Legislative Week Ahead

Here’s a tentative list of legislative hearings on selected topics this week. Schedules are subject to change on short notice; consult the Legislature’s Web site or the list of committee phone numbers at the end of the column for current schedule:

Bees

Bills on promoting and regulating beekeeping operations, (SB5468, 6185, 6255 and HB2515). Senate Agriculture & Environment Committee: Monday 7 p.m., Senate Hearing Room 3.

Crime

Bills to keep sex offenders from living near schools and day-care centers (HB1456), clear up listings of sex offenders (HB2316, 2350 and 2368) and strengthen domestic violence laws (HB2325). House Criminal Justice Committee: Tuesday 10 a.m., House Hearing Room E.

Bill to allow the addresses of sexual assault victims to be kept confidential (HB2351). House Government Administration Committee: Tuesday 10 a.m., House Hearing Room B. Bills to change laws on rape (S3582), raise penalties for murder (S3579), using deadly weapons in crimes (S3581) and violating condition of release (S3580). Senate Law and Justice Committee: Thursday 1:30 p.m. Hearing Room 1.

Bills to charge inmates for their incarceration (HB2039), post crime information on the Internet (HB2112) and to set up community-oriented policing. House Criminal Justice Committee: Friday 8 a.m., House Hearing Room E.

Government

Bill creating a state Department of Children and Family Services (HB 2506). House Government Reform Committee: Monday 10 a.m., House Hearing Room E.

Bill allowing rural counties to remove themselves and their cities from Growth Management Act requirements (HB2542). House Government Reform Committee: Thursday 1:30 p.m., House Hearing Room E.

Marijuana

Bill on medical marijuana, (SB6271). Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee: Tuesday 7 p.m., Senate Hearing Room 4.

Mental health

A bill revising provisions for commitment of mentally ill persons, (SB 6214). Senate Human Services & Corrections: Tuesday 8 a.m., Senate Hearing Room 4.

Salmon

Bills regarding salmon recovery (HB 2496, 2531, 2504 and 2505). House Natural Resources Committee: Tuesday 10 a.m., and Wednesday 1:30 p.m., House Hearing Room C.

Bills creating a salmon license buyback program (SB6117) and requiring a salmon predator control report (SB6147), Senate Natural Resources. Tuesday 10 a.m., Senate Hearing Room 2.

Phone sales

Bill prohibiting telephone solicitation after 5 p.m., (S3768.1). Senate Energy and Utilities Committee: Thursday 1:30 p.m., Senate Hearing Room 2.

Schools

Discussion of beginning and improved reading programs. House Education Committee: Monday 6 p.m., and Tuesday 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., House Hearing Room A.

Bill authorizing charter schools (S3562.4). Senate Education Committee: Thursday 10 a.m., Senate Hearing Room 1.

Bill clarifying parents’ rights in public education (HB2422), House Education Committee: Friday 10 a.m., House Hearing Room A.

Bill requiring a message about the theory of evolution in all state-purchased science textbooks (S3900.1). Senate Education Committee: Friday 8 a.m., Senate Hearing Room 1.

Taxes

Bills to aid people disputing tax obligations (HB2324), and exempting uncooked pizzas from sales tax (HB2338). House Finance Committee: Tuesday 3:30 p.m., House Hearing Room C.

House

All committee phone numbers use Area Code 360:

Criminal Justice 786-7136; Education 786-7115; Finance 786-7124; Government Admin. 786-7126; Government Reform 786-7185; Natural Resources 786-7128.

A complete schedule of all committee hearings can be found on the Internet at www.leg.wa.gov/www/calendar.htm

Senate

Agriculture, 786-7407; Education 786-7420; Energy 786-7455; Health 786-7747; Human Services 786-7436; Law & Justice 786-7462; Natural Resources 786-7411.