alt Hacker NewsEspecially when WA’s ruling party regularly uses false ‘emergency’ declarations to make new laws become effective immediately and because this lets them make new legislation immune to voter referendums (yes they abuse this loophole all the time). They could do the same here. If they don’t, it’s a choice made on purpose.
Washington has a 2/3 threshold in both houses of the legislature to pass emergency legislation, and the majority party is short of a 2/3 supermajority in both houses, so it is actually impossible for them to unilaterally pass emergency bills. Also, emergency laws in Washington are not immune to initiative (repeal or amendment by subsequent laws passed by the voters), but are immune to referendum (popular veto by the voters before going into effect).