Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Speaker of the Washington State House has released a three part plan to address faulty home construction.

Frank Chopp, a Seattle Democrat, has opposed legislation that would allow homeowners to sue builders. His alternate proposal would strengthen contractor licensing and create an office of consumer protection. It would also set up a task force to study what remedies should be available to homeowners.
 
Chopp: “Having been involved in the housing field helping build a lot of housing for low income people I think it’s very important we do it the right way. There’s a lot of different points of view and I would like to bring together the stakeholders in the interim in a serious way to look at what works there.”
 
State Senator Brian Weinstein, a Mercer Island Democrat, calls the Speaker’s proposal “totally inadequate.” Weinstein is the sponsor of the legislation Chopp has opposed for the past two years. It’s a Homeowner Bill of Rights that includes the right to sue and recover damages in cases of shoddy building.