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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026, 01-27 Special MeetingMINUTES City of Spokane Valley City Council Special Meeting Executive Session Tuesday, January 27, 2026 The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. The meeting was held in person by Council and staff at the Spokane Valley City Hall. Attendance: Councilmembers Laura Padden, Mayor Tim Hattenburg, Deputy Mayor Michael Kelly, Councilmember Pam Haley, Councilmember Ben Wick, Councilmember Al Merkel, Councilmember Absent. Jessica Yaeger, Councilmember Staff John Hohman, City Manager Erik Lamb, Deputy City Manager Kelly Konkright, City Attorney Tony Beattie, Senior Deputy City Attorney Dave Ellis, Police Chief Glenn Ritter, Senior Engineer Chad Knodel, IT Manager Marci Patterson, City Clerk ROLL CALL City Clerk Patterson called roll; all Councilmembers were present except Councilmember Yaeger. It was moved by Deputy Mayor Hattenburg, seconded and unanimously agreed to excuse Councilmember Yaeger. 1. Executive Session Potential Acquisition of Real Estate RCW 42.3 0.11 0(l)(b)]. It was moved by Deputy Mayor Hattenburg, seconded to adjourn into executive session for approximately one hour to discuss the potential acquisition of real estate, and that no action will be taken upon return to open session. To make sure there is no misunderstanding, the purpose of this executive session is solely for the identified purpose, the potential acquisition of real estate. The City may not expand upon the purpose of executive session without declaring an additional purpose in open session. There was not any discussion. Vote by acclamation: in favor: Unanimous. Opposed.• None. Motion carried. Council adjourned into executive session at 6:01 p.m. At 7:00 p.m., Senior Deputy City Attorney Beattie requested to extend the Executive Session by an additional 20 minutes. At 7:20 p.m., Senior Deputy City Attorney Beattie requested to extend the Executive Session by an additional 10 minutes. At 7:30 p.m., Senior Deputy City Attorney Beattie requested to extend the Executive Session by an additional 10 minutes. At 7:40 p.m., Senior Deputy City Attorney Beattie requested to extend the Executive Session by an additional 10 minutes. At 7:50 p.m., Senior Deputy City Attorney Beattie requested to extend the Executive Session by an additional 5 minutes. At 7:55 p.m., Senior Deputy City Attorney Beattie requested to extend the Executive Session by an additional 2 minutes. Mayor Padden adjourned from Executive Session and Council reconvened at 7:57 p.m. It was moved by Deputy Mayor Hattenburg, seconded and unanimously d to adjo, t 7: 58p. in. ATTEST: Laura Padden, Mayor 1W If A PM.A.V" arci atterson, City Clerk Council Meeting Minutes, 01-27-2026, Special Meeting Page 1 of 1 Approved by Council: 02-10-2026 Mard Patterson From: Spectre Mcquistan <specsop6980@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, January 26, 2026 1:30 AM To: Council Meeting Public Comment Subject: Jessica Yaegar [EXTERNAL] This email originated outside the City of Spokane Valley. Always use caution when opening attachments or clicking links. Hello . I am citizen reaching out in concern over something councilwoman Jessica Yeager stated on her personal yet public Facebook page. Im sure it is not a good look for a council to not represent all of its citizens with dignity and respect. 5000 Muslims make up the Spokane and Spokane valley region. There is an Islamic mosque in Spokane valley. Your council woman stating publicly that she is a proud islamophobe whilst representing Islamic and Muslim people is an issue. She should not hold a position. We have no room for hate in this century. Please act accordingly Sent from my iPhone Spokane ,,;o0Valley- Memorandum 10210 E Sprague Avenue ❑ Spokane Valley WA 99206 Phone: (509) 720-5000 ❑ www.SpokaneValleyWA.gov To: Mayor and City Council From: Virginia Clough, Legislative Policy Coordinator Date: January 27, 2026 Re: Gordon Thomas Honeywell — Government Relations Legislative Report — Jan. 25, 2026 Please find attached Gordon Thomas Honeywell's legislative report covering the second week of the 2026 session. This report recaps press conferences held by the Democrats and Republicans with the D's focusing on shielding people from "harmful federal policies" while advancing state -level solutions on housing, public safety, healthcare and affordability. The Republican focus was concern about the state's deepening affordability crisis includes tax proposal that worsen cost -of -living pressures. Budget proposals from each chamber are not expected to be released until after the February 16 revenue forecast. The "millionaire's tax" proposal has not been introduced yet and last week, the city signed in opposed on HB 2100, the payroll tax. This week's report notes the city's upcoming trip to Olympia with some of the key topics that will be discussed including the Balfour Park lighting and audio equipment funding request, Kratom Consumer Protection Act (HB 2291), and STEP Housing Development Regulations (HB 2266/SB 6069). The report also recaps some of the key hearings held this past week under our