Transcript Highlights:

• We hope that the impact of these proposals on local taxpayers will be weighed as negotiations surrounding
• We hope that the impact of these proposals on local taxpayers will be weighed as negotiations surrounding
• will be proposals on local taxpayers will be weighed<00:24:14.760><c> as</c><00:24:15.000><c> negotiations
• </c><00:24:15.840><c> surrounding</c><00:24:16.360><c> the</c> weighed as negotiations surrounding the
• weighed as negotiations surrounding the final<00:24:16.880><c> budget</c><00:24:17.320><c> continue<

Transcript Highlights:

• But right now, I can't even go talk to a chain because I don't have distribution to negotiate that deal
• But right now, I can't even go talk to a chain because I don't have distribution to negotiate that deal
• And so we negotiated... ...at the time weren't ready to pick it up to cover the whole footprint.
• And so we negotiated, you know, a termination to the agreement.
• because there were issues with public safety and all that, and then the three-tier system was kind of negotiated

Summary: The committee met to hear an overview of Florida’s alcoholic beverage regulatory structure and a panel discussion on the state’s three-tier system. Emily Oglesby of DBPR explained the department’s licensing and enforcement roles, described common license types, and outlined the three tiers—manufacturers, distributors, and retailers—along with tied-house restrictions and several statutory exceptions for certified Florida farm wineries, breweries with tap rooms, brew pubs, and craft distilleries. Members asked about licensing fees, the number and classification of distributors and craft producers, and how the exceptions fit within the broader system. Panelists from craft breweries, craft distilleries, wholesalers, and retailers then discussed how the system affects market access, pricing, and product selection. Craft producers argued that Florida’s rules make it difficult for small brands to reach retailers because they must rely on distributors that often prioritize larger, higher-volume products; they said limited self-distribution or other reforms could help small businesses grow without eliminating wholesalers. Wholesalers and retailers defended the three-tier model as a public-safety and anti-monopoly framework, emphasizing investment in warehousing, sales, compliance, and product vetting, while noting that they already carry some craft products and make selections based on demand, quality, and shelf space. Members also explored related issues such as direct-to-consumer sales, the role of excise-tax audits and inspections, and the emerging market for hemp-derived THC beverages and other alternative drinks. DBPR and industry witnesses said alcohol and hemp products are regulated differently, and several speakers urged the Legislature to consider clearer rules for these products. The meeting ended with no bill vote or formal action; the chair thanked the panel and adjourned after Representative Yeager moved to rise, with no objection.

Transcript Highlights:

• established by the... ...benchmarks to be established by the board, and then for insurers and hospitals to negotiate
• So if the benchmark is set at 300% of Medicare, insurers and hospitals can negotiate for prices below
• Can negotiate for prices below that. The House made some minor changes.
• That's where the Green Mountain Care Board doesn't negotiate with provider groups, and we had in our

Transcript Highlights:

• We know that there will be a bipartisan negotiated budget, and we know that that should happen in a timely
• I oppose this motion to adjourn because I think we should keep working, keep negotiating, and get the
• reason we're doing this motion is because six weeks ago, the governor walked away from budget negotiations
• Unfortunately, she walked away from negotiations over six weeks ago.

Transcript Highlights:

• he was the business representative for the Association of Business, and he was instrumental in negotiating
• He was instrumental in negotiating on behalf of business the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act.
• represented the AWB for many years, and I fondly remember that he led the business community and the negotiation
• And, but, you know, I fondly remember that he led the business community in the negotiation on the Paid

Bills: SB6061 , SB6234 , SB6176 , SB6335 , SB6047 , HB2235 , HB2464 , HB2619 , HB1376 , SB5808 , SB5949 , HB1347 , HB1759 , HB1983 , HB2120 , HB2264 , HB2338 , HB2385 , HB2495 , HB2521 , HB2604 , HB2610 , HB2675 , HB2426 , SB6061 , SB6234 , SB6176 , SB6335 , SB6047 , HB2235 , HB2464 , HB2619 , HB1376 , HB1796 , HB2091 , HB2249 , HB2353 , HB2431 , SB5808 , SB5949 , HB2124 , HB2104 , HB2624 , HB2510 , HB1347 , HB1759 , HB1983 , HB2120 , HB2264 , HB2338 , HB2385 , HB2436 , HB2495 , HB2521 , HB2604 , HB2610 , HB2675

Keywords: tourism, self-supported assessment, funding, statewide promotion, economic development, sewage, grinder pumps, residential buildings, regulation, construction, vehicle registration, enforcement, renewal, transportation, state law, state commission, infrastructure, traffic safety, responsibilities, state capital projects

Transcript Highlights:

• I'm negotiable in that conversation. Valid points made by Representative Bromley.
• I think there's some negotiations on a different bill I've got, and however many we can get flying in
• The friends that we no longer get to call, the empty spaces at holidays, and the constant negotiation
• The empty spaces at holidays and the constant negotiation inside our own minds.

