SHB 1654 goes to WA State Senate Ways and Means Committee – please contact your Senator
SB 5017 passed out of Ways & Means Committee on 4/1 – progress
SHB 1654: Controlling noxious weeds while still supporting pollen-rich forage plant communities for honey bees.
Having more and better forage in WA State was one of the major issues of the State Honey Bee Work Group that completed its one-year study in December 2014. SHB 1654 develops pilot projects to replace noxious weeds with native plants that provide good bee forage.
The “forage” bill passed in the House and the Senate Natural Resources Committee. It now goes to the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Senators need to hear from beekeepers if they support the passage of this bill.
To do so, go to leg.wa.gov
- From the left sidebar, click on “Bill Information.”
- On the bill page, put the bill number – 1654 – in the “search by” box and click on search.
- On the page with the bill information, there is a green “Comment on this bill” box close to the top, next to the bill number. Click on that box.
- Add your name and address to verify your legislative district.
- Comment on the bill – indicating that you support it if you do.
- Submit the form. You can choose to send your comment to all three of yourlegislators if you wish.
Here are the Senators on the Ways and Means Committee who should hear from their constituents.
Legislator District Representing People In …
Andy Hill 45th Woodinville, Sammamish, Duvall
John Braun 20th Centralia – Mt. Rainier
Bruce Dammeier 25th Puyallup – South Hill – Parkland
Jim Honeyford 15th Yakima
Jim Hargrove 24th Olympic Peninsula
Karen Keiser 33rd Kent
Kevin Ranker 40th San Juan Islands
Barbara Bailey 10th Whidbey Island – Oak Harbor
Randi Becker 2nd Yelm, Eatonville, Mt. Rainier area
Andy Billig 3rd Spokane
Sharon Brown 8th Richland, Kennewick
Steve Conway 29th Lakewood, Spanaway, Fredrickson
Karen Fraser 22nd Olympia
Bob Hasegawa 11th Tukwila, Duwamish, E. Renton
Brian Hatfield 19th Aberdeen, Longview
Mike Hewitt 16th Walla Walla
Jeanne Kohl-Welles 36th Bainbridge, Poulsbo, Keyport
Steve O’Ban 28th Lakewood, U Place, Anderson Island
Mike Padden 4th Spokane
Linda Evans Parlette 12th Wenatchee, Okanagan
Christine Rolfes 23rd Poulsbo, Keyport, Bainbridge
Mark Schoesler 9th Pullman, Richland
Judy Warnick 13th Ellensburg, Ephrata
An update on SB 5017 “Defining honey bee products and services as an agricultural product”
This bill passed out of Ways & Means Committee without amendment on 4/1. Now it either goes to Rules Committee or can be pulled directly to the floor for vote.