legislative agenda priorities of public safety/behavioral health, fiscal management, housing affordability, local decision -making authority and more. Last week our city signed in on 18 bills, including verbal testimony on HB 2266 and written testimony on the Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR) bills, SB 6002 & HB 2332. Councilmember Wick had planned to testify in person on HB 2489 that establishes statewide standards for when local governments may enforce laws regulating the use of public space for life -sustaining activities aka "Homeless Bill of Rights". However, the public hearing was cut short so our talking points were submitted as written testimony. This morning, Kelly Konkright testified in favor of SB 6239 which would reduce cities' liability costs and tomorrow, while we are in Olympia, Gloria Mantz will testify in opposition of SB 6069, the companion bill to HB 2266 (STEP Housing). GORDON THOMAS HONEYWELL GOVERNMENT RELATIONS City of Spokane Valley Legislative Report January 25, 2026 SESSION CUTOFF CALENDAR February 4, 2026 Policy Committee Deadline February 9, 2026 Fiscal Committee Deadline February 17, 2026 Chamber -of -Origin Deadline February 25, 2026 Opposite Chamber Policy Committee Deadline March 2, 2026 Opposite Chamber Fiscal Committee Deadline March 6, 2026 Opposite Chamber Deadline March 12, 2026 Session adjourns - Sine Die Weekly Overview The Legislature spent the second week of the legislative session continuing to meet in committees to hold public hearings and vote on bills. On Tuesday, both Democrats and Republicans held press conferences. Democrat legislative leaders emphasized their focus on shielding Washingtonians from what they characterized as harmful federal policies while advancing state -level solutions on housing, public safety, healthcare, and affordability. Republican legislative leaders, meanwhile, expressed concern about Washington's deepening affordability crisis. They criticized Democratic tax proposals —including a draft income tax — saying such measures worsen cost -of -living pressures. While legislators are discussing budget development and tax proposals, budget proposals from each chamber are not expected to be released until after the February 16, 2026 revenue forecast. Several much -discussed tax proposals, including a "millionaire's income tax" have not yet been introduced. With that being said, the lesser favored payroll tax proposal — House Bill 2100 — had a public hearing this week. Throughout the session, the Association of Washington Cities is hard at work advocating for its members. As such, we will continue to share their resources in addition to the city's tailored reporting. We encourage you to reference the AWC Legislative Bulletin, which is posted online weekly and includes updates on hot -topic bills related to cities and how AWC plans to weigh in. GTH-GOV Legislative Agenda Items Spokane Valley Hill Day— On January 28th and 291h the Mayor, City Council, and City staff will be in Olympia to engage directly with legislators and advocate for the City's legislative priorities for the 2026 session. The GTH-GOV team has proactively reached out to key committee members to schedule meetings on behalf of the city, ensuring opportunities to discuss and advance the City's key priorities. Additionally, the GTH-GOV team has organized a dinner later in the evening of the 28th with the City and the City's legislative delegation. Detailed information regarding the City's Hill Day activities, including the schedule and agenda, has been shared with City staff. Balfour Park: The City asks the Legislature for $250,000 to provide lighting for basketball and pickleball courts and audio equipment within Balfour Park that will be under construction in 2026. The funding request form for this project has been submitted. Kratom Consumer Protection Act: House Bill 2291, sponsored by Rep. Kristine Reeves (D-30th LD), creates a comprehensive licensing, testing, packaging, and taxation framework for kratom processors and retailers, including an excise tax dedicated to youth regulated substance prevention. The House Consumer Protection & Business Committee will take public testimony on January 30. Housing Development Regulations: Spokane Valley City Councilmember Ben Wick testified on House Bill 2266 with concerns, conveying that cities must retain authority to require operating agreements (onsite supervision, security plans, codes of conduct), reasonable spacing between shelters to avoid over -concentration, and some zoning discretion so shelters are located near services rather than in every non -industrial zone without adequate public -safety resources or state funding as this is currently an unfunded mandate. Click here to watch his testimony in the House Housing Committee. House Bill 2266, sponsored by Rep. Strom Peterson (D-Edmonds), and its companion Senate Bill 6069, sponsored by Sen. Emily Alvarado (D-West Seattle), mandate that STEP housing be allowed in all non -industrial urban growth area zones. The bill also restricts cities' ability to require operational or good neighbor agreements. The House Housing Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2266 