Washington state lawmakers convene Monday for a short 60-day election year session. Already lawmakers have pre-filed dozens of bills they’d like to see passed.
The pre-filed proposals run the gamut. There’s a bill to ban cultivation of Atlantic salmon in state waters. This follows last summer’s collapse of a salmon net pen that led to the release of more than 300,000 Atlantic salmon.
There’s a proposal to maintain net neutrality in Washington state. This comes as the Federal Communications Commission moves to repeal rules that required broadband providers to treat all data the same.
Another bill would ban so-called bump-stocks that make semi-automatic guns function more like an automatic weapon. The shooter in last October’s mass shooting in Las Vegas used a bump stock.
And there’s a proposal to test a new way to help people with mental health issues who have frequent encounters with police. The pilot program would create a 40-bed facility to provide wrap-around services to this high-risk population.
