(The Center Square) – After hours of intense debate on the House floor Monday, majority Democrats pushed though one of the most contentious bills of the 2025 legislative session.
House Democrats also for the first time used a controversial new rule to silence minority Republicans.
“We knew this day might come, but to see it unfold during the Parental Rights initiative – backed by nearly half a million voters – is a disgrace, ” said Republican Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Chris Corry, R-Yakima, in a news release following the lengthy debate.
Early in the 2025 legislative session, House Democrats voted to eliminate a 132-year-old rule concerning open debate. They reduced the super-majority two-thirds threshold previously required to end debate, making it a simple majority.
Majority Democrats made use of the rule change three times during Monday afternoon’s debate to limit Republican speeches on the floor.
SB 5181 concerns changes to the Parent’s Bill of Rights under I-2081, signed into law during the 2024 legislative session.
Democrats contend I-2081 caused confusion for school districts and they argue it conflicts with federal protections for student privacy.
Some of the biggest changes the bill would make to 2081 center around parents’ access to their children’s medical records.
It would remove the rights of parents to be notified when medical services are being offered to their child, including notifications when a school has arranged for medical treatment that results in follow-up care outside normal school hours.
Last week, companion legislation – HB 1296 – passed the full House with no Republicans in support.
During Monday’s floor debate, Republicans offered several amendments ahead of final passage. All were rejected including an amendment offered by Rep. Mike Volz, R-Spokane, to protect women and girls in sports.
“The science is settled. There are significant differences between males and females and these differences manifest themselves as early as seven or eight years old,” said Volz.
Rep. Sharlett Mena, D-Tacoma, spoke against the amendment.
“This amendment relies on two erroneous premises. The first is that trans-girls are not girls; not true. The second is that boys are inherently better athletes than girls. Not true. I have three younger healthy brothers and if I challenge them in a game of hoops, you’d do well to place your bets on me and win some easy money,” said Mena. “Gender identity and gender expression are protected classes under Washington law, which means schools cannot discriminate on this basis.”
Rep. Dan Griffey, R-Allyn, offered an amendment to allow school districts to offer separate showering facilities so girls don’t have to be in the same setting as boys who are transitioning and competing in girls’ sports.
“Three of my school districts have transitioning males showering with females in their sports locker rooms. That is a mistake and subjects’ young women who do not want to be exposed to the genitalia of young men. We recommended to the school to offer a separate shower area for the transitioning student and the school told us they could not do that because the Superintendent of Public Instruction said that he would cut the funding for their schools,” said Griffey.
Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo, spoke against Griffey’s amendment.
“Our schools have been very creative in trying to individually meet the needs and concerns of all parents. To ask every school in our state to build a separate shower is way beyond the means of our state,” said Ortiz-Self.
Rep. Griffey responded to say OSPI is standing in the way of schools protecting girls and his amendment would ensure they can accommodate separate shower areas.
“We don’t have to tell our young ladies that you have to shower with somebody with a penis. We do not have to do that,” said Griffey.
Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, also spoke in support of Griffey’s amendment.
“The bathroom is a safe place, especially when young people are going through puberty and hormones are flying and raging, it’s critical that we have separate sex bathrooms but still provide accommodations for those who may be transitioning,” said Couture. “For every one person who says they are comfortable with the current arrangement in our schools today, there are many more people who are not comfortable with it.”
The amendment was not adopted.
Republicans also offered an amendment to remove any pornographic or sexually explicit materials in schools. It too was rejected.
“In this state, the people affirmed their support for making sure students have accurate information confirming what we know students should know in their comprehensive sexual health education,” argued Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver.
Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, spoke in favor of an amendment to shield students from surveys that in some cases include very personal questions about drug use or sexual behavior.
“They tend to focus on issues that are outside of what some of us consider basic education,” said Walsh. “In some cases, these surveys may be intended to help a student and help with their development, but Mr. Speaker, they are an inappropriate tool in many cases.”
Rep. Kristine Reeves, D-Federal Way, urged members to reject the amendment, arguing parents already have the right to opt their children out of surveys at school.
Just ahead of final passage, Rep. Shaun Scott, D-Seattle, rose in support of the bill.
“Initiative 2081 had vague language that raised various concerns and the bill before for us protects parental and legal guardian involvement in student education and it aligns with civil rights law and it honors diversity,” said Scott.
Some Republican members were visibly emotional during final remarks, including Rep. Joel McEntire, R-Cathlamet.
“Do you honestly think when this passes that parents who took their kids out of school are going to say they’ll put them back in? Quite the contrary, more will leave. Parents have lost trust in us because of this. I’m sorry I’m kind of breaking here but I just wish things were different,” McEntire said through tears.
The bill passed with no Republicans in support. One Democrat, Rep. Adison Richards of Key Peninsula, voted against the bill.