on January 20. Rep. Peterson explained he reintroduced this revised version of last year's STEP housing siting bill without the financial penalty mechanism, aiming to create clear, uniform, and predictable permitting standards so supportive and emergency housing can be sited and operated like other housing, consistent with the principle that "housing is housing." King County's Executive Office, Plymouth Housing, and Disability Rights Washington testified in support, while the Association of Washington Cities and several communities testified in opposition or as "other". AWC stressed that requiring emergency shelters and related uses in all non -industrial zones would override local judgment about appropriate locations near transit and services, and that cities need to retain operating -agreement tools to ensure safety while still expanding PSH and shelter. Cities shared concerns around the lack of review authority and the inability to condition their own funding or land contributions on basic operational standards and community engagement. GTH-GOV 2 Other Policy Issues Fiscal Management Local Government Revenue Tools: Senate Bill 6294, sponsored by Sen. Noel Frame (D-Seattle), and House Bill 2442, sponsored by Rep. April Berg (D-Mill Creek), broadly expand and restructure local real estate excise tax, sales and use tax, utility excise tax, and property tax levy authority. Click here to see AWC's chart of the different elements in the bill. House Bill 2442 was heard in the House Finance Committee in a public hearing on January 20. The sponsor shared that this bill is an eight -part toolkit that modernizes local revenue options ---mostly voter approved or locally elected decisions so cities and counties can better respond to housing, behavioral health, infrastructure, and service demands without creating any new statewide taxes or mandates, emphasizing local flexibility, voter involvement, and the clear nexus between each revenue source and its targeted use. AWC, Washington State Association of Counties, Low Income Housing Alliance, and others testified in support of the proposal, while Northwest Natural, the Wireless Association, Washington Association of Sewer and Water Districts, Washington Realtors, and others testified in opposition. Housing Affordability Condominium Warranty Changes: House Bill 2304, sponsored by Rep. Jamila Taylor (D-Federal Way), expands when developers of smaller condominium buildings can substitute express warranties and warranty insurance for implied warranties, by newly allowing this option for buildings with up to twelve units and four stories. The bill requires specified minimum coverage periods and defect recovery rights for both unit owners and associations when express warranties are used. The House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on the bill on January 23. The Housing Development Consortium, Office of the Insurance Commissioner, City of Seattle, Sightline Institute, Futurewise, Building Industry Association of Washington, and many others testified in support because this bill is a complement to middle - housing reforms that ensure stacked -flat condos can be built to help address severe homeownership inaccessibility and the condo production shortfall. There was no testimony in opposition. Permit -Ready Housing Plans: Senate Bill 6015, sponsored by Sen. Jessica Bateman (D-Olympia), creates a statewide program for preapproved permit -ready residential building plans and requires Growth Management Act jurisdictions, beginning January 1, 2027, to approve qualifying applications using these plans with limited additional local review. The bill directs the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) to publish compliant factory -built housing plans on a public -facing website, develop model ordinances that local governments must adopt or match, and cap permit -ready review fees at cost and below standard plan review levels while limiting local code compliance reviews to elements not covered by the state -approved plans. The Senate Housing Committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 6015 on January 21. The sponsor shared that the bill builds on existing L&I master -plan approvals for modular housing GTH-GOV 3 seen on a recent committee tour, aiming to create widely usable pre -approved residential plans that save time and money for families and help a nascent factory -built sector scale while aiding local permit streamlining. The American Institute of Architects Washington Council, L&I, Habitat for Humanity, and Sightline Institute testified in support of the bill. Notably, the Washington State Association of Counties & State Association of County Regional Planning Directors shared during their testimony that although they find pre -approved plans as a promising way to speed modular permitting, especially where local pre -approval systems already exist, they are opposed to the bill's blanket mandate that all jurisdictions adopt a Commerce model ordinance. Instead, they recommended starting with a pilot cohort to refine the approach without disrupting existing local programs. Utility Connection Charge Deferral: Senate Bill 