MacEwen wants to keep UW, WSU together

Matt Baide | Jan 26, 20230

Sen. Drew MacEwen and Rep. Dan Griffey and Travis Couture are in Olympia representing Mason County residents.

Here is what the three Mason County representatives have been working on so far:

MacEwen

MacEwen is the primary sponsor of 15 bills in the Senate, according to the Legislature’s website. Among the bills are Senate Bill 5206 in the Senate High Education and Workforce Development committee, which would keep the University of Washington and Washington State University in the same athletic conference. The bill, which had a first reading Jan. 9, would keep the two schools together in case one of them decided to change conferences.

“Further, the Legislature finds that this historic rivalry has existed since 1900 and contributed to a shared history between the two higher education institutions that cannot be replicated in separate athletic conferences,” the bill reads. “In cases such as the University of Texas and Texas A&M University, where historic in-state rivals have departed a shared athletic conference, the traditions surrounding that rivalry have fallen by the wayside. Further, the Legislature finds that it is in the best interest of the student athletes that the opportunity to play in-state rivals remains a feature across the multitude of sports supported at each institution.”

Senate Bill 5545 in the Senate Labor and Commerce committee concerns the requirements to obtain a journey level electrician certificate of competency. The bill had a first reading Tuesday and it would consolidate five education and training paths into a single path and just require the completion of an apprenticeship program for any person looking for certification as a journey level electrician.

“The Legislature recognizes that apprenticeship programs are not yet available in many rural areas of the state, effectively requiring trainees residing in those areas to travel up to four hours per day in order to participate in a program,” the bill reads. “Therefore, the Legislature intends to delay the effective date of the single-pathway approach from July 1, 2023, to July 1, 2025, in order to provide more time for additional apprenticeship programs to be approved and for existing programs to be expanded to meet the demand of trainees and their employers.”

Senate Bill 5363, also in the Labor and Commerce Committee, addresses cannabis retailer advertising. The bill had a first reading Jan. 13 and would not allow a cannabis business or product to advertise within 1,000 feet of the perimeter of school grounds, playground, recreation center or facility, child care center, public park, library or game arcade facility which is not restricted to people 21 years old or older.

MacEwen is in his first term in the Senate, and he sponsored freshman from Olympia High School Gavin Kleis as a page for the state Senate at the Capitol.

According to a news release, Kleis was one of 10 students who served as pages during the first week of the legislative session. “It was great to have Gavin here,” MacEwen said in a news release. “I enjoyed learning about his passion for the environment.”

Griffey

Rep. Griffey is a primary sponsor of four House bills as of Tuesday. Griffey is a sponsor of House Bill 1369, which is the corresponding House bill that goes with Senate Bill 5382 concerning off-duty employment of fish and wildlife officers. The bill had a first reading Jan. 17 in the Community Safety, Justice and Reentry Committee.

Griffey is a primary sponsor of House Bill 1279 about firefighters who accept promotional firefighter positions within a fire department remain members of the law enforcement officers’ and firefighters’ retirement system.

The bill had a first reading Jan. 12 in the Appropriations Committee. The bill would amend the Revised Code of Washington 41.26.030 to add “any person who is serving on a full-time, fully compensated basis as an employee of a fire department and who is serving in a position that requires an experienced firefighter.”

House Bill 1538 is about special purpose district malfeasance. Griffey is a primary sponsor along with secondary sponsors Couture and Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen. The bill had a first reading Jan. 24 and was referred to the Community Safety, Justice and Reentry Committee.

The bill adds to RCW 36.27.020 and would confirm authority to county prosecutors to bring charges against governing members of special purpose districts that operate within their counties when a crime has been committed.

“Whenever an action based upon chapter 42.20 RCW or otherwise based on official misconduct is commenced against a member of a governing body, a county legislative authority of a county in which the special purpose district is located may suspend the member of the governing body from office until such action is concluded and may appoint a person to fill the vacancy as necessary,” the bill amendment reads.

Couture

Couture has two bills he is a primary sponsor of in his first term as a representative of the 35th district.

House Bill 1274 would create a child malnutrition guide for the department of children, youth and families. The bill was scheduled for a public hearing Tuesday and would mandate the department create a child malnutrition field guide by Sept. 1. The guide must be concise, easily accessible by department staff, describe how to identify signs of child malnutrition, include appropriate questions to ask a child and people close to the child when malnutrition is expected, include appropriate next steps staff may take when child malnutrition is suspected and any additional information the department deems relevant.

The other bill Couture is a primary sponsor of is House Bill 1537, concerning licensing requirements for child care centers and indoor early learning programs. The bill would add requirements for the child-to-staff ratio in child care centers.

To view the bills in full, go to http://www.leg.wa.gov.