Legislative Commentary

The Senate Ways and Means Committee met earlier this week for the first time during this special session, which has reached day 19 of the 30 days allowed by the state constitution.

We took action on a handful of bills that are wrapped into the state operating-budget debate: one that would strengthen the state’s driving-under-the-influence law, another having to do with Washington’s estate tax and two more that basically reiterate our Senate bipartisan coalition’s position on support for higher education. Information on some of those is below.

Last Wednesday’s passing of our friend and colleagu...