Votes at a glance: Transportation Committee advances multiple bills and two gubernatorial appointments to the full Senate

The Washington State Senate Transportation Committee held executive action on Feb. 27, 2025, advancing a series of bills to the Rules Committee with due‑pass recommendations and reporting two gubernatorial appointments to the full Senate.

What passed: The committee advanced the following bills with due‑pass recommendations to the Rules Committee (all subject to signature as recorded in committee): Senate Bill 5059 (allows Washington State ferry captains to vote to rejoin mates into one unified bargaining unit), SB 5649 (creates a supply chain competitiveness infrastructure grant and loan program for public ports and federally recognized tribes with port operations), SB 5716 (adds Washington State Ferries to unlawful transit conduct definitions), substitute SB 5098 (restricts possession of weapons at certain public buildings and parks with a museum exemption added), SB 5690 (utility relocation notification and federal grant coordination), SB 5581 (implements parts of the Cooper Jones active transportation recommendations), SB 5746 (creates an advisory committee on EV charger infrastructure property crime), SB 5773 (authorizes alternative procurement and delivery models including P3s, PDB, GCCM and requires WSDOT consultation with CPARB), SB 5689 (allows optional blood type on driver licenses/ID and a $2 designation fee), and SB 5702 (streamlines the Transportation Commission toll rate‑setting process).

The committee also advanced related amendments and substitute bills where noted; several amendments were adopted and rolled into substitute versions before advancing.

Gubernatorial appointments: The committee reported with a recommendation for confirmation the gubernatorial appointment of Marcus Glasser as director of the Department of Licensing (Senate Gubernatorial Appointment 09/1100) and Julie Meredith as Secretary of the Department of Transportation (Senate Gubernatorial Appointment 9/223).

How the committee voted: The record shows voice votes on each motion with the chair announcing that the motions carried. Where a senator spoke for or against an item, that comment is recorded; the committee did not record roll‑call tallies in the transcript for the executive actions. Each advanced bill was noted as moved and seconded with a due‑pass recommendation to the Rules Committee and recorded as carried.

Selected staff summaries provided during the session: - Jenna Forti, committee staff, summarized SB 5059 and SB 5649 and noted fiscal impacts where applicable; she said SB 5059 had no fiscal impact and SB 5649 had estimated costs to staff and WSDOT in the low hundreds of thousands. - Danny Masterson, committee staff, summarized substitute SB 5098 (weapons restrictions) and SB 5690 (utility relocation) and described amendments that would exempt museum collections and change a requirement to encourage rather than direct WSDOT to seek federal fish‑passage funding and to add reporting requirements. - Brandon Popovac and Brandon Buffback provided staff summaries for SB 5581 and SB 5746, respectively, noting no fiscal impact for SB 5581 and that SB 5746’s fiscal note showed staffing costs for Commerce of about $350,000 per biennium.

Noted amendments and committee action: Several amendments were adopted on the floor of the committee and then folded into substitute or second substitute versions before the bills were advanced. Examples included an amendment exempting museum collections from the weapons restriction (sponsored by Senator Valdez) and clarifications to apply WSDOT equity certification rules when federal funds are not used in P3 projects.

The committee chair stated the motions were advanced "subject to signature," and the committee adjourned after thanking staff.