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Contribute To WLA's PAC

Protecting our landlords from bad legislation is the driving force behind PAC. As a member of WLA, we are asking you to double-down on the security of your rental housing investment by making a contribution to the WLA PAC. Our PAC is funded by voluntary contributions. Our success is determined by your generosity.

An influx of bad legislation was enacted against landlords in the past year – “First in Time,” Move-in Fee Caps, Source of Income. WLA has been fighting for your rights as a landlord, and for real solutions to the real housing issues our State faces. Our government advocacy team’s efforts, however, are most successful when we have the right candidates in office. In 2016 Your Support Enabled WLA PAC to:

Support 36 candidates for office, 30 of whom won.
Maintain a split legislature, ensuring legislative compromise and preserving the rent control ban.
Build and expand relationships with leadership in both caucuses in the State Legislature.
Create a new “Rental Housing Caucus” in the House of Representatives

The stakes are high in this Fall’s elections. Our State Legislature, currently split, could turn to one-party rule. Regardless of your political stripes, such an outcome would be disastrous for landlords as it would swing the door wide open to overturning the State’s ban on rent control. We need to keep that split – look no further than Oregon where a partisan legislature has taken steps to overturn its rent control ban.

Local races are also critical as we look for friends who will stop the spread of Seattle’s anti-landlord agenda. Source of Income has spread from to outlying suburbs, removing landlords’ ability to exercise fair judgment to determine if an applicant has adequate income. Restriction on what you charge for a security deposit and forcing you to rent to the first applicant, could be next.

Our cause as an organization is being challenged by a strong current of anti-landlord rhetoric. WLA’s PAC is our best opportunity to change this climate by educating and electing candidates who understand what it means to be a landlord, and appreciate the services we provide for our community.

Please help us support our cause with a contribution to PAC! To make a donation, please use the form below or contact the WLA Everett Office at 425-353-6929.

WLA PAC

Washington State Republican Lawmakers Release Plan To Re-Open Businesses

Hello WLA Members:

Just as a general update, Washington’s Republican state lawmakers have released a plan designed to re-open businesses because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Representative Larry Hoff (R-18) said, “We are looking at three big challenges. There’s the health challenge, the emotional challenge, and the economic challenge. The governor is overlooking two of those challenges, and he needs to start listening to the people. It’s time we do something that is a positive for the state.”

The article states the Republican lawmakers proposes three sets of actions to enable the safe restart of Washington’s economy and promote its continued recovery over the long term.

The Republican lawmakers recommended the following actions should be taken immediately:

Convene a restart task force comprising legislative leaders, relevant executive-branch directors and representatives of the business and organized-labor communities. This group will chart a course toward allowing all Washington businesses to reopen, on a phased or limited basis as necessary, with COVID-19 protections for workers and customers in place.
Disclose the metrics that must be met before the business-closure order can be lifted or amended.
Deliver the massive testing capabilities promised by state health officials ahead of the business-closure order and direct the appropriate state agencies to acquire antibody tests and work with employers to screen workers.

Convene a restart task force comprising legislative leaders, relevant executive-branch directors and representatives of the business and organized-labor communities. This group will chart a course toward allowing all Washington businesses to reopen, on a phased or limited basis as necessary, with COVID-19 protections for workers and customers in place.
Disclose the metrics that must be met before the business-closure order can be lifted or amended.
Deliver the massive testing capabilities promised by state health officials ahead of the business-closure order and direct the appropriate state agencies to acquire antibody tests and work with employers to screen workers.

The Republican lawmakers recommended the following actions be taken within 6-12 months of the lifting of the business-closure order:

Protecting our landlords from bad legislation is the driving force behind PAC. As a member of WLA, we are asking you to double-down on the security of your rental housing investment by making a contribution to the WLA PAC. Our PAC is funded by voluntary contributions. Our success is determined by your generosity.

An influx of bad legislation was enacted against landlords in the past year – “First in Time,” Move-in Fee Caps, Source of Income. WLA has been fighting for your rights as a landlord, and for real solutions to the real housing issues our State faces. Our government advocacy team’s efforts, however, are most successful when we have the right candidates in office. In 2016 Your Support Enabled WLA PAC to:

Support 36 candidates for office, 30 of whom won.
Maintain a split legislature, ensuring legislative compromise and preserving the rent control ban.
Build and expand relationships with leadership in both caucuses in the State Legislature.
Create a new “Rental Housing Caucus” in the House of Representatives

Jurisdiction Outlook

The Democratic Party controls the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Governor’s Office in Washington. Regular sessions are limited to 105 days during odd-numbered years and 60 days during even-numbered years. Bills left pending at the end of a session in an odd-numbered year may be carried over to the next legislative session. The next scheduled session is to start on Monday, January 11, 2021.

The Governor and the Legislature can call for a special session, which may last up to 30 days and during which any bill can be considered. There are discussions of calling a special session due to the coronavirus pandemic. A date has not been announced as of yet.

Upon introduction, a bill may be referred to a committee, though committees are not required to hear every bill referred to them.

There are three types of committee meetings: work sessions, public hearings, and executive sessions. Committees discuss bills during work sessions, receive public testimony during public hearings, and typically vote on a measure during an executive session. A measure may have a work session, public hearing, and executive session during the same meeting.

If passed, a bill is referred to the Rules committee, which then determines if the bill is placed on the calendar. After certain cut-off dates, the Senate Rules Committee may place bills no longer eligible for consideration in the “X” File. Measures on the X-File usually remain in the X-File until the end of the biennium.

Amendments can be made in committee or on the floor, but they must be germane to the original bill.

Budget bills functionally are exempt from this rule, however, due to the broad nature of the bills. When all amendments have been considered and debate is over, the bill is engrossed and moves to third reading, at which point they cannot be amended.

If there are differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill, a conference committee is appointed to resolve differences. If a report is passed by the committee, it goes back to the House and Senate for final approval. After the report passes both chambers, the final bill is sent to the Governor for action.

Thanks,

Chester Baldwin, Attorney at Law
Public Affairs Consulting, LLC
chet@lobbywa.com
Cell: (360) 688-4588
Fax: (360) 841-7062

PAC