Category Archives: News Release

15 Apr
0

Senate passes bill to address Supreme Court’s Blake decision

Washington would re-establish a statewide legal framework pertaining to controlled substances and expanding behavioral health treatment options, under a bill passed today by the Senate. In a Feb. 25 decision in the case of State v. Blake, the Washington State ...

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14 Apr
0

Governor signs bill to protect homebuyers from faulty electrical work

  OLYMPIA – Today, Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law a measure that will protect people who purchase “flipped” homes from damage or injury due to inadequately performed electrical work. Senate Bill 5267, sponsored by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D-Seattle), requires ...

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10 Apr
0

Salomon’s driver’s license suspension reform bill approved by House

OLYMPIA – A bill that takes another step toward decriminalizing poverty by removing non-payment of moving violation-based traffic infractions from a list of actions that can lead to criminal enforcement of license suspensions was approved by the House of Representatives ...

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09 Apr
0

Keiser bill to cut $500 million in business taxes passes Senate

OLYMPIA — A bill to provide hard-hit businesses with $500 million from a state funded unemployment relief account to reduce unemployment insurance (UI) premium taxes in 2022 passed the Senate today on a unanimous vote of 49-0. “This awful pandemic ...

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09 Apr
0

Retired public employees protected from pandemic impacts

OLYMPIA — Legislation signed into law this week by the governor will protect public employee’s retirement plans from any budget moves because of the pandemic. Average final salary and earned service credits must include any compensation that was forgone as ...

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07 Apr
0

Governor signs historic police arbitration reform bill into law

OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill into law today that sets in place the most comprehensive standards for police officer arbitration in Washington in decades. Senate Bill 5055, sponsored by Sen. Joe Nguyen (D – West Seattle), increases ...

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01 Apr
0

Senate passes landmark $59.2 billion budget for state’s recovery

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Senate passed a $59.2 billion, two-year budget today to boost funding for state services and provide essential support for the state’s pandemic recovery efforts. The 2021-23 operating budget includes an additional $7 billion in one-time ...

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30 Mar
0

Senate transportation budget funds workgroup on car tab payments

OLYMPIA — Community members that are experiencing difficulty affording their car tab fees in a lump sum may find relief from a workgroup to study alternative payment options in the Senate Transportation budget that passed off the senate floor this ...

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29 Mar
0

Salomon’s bill to boost critical Orca food supply approved by House

OLYMPIA – A bill aimed at restoring salmon habitat for Puget Sound orcas struggling to find enough food to survive was approved by the House of Representatives on Sunday. Senate Bill 5273, sponsored by Sen. Jesse Salomon (D-Shoreline), would require residential ...

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29 Mar
0

Kuderer’s bill to ban open carry weapons at permitted demonstrations and Capitol campus wins House approval

OLYMPIA – A bill, SB 5038, sponsored by Sen. Patty Kuderer (D-Bellevue), that would prohibit the open carry of firearms and other weapons on the state Capitol grounds and within 250 feet of permitted public demonstrations was approved by the ...

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