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Senate trade and economic development committee recommends confirmations and advances multiple bills on cutoff day
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Summary
In an executive session Feb. 4, the Senate Trade and Economic Development Committee recommended confirmation of four gubernatorial appointments and gave due-pass recommendations to several bills, sending most to rules or ways-and-means; fiscal notes or procedural changes prompted one late addition to the agenda.
OLYMPIA — The Senate Trade and Economic Development Committee, meeting in executive session on Feb. 4, recommended confirmation of four gubernatorial appointments and advanced a slate of bills to the next stages of consideration as the Legislature reached its cutoff deadline.
Committee staff read the names of the four gubernatorial appointees: Alicia Levy (appointment 9060), Michael Charles (9169), Brian Bennett (9265) and Noah (appointment number recorded later as 9266). A motion to recommend confirmation for Alicia Levy was moved and seconded and approved by a voice vote. Similar motions for the other appointees were likewise reported with confirmation recommendations subject to signatures. The transcript contains inconsistent spellings for the Noah appointment (first recorded as "Noah Skartvett" and later as "Noah Scarpet"); the committee recommended the appointment but the record should be checked for the official spelling before publication.
John Kim, committee staff, summarized bills placed on the agenda. He said SB 6,248 would substantially adopt the Bridal Insurance Model Act for travel insurance and that the Office of the Insurance Commissioner "estimates $413,000 in operating expenditures in the current biennium" from regulatory accounts. SB 6,079, a bill by request of the Office of the Insurance Commissioner to create a wildfire mitigation grant program, was discussed with a proposed substitute and a fiscal note was requested but not yet available. SB 6,250 would increase the maximum principal amount of certain small loans from $700 to $1,200 with a 30% income cap and include an annual inflation adjustment; the Department of Financial Institutions estimated no fiscal impacts in the summary provided.
The committee moved and approved due-pass recommendations, by voice vote, for the following bills (motion language and committee referrals shown as recorded): SB 6,248 (proposed substitute —) — due pass; sent to Rules; SB 6,079 (proposed substitute labeled C) — due pass; sent to Ways and Means; SB 6,250 — due pass; sent to Rules; SB 6,257 (proposed substitute E) — due pass; sent to Rules; SB 6,289 (proposed substitute F) — due pass; sent to Rules; SB 6,230 (price rounding for cash transactions) — due pass; sent to Rules; SB 6,147 (proposed substitute G) — due pass; sent to Rules. One item, SB 6,012, was removed from the agenda.
Most actions were completed by voice vote in executive session; the transcript records multiple "aye" responses for several motions but does not present a roll-call tally of individual members' votes. Where recorded, the committee noted bills "passed subject to signatures" or "received a confirmation recommendation subject to signatures." Members thanked staff, stakeholders and tribal representatives for engagement during the short session before adjourning.
What matters: Several bills with fiscal notes or policy implications (notably SB 6,248 on travel insurance and SB 6,079 on wildfire mitigation grants) were advanced at a procedural deadline. The late addition of a proposed substitute for SB 6,149 (added after a fiscal note arrived the night before) altered the agenda; staff said the fiscal impact appeared minimal, prompting its inclusion.
Next steps: Each bill advanced will follow the committee referral noted above for further floor consideration or fiscal review; appointments recommended for confirmation proceed subject to required signatures. Verify the official spelling of the Noah appointment and check committee signatures and recorded calendars for final tallies.
