(The Center Square) – Public input into the Washington State Legislature has never been easier with online sign-in for all public hearings. Has this changed legislators’ decision-making architecture?
Yes, according to Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Centralia.
“The sign-in sheets are another way to gauge where the public is on an issue, where they’re from, and if they’re part of an organization,” Abbarno said on Thursday.
Abbarno serves as chair of the House Republican Caucus.
Other Olympia sources caution “maybe,” suggesting the impact will be more apparent after seeing which bills make it past cut-off.
Friday is the deadline for legislation to pass out of fiscal and transportation committees in the chamber of origin.
Political consultant Jim Hedemark has been digging deeper into the data.
On House Bill 1921, proposing to adopt a Road Usage Charge, the top five communities responding in support were Seattle, Olympia, Tacoma, Bothell, and Edmonds, with a total of 142 un-duplicated signatures. Only the “pro” numbers from Seattle, Olympia and Tacoma made it into double digits.
People from 655 communities signed in as opposed to HB 1921, compared to the 60 communities represented on the “pro” side. More than 250 communities had at least 10 or more residents signing in “con,” with 54 communities in triple digits, led by Puyallup with 510, Olympia at 482, Tacoma with 479, and 365 from Spokane. Seattle and Snohomish were also in the three hundreds at 304 and 303, respectively.
According to a widely circulated graphic dated Feb. 13, public opposition to the adoption of a road usage charge exceeds support by 98.5% to 1.02%, with a tiny percentage signing in as “other.”
The House Republican caucus has created pie charts for social media, illustrating the breakdown of pro and con votes for various bills. As one Olympia insider remarked, “When you see that tiny little sliver of support, it makes an impact.”
Hedemark noted the results are not a scientifically valid poll, but they are a strong indication of public energy and motivation, given the small window of opportunity to participate.
Abbarno noted that online sign-in became a much more popular way of connecting after 2020 – the year the COVID-19 pandemic started – with what he described as a large swath of the population signing in, giving it greater weight.
On HB 1921 in particular, Abbarno said, “It’s a barometer as to the sentiment of people for more tax increases and especially a tax increase that will be regressive based on the community you live in … not replacing a tax, it’s just piling on another tax.”
The Center Square also reached out to the House Democratic Caucus staff and several Democratic House members for comment. One senior staffer pointed to the marathon committee hearings leading up to Friday’s fiscal cutoff as making it impossible “to even answer a quick question.”
This story may be updated after Friday’s cutoff.
