Legislative committee advances a package of transportation and related bills; votes recorded on nine measures

A legislative committee in executive session on Feb. 9 moved a slate of bills out of committee with due-pass recommendations, recording roll-call votes on several transportation and related measures.

The meeting opened with the chair announcing an executive session to review each bill; members recessed briefly for partisan caucuses before returning to take recorded action.

The committee reported substitute House Bill 2,092 — establishing a Washington State Amtrak Cascades passenger advisory committee with specified membership (including WSDOT, UTC, the governor’s office, tribal representation, carriers and rider and disability advocates), quarterly meetings and an annual report — out of committee with a due-pass recommendation. “This is just a good little bill that is about creating a greater voice for consumers, for users of passenger rail,” Representative Reed said in urging adoption. The clerk recorded 20 aye, 6 nay, 3 excused.

Representative Engel moved substitute House Bill 2,114, a measure to allow the Department of Licensing to waive replacement plate fees when plates are defective within defined timeframes. Engel called it “a simple customer service bill” and the committee passed the substitute by voice vote (clerk reported 26–0, 3 excused).

The committee advanced substitute House Bill 2,172, which clarifies route jurisdiction transfers and abandonments for state highways and requires certain abandonments (longer than 2 miles or including a bridge) to occur by agreement or legislative determination; the voice vote was 26–0, 3 excused.

On House Bill 2,251, which…