The Washington Senate Law & Justice Committee advanced five bills during its Jan. 16 executive session, sending each with a due‑pass recommendation to the next relevant committee. The measures include changes to corporate board committee rules, a prohibition on certain animals in traveling acts, a uniform court exhibit retention schedule, an impaired‑driving bill that would lower the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) from 0.08 to 0.05, and a weapons‑restrictions bill that will allow local prohibitions with an exemption for concealed‑pistol‑license holders.

The committee voted by voice on each item. The bills advanced are Senate Bill 5006 (conforming changes to the Washington Business Corporation Act), Senate Bill 5065 (prohibiting certain animals in traveling animal acts), Senate Bill 5021 (five‑year retention schedule for court exhibits), Senate Bill 5067 (impaired driving, including a proposed substitute adopted in committee), and proposed substitute Senate Bill 5098 (restrictions on weapons in certain places, with amendments adopted).

Senate Bill 5067 (impaired driving) would lower the per se blood and breath alcohol concentration limit for operating a vehicle or watercraft from 0.08 to 0.05 and requires a public‑information campaign. Committee staff described two proposed substitutes: "Alpha," which lengthened the Washington Institute for Public Policy (WISP) study of the law's impact from two years to three, and "Bravo," offered by Senator Fortunato, which would have adjusted penalty thresholds by adding a 0.12 BAC tier and changing the top tier from 0.15 to 0.12 and added a 0.01 threshold. The committee rejected the Bravo substitute and adopted proposed substitute Alpha; the measure was recommended to the Transportation Committee.

On Senate Bill 5098 (weapons restrictions), the committee considered multiple amendments. An amendment to exempt concealed‑pistol‑license (CPL) holders from the bill's prohibitions was adopted after floor discussion highlighting relative homicide rates cited by a sponsor. Other amendments — including ones that would have required municipalities to provide armed security at certain facilities or would have exempted armed private investigators — failed. The committee rolled the adopted changes into a proposed substitute and recommended the substitute be sent to the Rules Committee.

Senate Bill 5065, which would prohibit use of certain animals in traveling animal acts, received a due‑pass recommendation but drew a recorded dissent in debate. Senator Jeff Wagner said he would vote "no" and described concerns that a broad ban could unfairly restrict educational and rural programs that bring animals to communities with limited access to zoos or other facilities. "We have very strict rules on animal treatment and animal cruelty in this state...we should be doing this by going after people who are bad actors in the industry, not by a blanket approach," he said.

Senate Bill 5006 (Washington Business Corporation Act changes) and Senate Bill 5021 (court exhibits retention schedule set at five years) also received due‑pass recommendations and were sent to Rules Committee subject to signatures.

Committee members said several of the measures will be subject to further amendment as they move through the Senate. All executive‑session votes were by voice; no roll‑call tallies were taken in the committee record.

Ending: The committee completed its executive session and proceeded to scheduled public hearings later the same day, where several criminal‑justice bills received extended testimony from prosecutors, defense organizations, victim advocates and industry representatives.