Press "Enter" to skip to content

The bill parade

spring

Spring in Olympia, with actual sun/Stapilus

Olympia looked and felt like springtime today, which carried implications inside the legislative building (the Statehouse) – a reminder to everyone that the carriage turns into a pumpkin in only a few days. And there seems to be no certainty as to whether the work will be completed by then.

Those big-discussion matters are mainly financial, but piles of other pieces of legislation have been making their way through. This afternoon we took the 3:30 governor’s bill signings, which offered a sense of some of the day-in, day-out aspects of this, at a very real choke point: The signature of the governor is a point at which mere legislation turns into actual law.

The way it happens is this. Governor Chris Gregoire sits at the end of a long table in a largish conference room in the governor’s suit of offices, in front of a stack of bills and a box of black pens. Helping are a staffer or two; a photographer at the far end of the table shoots the signings. A bill number is called out, and a group of people in the lobby outside (often including bill sponsors and people who worked on the measure) are escorted in for the event; the governor briefly describes the bill and why it should become law, she signs, and the picture of all is taken. They then leave through the other end of the room, and the next group comes in.

It sounds a little factory-like, but there are a couple of mitigators. One that Gregoire projects friendliness and courtesy (seems to work better for her in person than on television), and everyone got some attention. The other is that, well, the bills have to be dealt with quickly. Washington requires the governor act on bills within five days (that includes Saturdays and Sundays) after final passage during the session, and when the bills fly out, they pile up.

So there were 16 bill signings on Thursday, in somewhat over a half hour (going a little faster than usual) and odds are that none will make for any big headlines. SB 5305 repeals obsolete language in the state retirement law. SB 5322 concerned civil service commissions for sheriff’s offices. SB 5343 had to do with the regulation of accountants. (How’s that for excitement? But someone has to deal with all this.)

One bill stuck out: SB 5284, “relating to truth in music advertising.” More fully: “Creates the truth in music advertising act. Prohibits a person from advertising or conducting a live musical performance or production through the use of a false, deceptive, or misleading affiliation, connection, or association between a performing unless certain conditions are met.”

Meaning? Suppose you see an ad for a concert by a famous music group, you buy a ticket, and then discover that it wasn’t the original group, it’s someone else performing their material, possibly using the original group’s name. The bill wouldn’t ban the concern but it would allow a promoter to sell tickets only if he made clear who and what the performing group actually was. (You can probably guess where the bill came from.) A consumer protection measure, in other words.

Signed off by the governor on Thursday. And spring rolls on . . .

Share on Facebook