both the House and the Senate is sent to the Governor for approval. The Governor’s signature acts as a check on the legislature; the governor will have 20 days after Sine Die to either sign or veto the proposed legislation. If they choose to do neither, the bills will become law without a signature. Of course the Legislature can override vetos with a 2/3 vote of both the House and Senate, but this check on the Executive Branch can be hard to achieve in a divided Legislative Body. Hear from former Governor Gregoire and former Governor Inslee explain how the governor is involved during the session, how they come to the decisions they do, as well as the bill signing powers they have. Essential Questions:
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In order for a bill to be heard in a committee, it must have a legislator sign on to be its Prime Sponsor. In this 6 minute video, learn the ins and outs of prime sponsorship and the importance of gathering diverse stakeholders in getting a bill passed. We talked to Senator Claire Wilson and lobbyist Adán Espino about how essential consensus building is in the legislative process. Essential Questions:
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In a democracy like ours, civic engagement is imperative. There are numerous ways to make your voice heard by the government: voting, protesting, petitioning, boycotting, or writing to your legislators. But there is another way that many people may not know about or may find too intimidating: testifying at a public hearing for a pending piece of legislation. In this 7 minute video, Ms. Paulson talks to lobbyist Melissa Gombosky and Representative Andrew Barkis about the importance of testifying at a public hearing, as well as tips for what to do with your time at the microphone. Essential Questions:
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Having your bill heard in committee is one of the first hurdles that your bill must make on its way to becoming law. Understanding the power that the Chair of the Committee wields will help you clear this hurdle. Chairs set the agenda for the committees, which means that they decide which bills will get a public hearing and which bills will be put up for a vote. With thousands of bills vying to make their way to becoming a law and only so much time, the Chair must choose bills that are “fully cooked” and ready to become laws. In this week’s episode, hear from Chair of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, Senator Manka Dhingra, and how she works with all members of the Washington State Legislature to pass legislation that betters the lives of Washingtonians. Essential Questions:
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When many people think of “the government”, they think of legislators giving long winded speeches on the floor of the House and the Senate. However, most of the work done during the Legislative Session is done in committees. Committees are the place where bills are researched, discussed, debated, and voted upon. Committees are where the public has the chance to have their voices heard, and committees allow legislators to focus on a specific topic so that the nuances of a proposed law are clear. In this 4 minute episode of Capitol Classroom+, you will experience the anatomy of the committee room, so that when you watch a committee hearing on TVW, you know the ins and outs. Essential Questions:
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