Making Politics Personal

Lawmaking can seem like a mysterious process to many of us, and yet it really doesn't have be that way. The Washington State government makes a substantial effort to make the legislative process accessible to everyone. If you've never thought of getting involved in lawmaking before, you might consider changing that this year, as the Washington State legislature convenes each January to debate and enact laws that impact the way we live and work.

The Process
Like most states, Washington has a bicameral legislature, meaning we have both a State Senate and a State House of Representatives to help create our laws. Each legislative session begins the second Monday in January, and lasts either 105 days (odd years) or 60 days (even years). During these sessions, some bills are introduced into the House of Representatives, while others are introduced into the Senate. Once these bills are introduced, they are then sent to committees for debate and public hearings. After making any refinements to the language that lawmakers feel are necessary, members of the committees determine which bills should be recommended for passage, at which time the bills are sent back to the full House or Senate for consideration. Bills that are successful in their houses of origin are turned over to the opposite house where the appropriate committees consider whether they be recommended for passage by the full house. Only bills that are passed in both the House of Representatives and the Senate are sent to the Governor to sign into law.