Legislators cram into new chambers after earthquake

LAUREN WALSH, THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Mar. 11

OLYMPIA -- Legislators returned to work last week following the Feb. 28 earthquake that gave the Legislature an unexpected 21/2-day holiday.

Structural engineers still were investigating damage to the Legislative Building, leaving the House and Senate to set up shop in hurriedly transformed committee rooms in staff buildings directly across from the Capitol.

The House was particularly cramped with 98 members squished into a room that fits half that comfortably. The Senate fared a little better, but was by no means in spacious surroundings.

Both the House and the Senate did begin to pass bills out of each chamber, however, holding floor sessions that lasted well into the night.

The Senate passed more bills out this week than the House, in part because there is a majority in the Senate, which the House lacks. Also, the House spent Monday cleaning up damage and debris from the Feb. 28 quake, while the Senate began meeting immediately to continue the session.

Here are some of the bills that the Senate and House passed out of committee this week:

-Nonpartisan sheriffs. The Senate passed Senate Bill 5141, which would make the office of sheriff nonpartisan. Currently, applicants must declare allegiance to a political party to run. The bill now goes before the House for consideration.

-Unemployment insurance. The Senate passed Senate Bill 5189, which would give unemployment insurance to victims of domestic violence if they have to leave their jobs to escape an abuser. Currently, because the victims elect to leave the jobs, they are ineligible for benefits. The bill will now go before the House for consideration.

-Sex offenders. The Senate passed Senate Bill 5013, which would make it easier to sentence persistent sex offenders under the state's two-strikes law. The bill would allow judges to consider crimes committed by felons in other states as a strike if the crime is similar to one considered eligible for a strike in Washington. The bill now heads to the House.

-Bullying bill. The Senate approved a bill that defines bullying and would work to curb it in schools. Advocates say bullying can cause youth violence, and they cite the recent rash of school shootings as examples. Opponents of the bill say it is pointless and that bullying is part of growing up. The bill will now go before the House for consideration.

-Transportation. The first bill based on recommendations from the blue-ribbon Commission on Transportation was passed out of the House. House Bill 1680 would streamline the process for design-build projects, those in which one company is hired to oversee all aspects of a project. The advantage is that the cost is often less and the work can proceed more quickly.

But opponents said the bill would hurt small contractors. Advocates contend small contractors already are out of the running for the types of projects to which the bill would apply and say the bill would save the state money. The bill will now go before the Senate for consideration.

The Olympian Copyright 2000

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