HB2475 — Staff says the fiscal note has been requested but is not yet available.
HB2475 — Motion made to report the bill out with a due pass recommendation.
HB2475 — Discussion paused to review the amendment before voting on the bill.
Sharlett Mena — Referenced as the sponsor of amendment 314 to House Bill 2475.
Sharlett Mena — Sponsored amendment Omley 288, described as a technical cleanup.
Sharlett Mena — Sponsored amendment Omley 288, a technical cleanup.
Sharlett Mena — Addressed as Chair.
Sharlett Mena — Voted aye on House Bill 2572.
HB2206 — House Bill 2206, which relates to uniformed and overseas voting, is introduced and its amendments are briefly walked through in sequence, including Omley 294, Omni 297, and Omley 288. The discussion concludes that all amendments for the bill have been covered, and a fiscal note in the EBB is noted.
HB2206 — Motion made to report the bill out of committee with a due pass recommendation.
Jim Walsh — Sponsored amendment Omley 294 to House Bill 2206.
Jim Walsh — Offered amendment Omley 296 requiring annual confirmation of covered-voter qualifications.
Jim Walsh — Offered striking amendment H3418.1 to House Bill 2661.
Jim Walsh — Offered striking amendment H3418.1 to House Bill 2661.
Jim Walsh — Recorded as voting nay without recommendation.
Jim Walsh — Recorded as voting nay without recommendation.
Jim Walsh — Supported Amendment Omley 314 and said it improves the underlying bill.
Jim Walsh — Argued the bill is overly narrow and said he would vote no.
Jim Walsh — Said the bill does not adequately address language accessibility issues, including tribal language access.
Jim Walsh — Recorded as voting nay, do not pass.
Jim Walsh — Asked to move the first amendment.
Jim Walsh — Moved Amendment Omelie 294 and explained that it is intended to address the nexus requirement for overseas voters.
Jim Walsh — Argued the amendment would clarify that an overseas voter should have lived in Washington at some point.
Jim Walsh — Explained his concern that the underlying bill could allow people with only a loose connection to Washington to vote, and said the amendment would require a stronger nexus to the state.
Jim Walsh — Opposed the amendment, arguing the underlying bill is consistent with the Uniformed Military Overseas Voters Act and should preserve overseas voting rights.
Jim Walsh — The transcript says 'Ranking Member Waters' again in discussion of the technical amendment; identity remains uncertain in the transcript.
Jim Walsh — Opposed the bill, citing concerns about nexus to Washington and the effect of broadening UOCAVA beyond military personnel.
Jim Walsh — Continued his opposition, warning that broader use of UOCAVA could dilute effectiveness and create security or abuse concerns.
Jim Walsh — Representative Jim Walsh said he supports the bill’s goal of increasing tribal participation in elections, but expressed concern about the electronic portal and related security risks. He then voted nay, without recommendation, on House Bill 2572.
Kevin Waters — Representative Waters presented a sequence of amendments to House Bill 2206. He first offered Omley 297, which clarified the definition of an overseas voter by specifying that the voter must be residing outside the United States rather than merely physically outside it. He then offered Omley 298, which removed provisions authorizing a court to issue an injunction or grant equitable relief.
Kevin Waters — Addressed as 'Madam Waters' in the transcript, likely a transcription error for Representative Waters.
Kevin Waters — Recorded as voting aye.
Kevin Waters — Recorded as voting aye.
Kevin Waters — Recorded as voting nay, do not pass.
Kevin Waters — Recorded as voting nay, without recommendation.
Kevin Waters — Discussed the amendment and said the bill is a good conversation starter.
Kevin Waters — Supported the amendment and said it could make the bill stronger.
Kevin Waters — Opened discussion on the motion to report Substitute House Bill 2661.
Kevin Waters — Spoke about PRAS, citing his experience as a port commissioner and the difficulty of public records retention work.
Kevin Waters — Supported the bill, arguing the system is broken, it is an unfunded mandate, and the state should acknowledge the burden on some folks.
Kevin Waters — Voted nay, without recommendation, on House Bill 2572.
Rob Chase — Representative Chase offered Amendment Omley 295 to House Bill 2206, which would require a covered voter registering to vote to provide both their overseas address where they are currently physically residing and the Washington address where they last physically resided.
Rob Chase — Rob Chase moved Amendment Omelie 295, proposing that overseas voters be required to provide both their overseas address and their last Washington physical address. The discussion then continued on the same issue, with reference to a similar earlier Walsh amendment and an argument against imposing an additional residential address requirement on overseas voters.
Rob Chase — Voted nay, without recommendation, on House Bill 2572.
HB2447 — Designates the Bluntnose sixgill shark as the state shark of Washington.
HB2447 — House Bill 2447 was moved out of committee with a due pass recommendation and then reported out of committee unanimously with that recommendation.
HB2661 — Relates to a public records task force and Public Records Act modernization; one striking amendment.
HB2661 — Motion made to report the bill out of committee with a due pass recommendation, followed by clarification that the relevant action is a striking amendment.
HB2572 — House Bill 2572 is introduced as the last bill on the list and identified as relating to voting services for tribal members, overseas voters, service voters, and voters with disabilities. It is also noted that there are no amendments in the EBB for the bill.
HB2572 — House Bill 2572 is moved out of committee with a due pass recommendation. The discussion briefly highlights that the bill is intended to improve election participation on tribal reservations, including through an electronic ballot portal, and it is then reported out of committee by a 4-3 vote.