6096, sponsored by Sen. Keith Goehner (R- Dryden), requires all cities and towns by 2030 to offer a system allowing applicants for residential building permits for new single-family detached, single-family attached, and multifamily housing to defer one-time water and sewer connection charges until late in the construction process. The bill requires jurisdictions to either defer payment until final inspection or until a certificate of occupancy or equivalent approval is issued, while prohibiting issuance of those approvals until the deferred charges are fully paid. The Senate Housing Committee held a public hearing on January 23. Sen. Goehner spoke to the bill, highlighting that the intent is to address housing affordability and provide a more affordable pathway for builders on their projects. The Building Industry Association of Washington and the Association of Washington Business testified in support because this legislation frees up capital for smaller builders and ultimately will lower housing prices. The Association of Washington Cities testified "Other" stating that positive progress can be made on this bill with language adjustments and consideration of system capacity moving into the future. City of Pasco and the Washington Association of Sewer and Water Districts testified against the bill because it shifts financial risk onto Sewer and Water as well as residents and undermines the current bond structure. Local Decision -Making Authority Homelessness Public Space Rights: House Bill 2489, sponsored by Rep. Mia Gregerson (D- SeaTac), prohibits cities, code cities, and counties from enforcing ordinances that criminalize or penalize life -sustaining activities in public spaces by people experiencing homelessness unless adequate alternative shelter space is available. The House Housing Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2489 on January 20. Councilmember Ben Wick was signed in to provide testimony in opposition; however, the committee ran out of time to hear from all testifiers. The sponsor shared that the bill is about dignity and setting a statewide floor so people with no place to go are not punished simply for surviving in public when no adequate shelter exists, clarifying it does not bar enforcement of other criminal laws and that the detailed definition of adequate shelter was added in response to concerns raised last session. ACLU of Washington and Interfaith Works testified in support of the bill, while several individual cities testified in opposition. Those testifying in opposition shared their concerns about the prescriptive definition of adequate shelter, the broad definition of "life -sustaining activity", and that the GTH-GOV 4 legislature should instead focus on funding treatments and shelter. Miscellaneous Permit Review Streamlining: House Bill 2418, sponsored by Rep. Davina Duerr (D-Bothell), standardizes and accelerates project permit review for residential housing in urban growth areas by vesting applications to the rules in effect at completeness, imposing coordinated timelines, and requiring fee refunds when deadlines are missed. The bill also mandates integrated permit processes by June 30, 2027, a single permit responsible official who must also coordinate State Environmental Policy Act review when the local government is the lead agency, and parallel timing and refund obligations for utilities and special purpose districts involved in permitting. Last week, the House Local Government Committee held a public hearing on January 16. The sponsor shared that this bill is a follow on to earlier permitting timelines legislation developed collaboratively with housing developers and city staff to improve permitting by extending timelines to all reviewing agencies and creating a single final permit decision maker and point of contact. The Building Industry Association of Washington and the Commercial Real Estate Development Association testified in support of the bill, while the Washington State Association of Counties, Futurewise, and Soundbuilt Homes testified in opposition. After the hearing, Rep. Duerr commented that there is broad agreement amongst builders and local governments. The Futurewise testimony against the vesting language gave Rep. Duerr clear direction to change that part of the bill while moving forward with the widely supported permit coordination and timeline provisions. On January 23 an amended version of the bill was voted out of committee unanimously. The changes remove vesting, clarify that completeness determinations are procedural and cannot be conditioned on the substantive sufficiency of information, codify the ability to waive deadlines and fee refunds, and clarify that reviewers who charge no fee need not issue refunds. Local Culvert Permitting Flexibility: Senate Bill 6154, sponsored by Sen. Jesse Salomon (D-32nd LD), extends and tailors hydraulic project approval timelines for local governments replacing fish -passage culverts and allows them, with Department of Fish and Wildlife approval, to redirect equivalent mitigation investments to higher -priority fish habitat barriers when emergency sites offer limited habitat benefit. The bill also makes