General Legislative Review – Sine Die 2024
The Legislature finished the business of the 2024 session on time with the Sine Die gavel dropping at 5:50pm on Thursday, March 7.
All early indications point to a wild election year as a significant number of legislators are either retiring or running for other positions. Beginning in late March, I will provide a monthly deep dive focusing on who is running for which positions and how their campaigns are shaping up.
As of today, the following members have made public declarations that they will not run for their seats again in 2024:
- Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig (D-3) retiring (the SDC will also need to elect a new Majority Leader after the 2024 general election)
- Senator Sam Hunt (D-22) retiring
- Senator Karen Keiser (D-33) retiring
- Senator Mark Mullet (D-5) running for Governor
- Senator Kevin Van De Wege (D-24) running for Commissioner of Public Lands
- Senator Lynda Wilson (R-17) retiring
- Rep. Jessica Bateman (D-22) running for open Senate seat
- Rep. Kelly Chambers (R-25) running for Pierce Co. Executive
- Rep. Mike Chapman (D-24) running for open Senate seat
- Rep. Jacqueline Maycumber (R-7) running for 5th Congressional
- Rep. Bill Ramos (D-5) running for open Senate seat
- Rep. Marcus Riccelli (D-3) running for open Senate seat
- Rep. JT Wilcox (R-2) retiring
- Rep. Paul Harris (R-17) running for open Senate Seat
- Rep. Joel Kretz (R-7) retiring
- Rep. Spencer Hutchins (R-26) retiring
Additionally, a number of members are seeking other offices, but will return to the Legislature should they lose in November. These members include:
- Senator Manka Dhingra (D-45) running for Attorney General
- Senator Patty Kuderer (D-48) running for Insurance Commissioner
- Senator Drew MacEwan (R-35) running for 6th Congressional
- Senator Emily Randall (D-26) running for 6th Congressional
- Senator Rebecca Saldaña (D-37) running for Commissioner of Public Lands
Governor Actions
Bills that have passed are now in the queue to be signed by Governor Inslee if they have not been signed already. Prior to the Sine Die adjournment, both the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor (President of the Senate) sign bills that have passed each chamber, and then they are delivered to the governor. Bills that are delivered to the governor more than five days before the Legislature adjourns have five days to be acted on. Bills that are delivered fewer than five days before the Legislature adjourns have 20 days to be acted on by the governor. Both are counted as calendar days, not business days. Sundays are not counted, but Saturdays and state holidays are counted.
Since this is the second year of the biennium, any bills that did not pass are truly dead and those concepts will require that brand new bills be dropped next year should lawmakers want to try again. Please find a link here to the bills passed this year.
2023-25 Supplemental BUDGETS
This Link provides direct access to the Conference Committee reports for the Supplemental Operating, Capital and Transportation bills. This page is useful because it includes more than the physical budget bill such as agency details, project lists and other relative documents.
SB 5950- Operating Budget: The supplemental operating budget adds about $3 billion in total funding to address maintenance level increases, including Medicaid, food assistance, and K-12 enrollment caseloads, as well as the mandatory Trueblood case investments. Approximately $4.1 billion in total reserves remain in the two-year budget, or about 11.8%.
SB 5949- Capital Budget: $1.3 billion budget funds construction projects and infrastructure across Washington and makes major investments in school construction, behavioral health facilities, and affordable housing construction.
HB 2134- Transportation Budget: $14.6 billion plan which prioritizes public safety, preservation and maintenance of existing infrastructure and investments in the ferry system.
In the coming days, I’ll be following up with more specific budget information for your 2024 legislative reference.
Brynn Brady Ceiba Consulting, Inc. | 253.686.3387 | ceibaconsulting.com