Greater Spokane Action & Greater Spokane Progress

2024 State Legislative Agenda

Greater Spokane Action (GSA), Greater Spokane Progress’ affiliated 501(c)(4) organization, led the process to develop our network’s state legislative agenda for 2024. This agenda is a reflection of the diversity of our network and their priorities.

Our goals include:

1. Police accountability
2. Smart justice
3. Housing justice
4. Rights for immigrants and refugees
5. Civil rights and equity (including health & wealth equity)
6. Climate justice
7. Expanding and protecting democracy

This is not a comprehensive list of all of the bills that Greater Spokane Progress (GSP) members are working on. It is based on our organizations’ goals, policies and campaigns that use a racial equity lens, have support from GSA and GSP Board of Directors, and/or broad agreement amongst our members. More details at the bottom of this page.

GSA and GSP’s Tier 1 priorities are: 

• Washington Coalition for Police Accountability’s legislative priorities
• Rent Stabilization (HB 2114/SB 5961)

GSA staff are actively supporting and engaging the GSP network to help pass these Tier 1 bills.

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Police Accountability

Supporting legislative priorities of the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability that centers families and communities impacted by police violence. WCPA priorities for 2024 include:

• Traffic Safety for All (HB 1513/SB 5572): Ending traffic stops for non-moving violations and is a solution for the disproportionate stops involving BIPOC drivers. (WCPA Bill Tracker, ACLU HB 1513/SB 5572 Legislative Backgrounder, PJALS)
• Independent prosecutor (HB 1579): Establishing a mechanism to make the charging decisions for police use of deadly force. (WCPA Bill Tracker, Pro-Choice WA Leg Agenda, PJALS)
• State Attorney General Investigations and Reforms (HB 1445): Grants authority to the state attorney general to do investigations of agencies where there is an alleged pattern and practice of violating the civil and constitutional rights of persons.(WCPA Bill Tracker, ACLU HB 1445 Legislative Backgrounder, PJALS)
• Law Enforcement Leader Accountability (SB 5905/HB 2027): Would require certification, background checks, and training requirements for hiring law enforcement leaders. (PJALS, WCPA)

Smart Justice

• Pedestrian Safety and Jaywalking (SB 5383): Supporting the Free to Walk Campaign to end the enforcement of our state’s jaywalking laws. Jaywalking laws don’t protect people from getting hit by cars; are disproportionately enforced against BIPOC, low-income people, and unhoused individuals; and are an inefficient use of public resources. (PJALS)
• Solitary Confinement (HB 1087/SB 5135): Restrict the use of solitary confinement in Washington prisons. (I Did the Time, APIC Washington, DRW 2024 Legislative Agenda)
• Juvenile Points (HB 2065/SB 5971): Applies HB 1324 retroactively to address an estimated 809 – 1,437 individuals disproportionality incarcerated due to juvenile points in sentencing.
• (ACLU HB 2065/SB 5971 Legislative Backgrounder, Spectrum Center)
• Emerging Adults (HB 1325/SB 5451): increases sentence review age consideration from 18 to 25, per modern brain science, decreases incarceration costs, and advances efforts to address racial disparities in sentencing. (ACLU HB 1325/SB 5451 Legislative Backgrounder, Spectrum Center)
• Jail Oversight (SB 6189): Establishes transparency, public safety, and independent oversight of the jail system. (DRW 2024 Legislative Agenda)
• End Isolation, Restrict Restraint in Schools (HB 1479/SB 5559): Isolation and restraint in schools causes harm and is disproportionately used on BIPOC, disabled, foster, and unhoused children. (Arc of Washington, DRW)

Housing Justice

• Supporting housing justice and tenant protection priorities of the Tenants Union of Washington State and Washington Low Income Housing Alliance (that are also supported by TU):
  • Rent Stabilization (HB 2114/SB 5961): limits the annual rent increase for continuing renters to no more than 5% per year, and provides other important tenant protections. (Tenants Union, Fuse)
  • Reestablishing B & O Tax for landlords (SB 6136): reestablishes a business and occupation tax on rental income and exempts landlords that participate in a rent stabilization program. The exemption would be removed if the rent is raised above 5%. (Tenants Union)
• Housing for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), (HB 2089/SB 5949): $25 million for IDD housing in 2024. (Arc of Spokane and Arc of Washington)

Rights for Immigrants and Refugees

• Unemployment Benefits for Undocumented Workers (HB 1095/SB 5109): creates a permanent, separate unemployment system that provides benefits to undocumented workers. (Led by WA Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) & priority of APIC Washington, Nuestras Raíces Community Center, FUSE)
• Allowing persons to receive professional licenses and certifications regardless of immigration or citizenship status (HB 1889): gives undocumented students the opportunity to obtain professional licensure in WA state. (Nuestras Raíces Community Center)
• Supporting the Health Equity for Immigrants Campaign that works to improve access to affordable health care and coverage for all Washingtonians: Prioritizing equitable access for individuals who are uninsured and underinsured due to immigration status restrictions. (APIC Washington,  Nuestras Raíces Community Center, Pro – Choice Washington)