minor technical and formatting changes to the hydraulic project approval statute. The Senate Local Government Committee held a public hearing on January 22. Thurston County Board of County Commissioners, Washington State Association of Counties, Thurston County Public Works Director, City of Shoreline, and Snohomish County Public Works testified in support of the bill because redirecting funds to higher -priority barriers will yield far better habitat gains per dollar and provide a regulatory framework for prioritization. Public Safety & Behavioral Health Accident Risk / Crash Prevention Zones: House Bill 2174, sponsored by Rep. Mark Klicker (R- Walla Walla), and Senate Bill 6066, sponsored by Sen. Nikki Torres (R-Pasco), authorize GTH-GOV 5 counties, cities, towns, and the Washington State Department of Transportation to designate high -collision segments of public roads as special safety zones. Within these zones, traffic infractions double to generate funding for engineering studies, signage, safety improvements, and additional enforcement. The House Local Government Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2174. The sponsor argued that long-term fixes like overpasses and four-laning are slow and expensive and that these zones can serve as a short-term tool to slow drivers, raise awareness, and fund interim safety measures until permanent improvements are built. City of Pasco, Washington State Association of Counties, and others testified in support, seeing this as a valuable local option to slow speeds and fund improvements, but highlighting implementation and liability concerns that need refinement, and there was no testimony in opposition. Both bills passed out of their respective policy committees this week with the same amendments. The changes replace the term "accident risk" with "crash prevention" and authorize counties, cities, towns, and WSDOT to establish crash prevention zones on roads with histories of serious -injury or fatal collisions. Local governments may designate zones that include WSDOT-managed roadways with WSDOT's approval, while WSDOT may independently designate zones on state highways. Within these zones, an additional $73 penalty may be imposed for speed -related or collision -related infractions when posted, and that $73 must be deposited into a dedicated crash prevention zone account managed by the jurisdiction where the infraction occurred. Liability issues were not addressed by the amended version of the bill. The bills will be discussed in their respective transportation committee before advancing. Property Theft Sentencing Enhancements: House Bill 2209, sponsored by Rep. Mari Leavitt (D- University Place), adds new sentencing enhancements for theft, robbery, possession of stolen property, and trafficking offenses when the value involved exceeds specified high -dollar thresholds. The bill increases incarceration time by 12 months when the value is $20,000 to $50,000, and by 24 months when the value exceeds $50,000, while leaving existing enhancement structures and youth sentencing discretion unchanged. The House Community Safety Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2209 on January 20. Rep. Leavitt spoke to the bill, arguing that Washington leads the nation in organized retail theft and that targeted sentence enhancements for high -dollar organized theft are needed to hold offenders accountable and improve public safety. The Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, Northwest Grocery Retail Association, Washington Retail Association, and others testified in support of the bill, noting it as an important first step to address underreported organized retail theft without over -incarcerating people committing crimes of need. The Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers & Washington Defense Association and Columbia Legal Services testified against bill, citing data that shows theft has declined for three consecutive years and emphasizing that longer sentences do not reduce crime and will likely worsen racial disproportionality without meaningfully improving public safety. Automated License Plate Privacy Regulations: House Bill 2332, sponsored by Rep. Osman Salahuddin (D-Redmond), and Senate Bill 6002, sponsored by Sen. Yasmin Trudeau (D-Tacoma), establish comprehensive limits on when agencies may use automated license plate reader GTH-GOV 6 (ALPR) systems. The House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee and the Senate Law & Justice Committee each held a public hearing on the proposal. During the hearings, the sponsors shared that over 80 cities and multiple counties and tribes already use ALPRs. Washington needs a statewide framework that preserves legitimate public -safety uses (stolen vehicles, missing persons, etc.) while putting strong guardrails around data retention, sharing, and privacy, especially for immigrants and other vulnerable communities. AWC, Washington State Auditors Office, OneAmerica, Lavender Rights Project, ACLU, and various communities shared support for a statewide regulation. Among those supporting, there were requests for amendments such as lengthening the 72-hour retention, adding a