For those here for my bill tracker updated late 3/4, here. Worth noting the cut-offs are coming thick and fast for bills as per below:
Table of Contents
Clock Running Towards Temporary Restraining Order (TRO)
But there’s another clock running - and that’s towards a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) by the United States District Court Western District of Washington at Tacoma to get press passes to plaintiffs Jonathan Choe, Ari Hoffman and Brandi Kruse. As per United States District Judge David G. Estudillo’s March 4 order in Federal Case 3:26-cv-05214 - the schedule is as follows:
1. Defendants’ responses are due by 12:00 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2026.
2. Plaintiffs’ reply, if any, is due by 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 8, 2026.
3. An in-person hearing on the emergency motion for TRO is set for Monday, March 9, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. in Courtroom B of the United States Courthouse in Tacoma, Washington.
Remember the last day of session is March 12, and already some legislators are feeling the heat of challengers. Especially in the case of Rep. Larry Springer now facing legendary Redmond President Emeritus Vanessa Kritzer (endorsed by the author for courage under fire)… so the odds of the legislature going long are slim.
As regular readers know, this has been a long process and there was an attempt to resolve this in the state courts. However, the defendants decided to pull this to the federal courts for unknown reasons.
At least in the federal courts, one can see all the court filings via PACER - and not a long journey to the County Courthouse. But the federal courts rarely allow cameras or recorders into hearings.
Interview With Citizen Action Defense Fund
Finally, this Beehiv landed an initial interview with Citizen Action Defense Fund. Below are some items I asked their Director of Communications and Operations Paige McElwrath to clarify for us:
What do you think press passes will accomplish for the plaintiffs?
Freedom of the press is imperative in ensuring the general public is informed. Journalists have a right to cover the legislature and report on what is happening and the defendants do not have a right to cherry pick journalists they would prefer. This isn't about press passes for just these three journalists - it's about ensuring the state and federal constitutions are honored and freedom of the press is upheld. If the emergency TRO we filed is granted, these journalists will be allowed to cover the legislature through the end of session. There's not much time left, but every second counts.
Are you or your clients concerned about this opening the door to lobbyists getting press passes?
No. In fact, we're also asking the court to order to House and WSCCA to adopt clear, viewpoint-neutral standards governing press access. Right now, the rules lack clear and objective standards, and the authority for deciding who gets access has been improperly delegated to a private association with undisclosed rules and procedures.
Figured my readers should hear the plaintiff’s side of all of this. Soon defendants will be able to make their court filings - and I’ll work that into future Beehivs. We thank Paige for making the time to write to us to not just be our first interview, but give me some direction to help find the details to inform our readers.
Sunshine Month Events in Washington State…
It’s March and Sunshine Month has arrived. Below are some upcoming events…
Northwest Now schedule
KBTC.org will archive all the great Northwest Now programs to come.
There’s also the Washington Coalition for Open Government Sunshine Breakfast on March 13. I won’t be able to attend for several reasons, but FYI. Tom Layson is emceeing, many award winners will be recognized and more.