The 2018 Session in Review When the 2018 legislative session started on Jan. 8, the Washington Hospitality Association State Government Affairs Team was ready for the quick 60-day session. Short sessions are typically categorized as a sprint, not a marathon, and that was the case this year. In fewer than 60 days, legislators in the House and Senate introduced more than 2,300 bills, which may be a new record for the most bills introduced in a short legislative session. With a slim new Senate Democratic majority and a two-vote Democratic majority in the House, the pressure was on Democratic lawmakers to pass the policy bills that failed to move forward when Senate Republicans were in control of the Senate. Among a host of other bills, the Legislature passed bills to help advance democracy in Washington state, including passage of the Washington Voting Rights Act. The Legislature also passed legislation to resolve a rural water rights issue known as the “Hirst decision,” passed the longdelayed 2017 capital budget which invests in K-12 school construction and provides thousands of infrastructure jobs in communities across the state. The Legislature also adopted legislation to addressed issues like juvenile justice reform, net neutrality, “Breakfast After the Bell” for hungry K-12 students, gun violence reduction, higher education, health care, the environment and affordable housing. Although it does not directly impact our industry, the State Government Affairs Team believes that a summary of the session would not be complete without a discussion of how the Legislature acted to exempt itself from public disclosure. Within a span of 48 hours, a bill to exempt the Legislature from the Washington Public Records Act was introduced, passed by both chambers of the Legislature and delivered to the governor’s desk. This bill did not have any public hearings or include any opportunity for debate. The media and Washingtonians across the state rejected this process and flooded the governor’s office with nearly 20,000 phone calls and emails urging the governor to veto 14 │ wahospitality.org
this piece of legislation. In an unprecedented move, 12 of the state’s newspapers ran front page editorials decrying the situation. Gov. Jay Inslee vetoed the bill, which can be viewed as a win for the democratic process. Understanding the new political landscape with Democratic majorities in each chamber, the Washington Hospitality Association took a solutions-oriented approach to the session. This approach included working with the sponsors of bills, our members and key stakeholders to improve and revise proposed legislation. The hospitality industry is one of opportunity and it is important to ensure small businesses, their employees and communities thrive.
# WINS The 2018 legislative session included many wins for the hospitality industry. These wins represent the culmination of years of hard work and perseverance, a commitment to excellence and advancement of the hospitality industry. A statewide tourism marketing program (Second Engrossed Fourth Substitute Senate Bill 5251) After years of hard work and persistence, Washington state will no longer have the unfortunate distinction of being the only state in the country without a statewide marketing program. Second Engrossed Fourth Substitute Senate Bill 5251 passed unanimously in the House and Senate and was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee, creating a statewide tourism marketing program. This bill is critical to the hospitality industry and was the number one legislative priority of the Washington Hospitality Association this session. The marketing program redirects $0.02 from the existing sales tax collected on restaurants, hotels and rental cars to the new statewide tourism marketing authority. The state will contribute up to $3 million per biennium. With a twoto-one industry led and supported match, the marketing program will have up to $9 million to help attract out-ofstate tourists to Washington state.