
May 22, 2023
*The Legislative Bulletin* will resume a monthly publication during the interim.**	One click to view all Legislative Bulletin headlines and articles.
City outcomes for the 2023 Legislative Session The legislative session adjourned April 23 after an intense 105 days of work. There’s a lot to celebrate and a few disappointments. Overall, it was a successful, if occasionally challenging, session for cities. Read about the Legislature’s action on each of our legislative priorities and other city issues, both pros and cons. Blake fix bill passes Legislature during one-day special session On Tuesday, May 16, the Legislature convened for the first special session in six years. The purpose of the session was to reach agreement on the so-called “Blake fix” to permanently address the criminality of drug possession and use in Washington in the wake of the state Supreme Court’s 2021 State v. Blake decision. The bill passed with bipartisan support and was signed by the Governor. Read what made it into the final bill. Share your ideas for 2024 We are already looking ahead to the 2024 Legislative Session. Please complete this survey by May 30 to submit issues for the AWC Legislative Priorities Committee to consider for potential inclusion in AWC’s 2024 legislative agenda. More Watch our 2023 Legislative Session recap webinar If you missed it last week, the AWC Advocacy team delivered an informative recap of city-related legislative issues. Watch now to catch up on key outcomes of the 2023 session, learn how city priorities fared during session, and discover how you can make the most impact during the legislative interim to prepare for 2024. Watch here.	Recapping the 2023 session Nearly a month has passed since the 2023 session adjourned sine die (Latin for “without day”) and the deadline for the Governor to sign or veto bills has come and gone. The session can be a little overwhelming – this year 2,162 bills were introduced (AWC tracked about 500 of those) and 475 made it to the Governor’s desk. Now that the session dust has settled, we invite you to read this session recap edition of our Legislative Bulletin to learn about some of the most significant developments impacting cities. We were pleased to see significant action on our priorities and in the state’s budgets, including the long-sought return of full funding to the Public Works Assistance Account. These successes wouldn’t have occurred without the strong engagement of all of you, our members. Your communications with legislators and engagement with the legislative process were instrumental in making the city voice heard and in impacting the decisions made throughout session. Thank you all for your efforts, engagement, and continued support of the AWC Government Relations team. Finally, a huge thank you and kudos to our amazing Government Relations team of lobbyists and analysts and others who work so hard to represent all 281 cities and towns. They do amazing work during session and year-round. We are also grateful for the support of the entire AWC organization – we couldn’t do this without them. Happy reading, Candice Bock Government Relations Director Affordable housing The year of housing – at least 20 new laws were the result of this intense housing-focused session. More Broadband & telecommunications State support for broadband comes through as Washington prepares to receive millions in federal dollars. More Budget & finance Big year for the number of tax bills introduced, but not much to show in the end. More Cannabis Cannabis social equity program moves forward again in 2023; other cannabis-related bills do not pass. More Energy Accessibility prioritized in this year’s utility and energy legislation. More Environment & natural resources Environmental issues peaked early in session, with recycling and climate resiliency the focus. More General government General government bills were far-ranging in topic and outcome, from advisory votes to adult entertainment. More Legislators take notice of small cities’ challenges and increase contract limits in two critical areas. More Homelessness Legislation specific to homelessness was light in contrast to years past. More HR & labor relations A busy session for HR & labor relations bills as workers’ compensation, records-sharing, paid family & medical leave, ergonomics, and other issues are addressed. More Human services Behavioral health was a significant priority for the 2023 Legislative Session. More Land use & planning Non-housing related land use and planning bills were quietly productive. More Open government Open government bills were debated in 2023 with little action taken. More Pensions Exciting changes to lower pension costs for local governments among the bills to make the final cut. More Public safety & criminal justice A busy session for public safety legislation, clarifying police pursuit restrictions, adopting a “Blake fix” addressing drug possession, banning assault weapons, and more. More Public works & infrastructure Infrastructure funding, equity, and standardization key outcomes for public works in 2023. More Transportation Traffic safety, project delivery, and collaborative partnerships take center stage in transportation arena this session. More
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