Yesterday Gov. Inslee signed several bills. He also vetoed sections of four policy bills in recognition of the changing outlook for the operating budget. The vetoes and the rationale behind them:

• Three pilot projects for law enforcement officer behavioral health in SSB 6570: “With the rapidly changing environment related to the state’s response to COVID-19 and the new economic realities the state faces, I made the difficult choice to veto the funding provided to support this pilot project” in the operating budget. (This saves $376,000.)
• A grant program for vessel registration and a vessel disposal pilot program in 2SSB 6528: “Unfortunately, neither of these new programs are sustainable due to the rapidly changing budget outlook as a result of our state’s efforts to respond to the Coronavirus outbreak.” (Fiscal impact isn’t clear.)
• A pilot program related to composting in ESHB 2713: “This new program is not sustainable due to a rapidly changing budget outlook.” (Fiscal impact isn’t clear.)
• A work group related to end-of-life photovoltaic modules in ESHB 2645: “Although recycling of photovoltaic modules is a worthwhile goal, the report on methodologies for the management of the end-of-life photovoltaic modules can be delayed in light of the rapidly changing budget outlook due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” (Fiscal impact isn’t clear.)

The governor is scheduled to take action on the operating and capital budgets (along with a number of other bills) this afternoon. Earlier this week, Gov. Inslee signed the transportation budget; he also vetoed some of its language given the downturn.

More on the potential operating budget vetoes here.