House Appropriations Committee reports substitute House Bill 22‑89 out of committee after debate over dozens of budget amendments

The Washington House Appropriations Committee on the evening of the session considered a lengthy packet of amendments to the proposed substitute operating budget and ultimately voted to report substitute House Bill 22‑89 out of committee with a due‑pass recommendation by a roll‑call tally of 18 ayes, 12 nays and one member excused.

The packet included dozens of targeted amendments affecting health care, early learning, public safety, natural‑resources programs and local grants. Committee members tested amendments ranging from a $494,000 one‑time allocation for Thurston County court filings to multi‑million‑dollar proposals to extend or restore funding for neonatal and family reunification programs.

Representative Dawn Walker (counsel) and staff walked members through the electronic bill book and hard‑copy packet before the committee considered motions. Early in the evening members debated an amendment (Walker 487) to provide one‑time funding intended to offset disproportionate civil‑filing costs in Thurston County. Representative Couture urged adoption to relieve local court backlogs; the chair and others recommended a no vote, citing statewide judiciary funding pressures. The amendment failed on a voice vote.

A recurring flashpoint in debate involved funding for programs serving infants born exposed to opioids and other substances. Representative Couture pushed to increase funding for Maddie’s Place — a Spokane‑area program the sponsor described as a family‑centered model that nursed infants and worked on…