Measures Fall Victim To Deadline

Lawmakers were cranky Wednesday as their pet bills died by the dozens, as the 1997 Legislature hit its first deadline.

Among the casualties was a bill to ban Indian tribes from making political contributions and another to make it illegal for teachers to present homosexuality as a normal lifestyle.

Yet another bill that failed to emerge from its committee of origin by the Legislature’s self-imposed deadline was a measure that would have made breastfeeding in public a civil right. Also dead was a bill to prevent dry cleaners and other businesses from charging women more than men for the same services.

Two others that failed would have allowed voters to approve school bond levies with a simple rather than 60-percent majority vote, and would have made adults criminally liable for leaving a loaded weapon within easy access of a child.

“The members are cranky today,” House Speaker Clyde Ballard said, explaining why he had decided against taking up significant legislation on the House floor on the same day that hundreds of bills died. “We’ll just take it easy today and let the members get a hold of themselves.”

Many other lawmakers had reason to cheer, however, as their bills made it through the first of several deadlines faced by the Legislature, which hits it halfway point of the 105-day session this week.

One was Rep. Kathy Lambert, R-Woodinville, whose proposal to allow lawmakers to override Supreme Court decisions cleared the House Law and Justice Committee despite Democratic protest that it would destroy the balance of power among the three government branches. The bill, HB2060, heads for a House floor vote.

Other bills that cleared the House Law and Justice Committee included:

HB1804, which would severely limit the ability of injured citizens to sue for damages. The measure, considered a long shot for legislative approval, would limit attorneys’ contingency fees and abolish joint and several liability, which requires a defendant with the deep pockets to pay all the damages if other parties cannot pay.

HB1036, to require that parents be notified before a child under 18 receives an abortion.

HB1552, which would bar the courts from making divorced parents pay for a child’s college education.

HB1194, to give mothers the right to express breast milk at work. Sponsor Rep. Eileen Cody, D-Seattle, said she would seek to amend the bill to include language making the right to breast feed in public a civil right.

The House Government Reform and Land-Use Committee sparked a walkout by Democrats before approving a measure that critics contend would gut the state’s 1990 Growth Management Act.

Any of the hundreds of bills that failed to clear committee actually could be revived if either legislative chamber so chooses.

“Nothing is ever really dead around here, but bringing bills back up is not an easy process either,” Ballard said.

The fate of scores of bills could not be learned late Wednesday in the last-minute flurry. But here are some that died in the final minutes of the day.

A measure pushed by Gov. Gary Locke and Attorney Christine Gregoire to make a dent in youth smoking by limiting advertising and sale of tobacco products.

A bill creating a “chain-gang” work program.

A measure to permit the execution of 16- and 17-year-olds convicted of first-degree aggravated murder.

A bill that would have allowed hunters to use dogs to hunt bear, cougar and bobcat.

A measure to create procedures to create new counties.

A bill to require a person to be arrested for being involved with a prostitute.

A bill that would have prevented genetic information from being used to deny or cancel health coverage.

A measure that would create the crime of “sleep-driving homicide,” or causing a death by falling asleep at the wheel.