(The Center Square) – State Sen. Bob Hasegawa, D-Seattle, has introduced legislation to have the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee study transforming Washington state’s current part-time Legislature into a full-time one.
SB 5744 would have JLARC “review the Washington state legislature’s structure, demographics, and operations and provide comparison to other state legislatures, with a focus on representation, barriers to participation, and the impact of legislative schedules on effective oversight and responsiveness to constituents.”
The committee would report its findings to the Legislature by Dec. 1, 2027.
In Washington, a part-time Legislature means lawmakers meet in Olympia only for a few months every year before returning home to their districts and, in many cases, their full-time jobs. Many legislative staff members stay in the capital all year.
In odd-numbered years, Washington’s legislative session lasts for 105 days. In even-numbered years, it lasts for 60 days.
Washington’s part-time legislators earn $61,997 per year, according to RCW 43.03.013. Their pay is scheduled to increase by 7% to $66,411 on July 1.
Going full-time would mean the Washington State Legislature would meet throughout the year.
In 1979, Washington voters approved a constitutional amendment requiring the Legislature to meet annually, which took effect in 1980. Prior to that, the Legislature met every other year.
A part-time Legislature has some advantages, like costing the state less money and more time spent at home among constituents for some legislators.
The introductory text of Senate Bill 5744 explains the rationale for considering making the switch to a full-time Legislature: “The world is changing faster than the laws of the state of Washington can keep up with. Due to the volume of bills each legislative session, there is little time for robust analysis and consideration of bills by members of the legislature. This results in reactionary changes that create temporary and often ill-considered patches in law. Finite legislative time during session is consumed with short-term solutions to provide long-term planning for the future of Washington state.”
According to the Mountain States Policy Center’s legislative bill counter, 1,771 bills have been introduced in the Washington State Legislature as of Thursday. That’s compared to 369 in Idaho, 813 in Montana and 555 in Wyoming.
One of the major issues Washington lawmakers are dealing with this session is a projected four-year operating budget deficit, the severity of which depends on who you ask.
Some Democrats have said Washington faces a budget shortfall of $10 billion to $16 billion. However, the Office of Program Research, made up of nonpartisan staff for the Washington State House of Representatives, has estimated a budget shortfall of $6.7 billion for the 2027-2029 biennium.
“This bill opens the door to an important conversation about moving toward a full-time Legislature,” Hasegawa said in an email to The Center Square. “Right now, the time constraints of our part-time system can limit the depth of analysis and discussion on complex bills.”
Hasegawa said he sees the benefits of a year-round Legislature.
“A full-time Legislature would give us the space to be more thoughtful, consider nuance, and craft stronger policies,” Hasegawa continued. “It would also make it easier for working people – those balancing jobs and families – to run for office and have a seat at the table. If we want a government that truly represents the people, this is a discussion worth having.”
Todd Myers, vice president for research at the Washington Policy Center think tank, is skeptical that a full-time Legislature will improve things.
“As our Report Card for Washington’s Future shows, Washington state is failing to meet environmental goals, student test scores are falling, we have one of the worst business climates and many other problems,” he said. “The solutions aren’t coming from Olympia and putting more focus and emphasis on legislative policy doesn’t make sense.”
SB 5744 is not scheduled for any further action at this time.
Carleen Johnson contributed to this story.