Committee: House Veterans and Armed Forces

Transcript Highlights:

• So we urge you to hold to this amount in your budget and the negotiations for the final budget.
• So we urge you to hold to this amount in your budget and the negotiations for the final budget.
• As a member of WASDA's board of directors, I participated in the negotiations with Rivian that resulted
• And to reiterate what Kurt was saying, as an automaker, we were not a part of any sort of negotiation

Bills: SB6225 , SB6005 , SB6354

Committee: Senate Transportation

Keywords: transportation bonds, general obligation bonds, Washington State Department of Transportation, WSDOT, highway funding, road construction, infrastructure financing, motor fuel tax, gas tax, vehicle fees, bond authorization, state finance committee, highway bond retirement fund, corridor projects, interstate improvements, right-of-way acquisition, public-private partnerships, transportation capital projects, local matching funds, emergency clause

Transcript Highlights:

• So we urge you to hold to this amount in your budget and the negotiations for the final budget.
• cuts are a little bit too deep, and so we would appreciate you maintaining the Senate position in negotiations
• As a member of WASDA's board of directors, I participated in the negotiations with Rivian that resulted
• And to reiterate what Kurt was saying, as an automaker, we were not a part of any sort of negotiation

Summary: The Senate Transportation Committee held public hearings on three bills: SB 6225, a proposed substitute bond bill authorizing transportation funding bonds; SB 6005, the proposed substitute supplemental transportation budget; and SB 6354, a bill to expand access to electric vehicles through limited direct sales by qualifying EV-only manufacturers and changes to the documentary service fee. Staff explained that SB 6225 would authorize $1.1 billion in general obligation bonds, an additional $400 million for selected Move Ahead Washington highway projects, a $500 million increase in SR 520 bond authority, and the expiration of some older unused bond authorizations. For SB 6005, staff described a $17.5 billion supplemental budget with $1.5 billion in new funding, including reappropriations, preservation and maintenance spending, ferry investments, Climate Commitment Act-related adjustments, and a six-year balanced plan through 2031. For SB 6354, staff outlined the direct-sales framework for qualifying EV manufacturers, dealer licensing requirements, penalties for violations, and a fee increase that would direct revenue to EV rebates and multimodal transportation. Testimony on the budget and bond bills was broadly supportive from transit, local government, labor, construction, ports, and climate advocates, who praised preservation funding, ferry investments, safety programs, EV charging, rail electrification, and flood-response or local project funding. Several witnesses asked for specific project or account changes, including support for Skagit Transit, Day Road and Poplar Way bridge-related funding, Spokane TMC operating support, Kent corridor funding, and additional rail capital projects. Some speakers also urged more Climate Commitment Act funding for EV rebates, charging, and rail electrification, while others warned against deeper cuts to local programs and stressed the need for long-term preservation and bonding to stabilize the system. Testimony on SB 6354 was sharply divided. Rivian, Lucid, and several Washington auto dealers supported the bill as a compromise that would allow limited direct sales for EV-only manufacturers while preserving franchise protections and generating revenue for EV rebates. Climate advocates supported the bill as a way to accelerate EV adoption and asked that more of the fee revenue go to instant rebates for low-income buyers. In opposition, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation and Honda argued the bill creates unequal rules, weakens the franchise system, and was not the product of a true compromise. The committee announced that SB 6225 and SB 6005 would be in executive session Thursday at 8 a.m., with amendments due by noon the prior day, while SB 6354 would be scheduled for executive action later.

Transcript Highlights:

• What I can tell you is that we negotiate our managed care contracts and our structure in three- or four-year
• then to the extent that there's growth, we roll that facility into something that's already been negotiated
• So traditional Medicare publishes their fee schedule for physicians and hospitals. ...you don't negotiate
• in June, there was a hearing over MU Health System and an issue that they had with Anthem and a negotiation

Committee: House Special Committee on Rural Issues

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, we'll reach out to your counties, see if you can get that negotiated with them, see if that's an
• Before I go to Senator Woods, I just want to explain that this whole sweep was part of our negotiation
• Before I go to Senator Woods, I just want to explain that this whole sweep was part of our negotiation
• It was a negotiating tool that we had. I appreciate that.

