CONTROVERSIAL BILLS

Every session gets its share of controversial bills that people tend to have very strong opinions about; these are a few of the ones introduced this year.

The bills are listed in bill number order and I've included the digest, which is a very brief description of the bill's intent. If you want more information on any of them, click on the bill number to go to the bill status, history, and available documents.

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* 1. HB 1068: Bans high capacity magazines
Prohibits a person from manufacturing, possessing, distributing, importing, transferring, selling, offering to sell, or purchasing a large capacity magazine. Defines "large capacity magazine" as an ammunition-feeding device with the capacity to accept more than ten rounds of ammunition.

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* 2. HB 1074: Raises smoking age to 21
Raises the legal age to twenty-one years for the lawful sale or distribution of tobacco and vapor products.

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* 3. HB 1211: Transitioning to a clean, affordable, and reliable energy future
Addresses the elimination of coal-fired electricity and the transition of the state's electricity supply to one hundred percent carbon neutral by 2030.

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* 4. HB 1488: Eliminates the death penalty 
Eliminates the death penalty and requires life imprisonment without possibility of release or parole as the sentence for aggravated first-degree murder.

Note: The recent Washington State Supreme Court ruling declared the death penalty "invalid because it is imposed in an arbitrary and racially biased manner." However, the ruling does not hold that the death penalty is in itself unconstitutional.

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* 5. HB 1526: Establishes the Washington pain capable unborn child protection act
Prohibits, except in the case of a medical emergency or fetal anomaly, an abortion from being performed unless the physician performing the abortion has first made a determination of the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child or relied upon a determination made by another physician.

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* 6. HB 1638: Promoting immunity against vaccine preventable diseases
A philosophical or personal objection may not be used to exempt a child from the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.

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* 7. HJM 4003: Dividing Washington state
Petitions for the creation of a new state in eastern Washington.

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* 8. SB 5077: Bans single-use plastic straws
Prohibits the sale and distribution of plastic beverage straws. Requires the department of health and the department of social and health services to address the need for plastic straws by health care facilities and individuals with disabilities.

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* 9. What do you think?
   Leave a comment with your thoughts, feedback and suggestions.

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