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Walsh Bill Compares Restricted Lawmaker Access to Legislature Facilities to Racial Segregation in Schools; Abbarno Proposes Employer Tax Incentives for Veterans

The Chronicle - 12/28/2021

Dec. 27—Lawmakers in the 19th and 20th legislative districts are still busy filing legislation to be considered in the upcoming 2022 short legislative session, which is due to convene Jan. 10.

The following are pre-filed bills from local lawmakers that were submitted the last couple weeks.

Rep. Peter Abbarno Introduces Tax Credit Legislation For Employers Who Hire Veterans

Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia, filed legislation last week that would expand tax relief incentives to employers who hire veterans, spouses of veterans and active-duty military personnel, after employing them full-time for at least two years.

House Bill 1677 would increase an existing $1,500 business and occupation tax credit up to $3,000 for those hired full-time on or after July 1 of next year, and would also expand an associated tax credit to veterans spouses or spouses of an active-duty military member.

About 10% of the Lewis County population is active military or a veteran, according to a news release from Abbarno's office.

"Military members, veterans and their families have given so much to our community and have sacrificed for our freedoms. This bill is a way to create work opportunities, provide financial stability and give back to them," Abbarno said in a statement. "At the same time, it will help out businesses that are having trouble keeping up with demand for supplies and services. It's really the perfect match — providing jobs for veterans and military spouses, and reducing the workforce shortage is a win-win for our communities."

The legislation has so far received the support of five other Republican representatives.

Rep. Walsh Introduces Bill Reforming Legislative Operating Procedures, Access to Facilities Regardless of Vaccination Status

Reps. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, and Robert Sutherland, R-Granite Falls, filed two bills on Thursday of last week that would "reform the means by which the Legislature establishes operating procedures" and a bill that would allow all legislators to have access to Capitol Campus buildings regardless of vaccination status.

This comes after Walsh decried a rule that effectively barred about two dozen lawmakers from entering their capitol offices last October after Gov. Jay Inslee's COVID-19 vaccine mandate went into effect. The lawmakers hadn't submitted documentation showing they were vaccinated against the viral disease, which has killed more than 9,700 Washingtonians in the last two years.

In Walsh and Sutherland's bill reforming operating procedures, House Bill 1695, the lawmakers compared limiting some legislator's limited Capitol Building access to that of "segregation" that violated the "spirit and letter" of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision, which found racial segregation to be unconstitutional.

The lawmakers argue that "segregating" lawmakers from physically accessing the government buildings creates a "constitutional inequality" that impairs representation for millions of state residents, thus violating the Brown decision, which states "clearly that separate is not equal." Their bills would also create more transparency and accountability in how the Legislature develops its rules to conduct business.

"Our state is suffering a constitutional crisis," Walsh said in a statement.

"The state government has done things that violate the letter and spirit of both the federal and state constitutions. While the biggest of these mistakes have been made by another branch of government, we in the Legislature need to improve and strengthen how we do business."

Another section of the bill states that "no operating rule of the House of Representatives or Senate can segregate, discriminate against, or offer privileged status to legislators on the basis of medical status, including vaccination or antibody status."

Rep. McEntire Tackles Fireworks Legislation

Reps. Joel McEntire, R-Cathlamet, and Joe Fitzgibbon, D-West Seattle, back on Dec. 13 pre-filed legislation concerning the fireworks prohibitions adopted by cities or counties.

Cities and counties are currently allowed under Washington state law to pass restrictions on the sale and discharge of fireworks, though most of those go into effect no sooner than a year after they're adopted.

House Bill 1638, introduced by the two lawmakers, would allow those municipalities to enact a prohibition on consumer fireworks to take place, under certain circumstances, 90 days after adoption.

"A city or county may, after consultation with a local fire marshal or other fire official, immediately prohibit the use of some types of or all consumer fireworks when the environmental conditions make the risk of fireworks causing an uncontrolled fire high and other temporary prohibitions on fire, burning, or use of combustibles are in effect," a new passage in the law reads.

Washington state in recent years has experienced worsening wildfire seasons that have burned millions of acres of land.

Municipalities all across the state have considered partial or full bans on fireworks to help reduce the likelihood of life-threatening brush fires and wildfires.

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