Bills: SB152 , SB145 , SB190 , HB247

Committee: Senate Senate Finance

Keywords: telecommunications, low-income assistance, lifeline, broadband, rural broadband, universal service fund, public regulation commission, PRC, 911 surcharge, telecommunications relay service, VoIP, mobile service, internet affordability, digital equity, digital inclusion, rural internet, broadband infrastructure, eligible telecommunications carrier, ETC, tribal consent

Transcript Highlights:

• I think you'd have to speak to the prime sponsor if you were negotiating the whole budget, right?
• And the time saved negotiating the different amounts each session could then instead be spent on deliberation
• As you heard, transportation, operating, and capital each session, and the time saved negotiating the
• Representative Schmidt, yeah, my question is, and I wasn't part of the negotiation of the 9,000 pounds

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several transportation-related bills. On Substitute House Bill 2251, staff explained changes to Climate Commitment Act accounts and revenue distribution, including new operating and capital accounts and a revised split of auction proceeds among transportation, capital, operating, and air quality accounts. Members asked about the bill’s effect on CERA funding, the air quality account, and whether the bill responded to projected revenue declines. Testimony was mixed but generally supportive of the bill’s goal of clearer, more predictable budgeting; tribal testimony requested clearer protections and a dedicated tribal set-aside, while other witnesses supported the bill for its transparency and climate/transportation benefits. No action was taken on the bill during the hearing. The committee then heard House Bill 2588, which would allow county ferry districts to operate and finance vehicle ferries, not just passenger-only ferries. The prime sponsor and county officials from Whatcom and Pierce described the bill as a local option to help fund aging ferry systems without raising taxes, and public testimony from island residents, county representatives, and advocacy groups strongly supported it as a way to stabilize essential ferry service. The committee also heard House Bill 2722, which would raise the vehicle weight threshold for Transportation Benefit District fees from 6,000 to 10,000 pounds. Staff said the change would modestly increase TBD revenue statewide, and the sponsor argued the current law unfairly exempts heavier trucks while lighter vehicles pay the fee. Cities and local officials supported the bill, while the trucking association said it would support a compromise at 9,000 pounds instead of 10,000. The committee also heard House Bill 2727, creating an Educational Transit Access Grant Program for transit agencies and community and technical colleges to pilot free or reduced fares for students; the sponsor and transit advocates said it would improve affordability and access, and testimony emphasized equity and student retention benefits. In executive session, the committee considered Second Substitute House Bill 1923, which would expand who can form passenger-only ferry service districts and where they can be formed, with added intent language related to southern resident orcas and a revised effective date. After discussion, the committee voted 23-4 to pass the bill out of committee with a do pass recommendation. The chair also announced a deadline extension for amendment requests on bills heard that day and thanked staff before adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• we going to challenge the State of Arizona under the Attorney General, or are we going to try to negotiate
• And so they decided to negotiate something that they could work with.
• decide whether to go ahead and challenge the State of Arizona under the Attorney General or try to negotiate
• So they decided to negotiate something they could work with.

Bills: HB2167 , HB2168 , HB2169 , HB2171 , HB2790 , HB2905 , HCM2005

Committees: House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs , House House Land, Agriculture & Rural Affairs Committee of Reference

Keywords: attorney general, nuisance action, consumer fraud, damages, civil penalty, public nuisance, nuisance abatement, abatement action, injunction, superior court, county attorney, city attorney, board of supervisors, obscenity, obscene materials, adult materials, pornography, schools, parks, residential district

Transcript Highlights:

• These changes are agreed upon by all the stakeholders that have been negotiating all interim.
• really long process of engagement with different stakeholders throughout interim, very delicate negotiations
• I appreciate you adopting the amendments that came out of further negotiations, and I think we're really
• until we actually had a recall effort started and he was faced with a recall that he was willing to negotiate

Summary: The House Local Government Committee heard public testimony on HB 2588, which would let county ferry districts exercise broader authority over ferries rather than being limited to passenger-only ferries. The sponsor and county officials from Whatcom, Pierce, and Skagit described rising operating and capital costs for county-run vehicle ferries and said the bill would give local governments a needed funding tool. Opponents argued it would create another tax burden and that county councils do not directly represent voters on such decisions. The hearing on HB 2588 was later reopened for additional testimony, but no vote was taken in the hearing portion. The committee also heard HB 2094, which would require non-charter counties to appoint coroners rather than elect them, unless they use appointed medical examiners. The sponsor said the bill was intended to address accountability and staffing problems, citing Yakima County as an example and arguing that coroner positions are technical and should be filled through hiring rather than partisan elections. Supporters said appointment would reduce ballot complexity and allow for professional management, while opponents, including elected coroners and the Washington Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners, argued that elected coroners provide independence, public accountability, and the ability to order inquests without political pressure. The public hearing on HB 2094 was closed without committee action during the hearing. In executive session, the committee advanced several bills. HB 2451 on local tax increment financing passed with three adopted amendments and a 7-0 vote. HB 2298 on county title protection programs also passed with one adopted amendment and a 7-0 vote. HB 2566 on local government procurement passed 7-0 without amendment. HB 2267 on urban forest management ordinances passed 4-3 after a substitute was adopted, with some members expressing concern about state guidance becoming too regulatory. HB 2530 on public facilities districts for regional aquatics and sports facilities passed 7-0 after removing the deadline for forming such districts, and HB 2388 on siting distributed energy generation on agricultural lands passed 7-0 after an amendment narrowing the bill’s scope. The committee then returned to public testimony on HB 2094 and HB 2588 before adjourning.

