Tag Archives: legislature

From the Capital Press Washington regulators are proposing farms alter schedules or hand out masks to filter wildfire smoke even if the air quality remains at a level the Environment Protection Agency calls “acceptable.” The rule could be in place by the end of June and would be triggered when the federal Air Quality Index reaches 69, on a scale ... Read More »

From the Seattle Times What do real estate agents, salespeople, vessel crews and farmers all have in common? Their work hours are often long and unpredictable, and until recently, Washington law included an overtime exemption recognizing those unique circumstances. During the recently completed legislative session, only agriculture’s exemption was targeted and removed. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist On Sunday night, the final gavel came down, and the 2021 Legislative Session adjourned Sine Die. It was a session unlike any other, held almost entirely remotely and with the campus closed to the public due to the pandemic. While people could testify remotely, oftentimes, people were not able to testify because of the high ... Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist There is only one week remaining in the 2021 Legislative Session. During the final week, the Legislature will continue to focus on reconciling differences between each chamber’s budget proposals, bills that are Necessary to Implement the Budget, and bills on the Concurrence Calendar. Budget negotiators worked over the weekend to finalize their operating, capital and ... Read More »

There’s no question that the various carbon bills being debated by the Washington State Legislature will raise the price of fuel in Washington. The question is how much will the cost of fuel go up? Affordable Fuel Washington has released a graphic that estimates if a cap-and-trade system, a state tax increase and low carbon fuel standard are passed, fuel ... Read More »

Andy Juris, secretary/treasurer of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, testified today in a meeting of the House Environment & Energy Committee on E2SSB 5126, the Climate Commitment Act. Here is his full testimony. Good morning Chair Fitzgibbon and members of the Committee: For the record, my name is Andy Juris.  I am a fourth-generation farmer from Bickleton, Wash.  On ... Read More »

From the Capital Press The overtime bill that’s likely headed to Gov. Jay Inslee will protect farms from back-pay lawsuits and give farm groups more time to convince the Legislature that time-and-a-half pay after 40 hours will harm farmworkers more than it helps them. The bill, Senate Bill 5172, phases in overtime pay for farmworkers. The threshold will be 40 hours ... Read More »

Most of the wheat growers’ advocacy trips to Olympia and Washington, D.C., are a whirlwind of activity, hurrying from one appointment to another to fit in as many meetings as possible in just a couple of days. This year’s efforts involved a whole lot less walking but just as much advocacy. Since early March, the leaders and staff of the Washington ... Read More »

From the Capital Press Washington farm groups are now opposing a Senate bill granting farmworkers time-and-a-half pay after 40 hours in a week, unless the House lifts the threshold to 50 hours for 12 weeks a year. Read the full story here. Read More »

By Diana Carlen WAWG Lobbyist Saturday marked the 76th day of the 2021 Legislative Session. March 26 was the opposite house policy cutoff, meaning that all bills must have passed out of the opposite chamber’s policy committees to remain alive, unless they are considered Necessary to Implement the Budget. The next legislative deadline is fast approaching on April 2, when ... Read More »