safe -harbor from excessive civil liability, treating an ALPR hit as sufficient reasonable suspicion for a vehicle stop because the plate is tied to a known investigation, and controlled inter -agency sharing. The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs indicated their ongoing work with the sponsor to adjust issues like retention, allowable uses, sharing, and oversight so ALPRs remain useful to agencies. On January 22, Senate Bill 6002 was voted out of committee unanimously with amendments. The changes clarify that toll cameras are not considered ALPR systems, expand lawful ALPR use for parking enforcement to include the Department of Enterprise Services and higher education institutions, and establish state and local agencies as the legal owners of ALPR data. The bill extends general data retention from 72 hours to 21 days (and longer by court order), requires ALPR logs to be kept for five years, and limits evidentiary exclusion to knowing violations. It also streamlines oversight by reducing the roles of the Washington State Attorney General's Office and the Washington State Auditor, instead requiring agencies to publish their ALPR policies online. Electric Motorcycle Definition: House Bill 2374, sponsored by Rep. Janice Zahn (D-Mercer Island), narrows the definition of electric -assisted bicycles by limiting motor power to 750 watts and excluding vehicles capable of exceeding 20 miles per hour on motor power alone or easily reconfigured to fall outside statutory requirements. It defines electric motorcycles and amends the definition of motorcycles to include them while maintaining existing exclusions and clarifies that electric motorcycles are treated as motorcycles for regulatory purposes. It also directs the Department of Licensing (DOL) to convene a stakeholder work group to evaluate enforcement, consumer protection, vehicle modification practices, and potential penalties related to misclassified electric vehicles, with recommendations due to the Governor and legislative transportation committees by December 15, 2026. The House Transportation Committee held a public hearing on House Bill 2374 on January 21. The sponsor shared that the bill is intended to get ahead of emerging high-speed electric motorcycles that resemble e-bikes, by clearly distinguishing true a -bikes that support micromobility from higher -powered e-motorcycles. AWC, recreation and park advocates alike, testified in support of the proposal. Reducing Cost Through Reform JLARC Lodging Tax Reporting Reduction: Senate Bill 5879, sponsored by Sen. Keith Wagoner (R- 39th LD), and its companion legislation, House Bill 2120, sponsored by Rep. Gerry Pollet (D-46th LD), eliminate the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee's (JLARC) biennial reporting to GTH-GOV 7 the Legislature on lodging tax revenues. The sponsor of House Bill 2120 shared that, as the JLARC Chair, he and the 16-member committee reviewed legally required reports and concluded the lodging -tax reviews are redundant or unused, given State Auditor oversight and past repeated findings; eliminating both will save money and free staff for more meaningful new performance audits. The House version of the bill was unanimously approved by the House State Government Committee and is in the House Rules Committee, where it will remain until it is selected to be voted on the House floor. The Senate Ways & Means Committee held a public hearing on Senate Bill 5879 on January 19. The Association of Washington Cities testified in support, arguing that accountability is already ensured through State Auditor reviews, public data, and local lodging tax advisory committees, and that dropping this outdated report saves city and JLARC resources. The Washington Hospitality Association shared concerns with the proposal, noting that eliminating JLARC review could weaken transparency unless another mechanism provides equivalent oversight. Litigation Financing Regulations: House Bill 2255, sponsored by Rep. Amy Walen (D-Kirkland), creates a new regulatory framework for third -party litigation financing agreements. The bill should have the effect of reducing city liability. The House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on the bill on January 21. Rep. Walen described this bill as a transparency and consumer -protection bill that does not ban litigation funding but requires disclosure of outside investors and is intended to address cost and insurance affordability impacts from undisclosed hedge fund and foreign -backed financing, aligning Washington with similar laws in many other states. Washington Liability Reform Coalition, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Washington, and the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) testified in support of the bill, highlighting the much -needed transparency and guardrails it provides. The Washington State Association for Justice and the International Legal Finance Association testified against the bill, calling it overbroad, misdirected, and arguing that it undermines access to justice for victims who need contingent financing while leaving corporate and insurer financing undisclosed. GTH-GOV 8