Legislative Committee
The Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association has a strong and active Legislative Committee (LC). The LC works on behalf of the Board of Directors and the APA Washington membership. The function and purpose of the LC is important to the well being of the Chapter. The LC leadership will promote the involvement of a consistent and informed group representing the diverse interests within APA.
Information
During the legislative session, the LC meets via telephone conference call every Thursday at noon. If you are interested in participating in the LC, please contact one of the co-chairs listed below.
Esther Larsen: 509-477-5709, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Josh Peters: 360-385-9167, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Following the Thursday conference calls, LC members volunteer to review and comment on proposed bills. The schedule for the review of bills is based upon when the bill will be heard either in the house or the senate. The review of proposed bills is the central responsibility of committee members. Bill reviews are posted on the LC’s “Basecamp” information exchange website. The reviews provide the background for development of position statements, which are communicated by the Chapter lobbyist or a designated Chapter member to the legislature
Meeting the clear expectations as to when the bill reviews are to be complete and transmitted to the co-chairs is critical to the functioning of the LC.
2010 Legislative Session
The 2010 session began on January 11 and is expected to conclude after 60 days as this is a short session year.
Check in with the LC or read the Chapter’s monthly newsletter for updates.
2009 Legislative Session
The 2009 session began on January 12 and is expected to conclude sometime around April 26. Check in with the LC or read the Chapter’s monthly newsletter for updates.
A sub-committee of the LC called the Smart Growth Strategy Task Force collaborated in late 2008 to produce a statement intended to inform legislators, as well as other APA Washington committees, of the Chapter’s legislative priorities with respect to multiple current issues with relation to planning.
- Toward a Smart Growth Strategy for Washington - Smart Growth Strategy Task Force letter & position statement – January 2, 2009
Position Statements
Following are position statements of the Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association on selected state legislation.
2010 session
2009 session
2008 & previous sessions
- SHB 1727
- HB 1361
- SB 5507
- SHB 1965
- ESHB 1727
- Washington Climate Advisory Team
- HB 2797 - SB 6580
- HB 6784
Following are documents related to legislation sponsored by the Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association.
2008 Legislative Session Summaries
Climate Advisory Team Report Recommendations and Response
- Letter to Governor Gregoire in support of ESSB 6580
- Letter to Governor Gregoire with recommendations
- Governor Gregoire's response
Resources
To assist LC member, the following resources are available:
- About the Legislative Committee and APA Washington's Legislative Activities in .doc format
- Bill Review Process and Timeline - 2007 Session in .doc format
- 2007 Session Priorities in .pdf format
Bill Proposal Process
The chapter Board adopted a Process for Proposing Legislation in 2008. For more information, click here.
Important Links
The following links provide ample information on the State Legislatures and for assisting in the tracking, review, and commenting on proposed bills.
- Washington State Legislature homepage : This page is your starting pointfor a host of legislature-related items.
- Bill Information homepage : This page is your starting point for learning about proposed bills.
For More Information
Please contact the LC's co-chairs:
Esther Larsen : 509-477-5709, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Josh Peters: 360-385-9167, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Thank you for your interest in APA Washington's Legislative Committee.