Members of the Washington state House of Representatives are sworn into office by state Supreme Court Justice Steven González, on Jan. 13, 2025 in Olympia. (Laurel Demkovich/Washington State Standard)
Committee work on bills has now concluded in their respective House of origin. Both policy and fiscal committees have assessed and determined which measures will proceed. These bills are now in the hands of the Rules Committee, which will decide which measures move forward to the floor for potential consideration. Many bills enter the Rules Committee but ultimately stall, never receiving a vote on the floor.
Even once a bill clears the Rules Committee and is placed on the legislative calendar, there is no assurance that it will be debated or voted on. The final decision rests with legislative leadership, specifically the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader, in conjunction with their teams. They carefully evaluate the level of support for each bill before determining whether it should be brought to the floor. Bills without sufficient backing are less likely to be considered, as leadership focuses on measures that have a clear path to approval.
The next critical deadline is 5:00 p.m. on March 12, when all bills—except those essential to the implementation of the budget—must have passed out of their House of origin. It is not unusual for a controversial bill to be taken up at the last possible moment, often just before the cutoff time. Once debate begins, it must be concluded, sometimes extending into the early hours of the following day.
Throughout this process, WR remains actively engaged in advocating against harmful bills, promoting beneficial legislation, and refining proposed measures to better support the retail industry.
