February 16 — Yesterday was the cutoff date for legislative bills to make it out of their house of origin. Substitute House Bill 1652 (concerning conservation district elections) made it through the House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations with a DO PASS recommendation earlier this month but was not approved by the full House of Representatives before the 5 PM cut-off yesterday, February 15th. WACD members and partners can consider SHB 1652 dead for this session.
We extend our gratitude to the many people who participated in the Joint Committee on Elections, to our members who supported SHB 1652, and to the legislators who helped carry this important legislation forward. For members who did reach out to their legislators on SHB 1652, we recommend that you contact them again with your thanks for their support.
WACD expects this topic to carry on after the legislative session concludes, with additional outreach and conversation conducted with legislators and stakeholders throughout the interim. The WACD Board of Directors will discuss this at their February Board meeting and direct staff activity, with a likely eye towards legislative activity in 2023’s session.