The Washington state Senate has passed its first bills of the 2013 legislative session, but has put off a vote on a set of controversial measures intended to save businesses money by changing workers' compensation rules.

Senate Republican Leader Mark Schoesler said the five bills dealing with workers' compensation, which passed out of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee Monday, will likely come to the floor soon.

Among the five bills passed Wednesday with broad support were Senate Bill 5052, which would allocate an additional superior court judge to Whatcom County and Senate Bill 5021, which would change the name of the crime of rioting to that of criminal mischief.

Those bills will now be transferred to the House.