Civil Rights and Equity (including Health & Wealth Equity)

• Nothing About Us Without Us Act (HB 1541/SB 5616): Requires all statutory created or mandated task force, work group, advisory committee, council, commissions, or other similar entity to include people directly impacted by the issue, and for the Office of Equity to report on barriers to accessing policy making spaces for marginalized communities. (Arc of Washington, Co-sponsored by Reps. Riccelli & Ormbsy)
• Keep Our Care Act (SB 5241/HB 1263): increases oversight of hospital mergers and affiliations that may adversely impact access to critical services such as abortion, gender affirming care, infertility treatment, miscarriage management, and more.(ACLU SB 5241/HB 1263 Legislative Backgrounder, Pro-Choice Washington, and Spectrum Center, PJALS)
• Paid Parent Caregiving Support bill (HB 2184): To recognize that caregivers of children under the age of 18 with complex disabilities would be eligible to be paid caregivers. (Nuestras Raíces Community Center, and Arc of Washington)
• Fund the Legal Service Pilot Program: to fund a legal service pilot program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). (Arc of Spokane)
• Extreme Wealth Tax (SB 5486/HB 1473): enacts a narrowly tailored property tax on extreme wealth derived from the ownership of stocks, bonds, and other financial intangible property.  Fuse, Washington Community Alliance)
• Working families’ tax credit Expansion (HB 1075/SB 5249): Would allow everyone age 18 and older to apply. (Nuestras Raíces Community Center, Fuse, Washington Community Alliance)
• Basic Income Pilot Program (HB 1045): creates a Guaranteed Basic Income pilot program that would help struggling working families. (Fuse)

Climate Justice

• 100% Clean School Buses (HB 1368): Requires that all school buses in Washington be zero-emission by 2035, new bus purchases must be pollution-free by 2027, and that this transition is funded. (The Lands Council, 350 Spokane, and Climate Solutions)
• Cumulative Risk Burden (CURB) Pollution Act (HB 2070/SB 5990): Requires consideration of currently unaddressed pollutants, specifies communities that are disproportionately harmed, and involves community participation in the permit process. (Front and Centered, 350 Spokane, The Lands Council)

Expanding and Protecting Democracy

• Supporting Washington for Equitable Representation (GSP is a member), a statewide multi-racial coalition fighting to achieve equitable representation through proportional ranked choice voting (RCV) and other democracy reforms. WER 2024 Priorities include: 
  • Washington VOICES Act (Voting, Options, Implementation, Compliance, Education, and Standards), (HB 2250/SB 6156): Gives tools for implementation of ranked-choice voting to prevent electoral chaos. (Fairvote WA, Washington Community Alliance, Fuse)
• Supporting the Washington Voting Justice Coalition (GSP is a member), a group of community organizations and individuals dedicated to voting rights and access in Washington State, that believe that the vote is our tool, as ordinary people, to have a voice in our government. WVJC 2024 priorities include:
  • Free the Vote (HB 2030): redefines a single vague term in our state Constitution to make sure that every citizen in Washington can vote, even while incarcerated.
  • Ballot Signature Curving (HB 5890): creates a standardized process for voters to be notified about and correct their ballot errors, in order to address rejected ballots disproportionately affecting people of color and young voters.
  • Even Year Elections (HB 1882/SB 5723): Gives cities and towns the freedom to switch their general elections to even-numbered years.

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Many of the bills on our agenda above are included on the legislative agendas of the following organizations (not limited to): 

• American Civil Liberties Union of Washington (ACLU-WA): Legislative Agenda 2024
• Arc of Washington: 2024 Legislative Session Notebook
• Asian & Pacific Islander Coalition of Washington (APIC): 2024 Legislative Agenda
• Fuse Washington: 2024 Washington Legislative Session 
• Peace & Justice League of Spokane (PJALS): 2024 Legislative Agenda
• Pro – Choice Washington: 2024 Legislative Agenda
• Washington Coalition for Police Accountability (WCPA): 2024 Legislative Priorities, Bill Tracker
• Washington Community Alliance (WCA): 2024 Legislative Priorities
• Tenants Union of Washington State (TU)
• Washington Low Income Housing Alliance (WLIHA): 2024 Legislative Agenda, Roadmap to Housing Justice
• Disability Rights Washington (DRW): 2024 Legislative Agenda
• Washington For Equitable Representation: 2024 Legislative Priorities 
• Washington Voting Justice Coalition 

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