Transcript Highlights:

• Why not allow them to make that negotiation?
• Why not allow them to make that negotiation?
• Why not allow them to make that negotiation?
• but if an impact for the wages and the time that's required why not allow them to make that negotiation

Bills: HB2188 , HB2563 , HB1571 , HB2144 , HB2191 , HB2218 , HB2243 , HB2372

Committee: House Labor & Workplace Standards

Keywords: transparency, industrial insurance, insurance rate increases, financial disclosure, regulatory oversight, unemployment, electronic notices, compensation, digital communication, order processing, workers' compensation, occupational disease, firefighters, fire investigators, law enforcement officers, first responders, heart disease, cardiac conditions, respiratory disease, cancer presumption

Transcript Highlights:

• Um, I want to just put an exclamation point on what you just heard, and that was that we had negotiations
• was<00:04:08.959><c> that</c><00:04:09.519><c> we</c><00:04:09.840><c> had</c><00:04:10.760><c> negotiations
• </c><00:04:11.760><c> with</c><00:04:12.080><c> a</c> was that we had negotiations with a was that we
• had negotiations with a party<00:04:13.200><c> who</c><00:04:14.000><c> does</c><00:04:14.319><c> not

Transcript Highlights:

• supposed to be good people elected by their neighbors with differing opinions coming together to negotiate
• :43:30.319><c> coming</c><00:43:30.640><c> together</c><00:43:31.280><c> to</c><00:43:31.599><c> negotiate
• </c><00:43:32.079><c> in</c> opinions coming together to negotiate in opinions coming together to negotiate

Transcript Highlights:

• I also sat across the negotiating table from a broad spectrum of stakeholders for the better part of
• the last decade, negotiating over hundreds of hours on the provisions that ended up in House File 2310
• But now we are again asked to end the program—years of negotiation and compromise.
• We should take the tact of being non-partisan, non-technical, and non-negotiable.

Bills: HF2103 , HF2793

Committee: House Energy Finance and Policy

Transcript Highlights:

• responsibility for the security because after all, these are still our kids only give you an example of how negotiation
• might take place, but it would be a negotiated manner. >> You're recognized that.
• 5 year plan, I would have a use for that that building and maybe the uses that I use it as as a negotiating
• That is a matter for the local school district in negotiation with their unions, figure out for all those

Transcript Highlights:

• So now it seems like this is a negotiation point, which is unfair to these people that are suffering
• While the PTET is scheduled to end after tax year 2025, along with the federal SALT cap, negotiations
• proposal provides a five-year extension subject to a trigger depending on the outcome of those negotiations
• In terms of what the outcome of the federal negotiations would be, can't necessarily speculate on what

Transcript Highlights:

• impacts that a local government must prepare and submit to the State Treasurer, and establishes a negotiation
• mediator. ...must prepare and submit to the State Treasurer and establishes a negotiation, mediation

Summary: The Senate Local Government Committee held its final hearing of the session and took executive action on four bills. House Bill 2272 updates terminology related to ski areas and winter sports activities, including ski lift device inspection and liability insurance language. Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2418 revises local permit review processes for residential projects, including completeness determinations, deadlines for reviews by certain entities, fee refunds for missed deadlines, and requirements for a responsible official and single point of contact; a proposed striking amendment clarified referral procedures for special purpose and public utility districts and adjusted timelines from calendar to business days. The committee also considered Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 2451, which changes local tax increment financing rules by adding sunset and construction-start deadlines, modifying project analysis requirements, and creating a negotiation, mediation, and arbitration process with impacted taxing districts. Substitute House Bill 2140 exempts certain land transferred to a governmental entity from additional tax when the transfer supports development under current use classification and the land remains in current use or is used for supporting infrastructure. Fiscal notes were discussed for the bills, including notable local government costs for HB 2418. All four bills received do pass recommendations and were sent to the appropriate next committees: HB 2272 and SHB 2140 to Rules, E2SHB 2418 to Rules after adoption of the striking amendment, and E2SHB 2451 to Ways and Means. Votes were unanimous or near-unanimous, with one senator noting concerns about the cost and implementation burden of HB 2418 and voting without recommendation. The meeting then concluded with thanks to staff and a brief celebration before adjournment.