This is your opportunity to sign in to support and provide written or verbal testimony on an exciting bill that would reopen indoor dining.

About the bill

Senate Bill 5114 as proposed would immediately reopen all businesses, including restaurants, that have been closed since the governor’s restrictions that started in November 2020.

The proposal says “businesses, facilities, institutions and all other places or organizations whose activities would be limited or restricted under the governor’s Healthy Washington-Roadmap to Recovery Plan, which was announced on Jan. 5, 2021, must be allowed to immediately and safely reopen or resume under the provisions of Phase 2 of the Healthy Washington3 Roadmap to Recovery plan…”

Phase 2 is a return to indoor dining at 25 percent capacity. Read more about the phases here.

What to do now

You can either provide written testimony, or simply sign in as “Pro,” via the links below.

Committee: State Government & Elections
8 a.m. on Jan. 20

Click here to provide written testimony.

Click here to sign in as “Pro.”

If you choose to submit written testimony, you can do so until 24 hours after the start of the hearing.

What should you say?

Below is an example of written testimony you could provide to support this bill in:

Dear Mr. Chair and members of the committee,

My name is XXX and I operate XXX Business Name in XXX City, and I am writing to you asking you to support SB 5114, which would allow me to immediately reopen at 25% capacity. Under the current Healthy Washington — Roadmap to Recovery Plan I am unable to run a profitable business, while the 25% capacity restriction does not generate the amount of revenue I need to be successful, it does allow me to rehire team members and restores a little hope resuming indoor dining operations.

Share your story by answering one or more of the following questions:

  • How has COVID-19 and Washington’s recovery plan impacted your business?
  • How has it impacted your personal life and goals for the future?
  • How have the lives of your employees been affected?

The hospitality industry has been devastated over the last 10 months, it is time to reopen local restaurants to help our businesses, our employees and our communities recover.

Please support my business and my employees by supporting SB 5114.

Sincerely,

XXXX

Next step – inform your employees

Please also tell your employees about the hearing on Jan. 20 and encourage them to sign in and provide testimony.