OLYMPIA — Washington state’s behavioral health system is coming out of the 2023 legislative session with nearly $1 billion in new funding and crucial innovative initiatives established. “With the rollout of Washington’s new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, our state ...
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OLYMPIA – Small towns around Washington state that have seen local news wither will get a civic shot in the arm from new funding in the state’s budget, passed Sunday. The appropriation of $2.4 million over the next two years, ...
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OLYMPIA – Washingtonians would be guaranteed uninterrupted access to the safe, effective medication used in nearly 60% of abortions in the state, under a bill passed by the Senate today on a 28-18 party-line vote after a lengthy debate. At ...
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OLYMPIA – Washingtonians would be guaranteed uninterrupted access to the safe, effective medication used in nearly 60% of abortions in the state, under a bill that passed the Senate Ways & Means Committee today. At the direction of Gov. Jay ...
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OLYMPIA — A new law signed today by Gov. Jay Inslee will ensure hate crimes can be more effectively prosecuted and courts can require offenders to complete rehabilitative programs. “Hate crimes are horrific acts of violence that do more than ...
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OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee today signed SB 5729, which ensures that Washingtonians with diabetes will continue to pay no more than $35 a month for insulin. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines). In 2022, legislators ...
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OLYMPIA – New hires in Washington will no longer have to take cannabis tests as a condition of employment, under legislation passed today by the House. Washington joins California and Nevada in banning pre-employment discrimination based on cannabis. Having received ...
Read MoreOLYMPIA — Washington’s acute shortage of trained forensic pathologists would be eased under legislation passed unanimously today by the Senate. The scarcity of forensic pathologists — doctors who perform autopsies — has led to monthslong delays before bodies can be ...
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OLYMPIA — Washington state would license innovative crisis relief centers for people with behavioral health needs, providing an alternative to emergency rooms and jails, under legislation passed unanimously today by the Senate. SB 5120, sponsored by Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond), ...
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OLYMPIA – Washington would become the 41st state in the country to outlaw female genital mutilation (FGM), under legislation passed unanimously today by the Senate. FGM, the cutting or removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons, is often ...
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