Our communities are begging for housing stability. It is time to listen. This is why both the Senate and House Members of Color caucuses have prioritized stabilizing rent increases (HB 2114/SB 5961) as our top housing policy for the 2024 legislative session. As chairs of our respective caucuses, we are the first to recognize we are not a monolith and don’t aim to become one. We represent diverse interests and districts. As elected leaders of color, we carry multiple truths born of our varied lived experiences. We hold the perspectives of the constituents we ...
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Police could call judges at a domestic violence crime scene to issue no-contact orders, and a cold case unit would be formed to examine cold cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous women under several bills under consideration by Washington legislators. Lawmakers held a bipartisan news conference Tuesday to highlight a collection of domestic violence-related bills.
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Recess would be mandatory at public schools in Washington under a bill before the state Legislature. Senate Bill 5457 would require that elementary students receive at least 45 minutes of play time per day, far more than many elementary students currently receive.
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The Washington State Legislature celebrated the accomplishments of the Washington National Guard during concurrent House and Senate sessions on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. “I find it to be a tremendous honor to represent the 28th District and our National Guard members, whether it was during our COVID response or during other tremendous deeds in our community. What I appreciate about our National Guard is their service beyond themselves and their commitment locally and to answer the call to service any time,” said Sen. T’wina Nobles, who represents the 28th District, which is home of Camp Murray.
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Washington could stop businesses from pricing products differently simply because of the gender they're marketed to — like those pink razors that are basically the same as their blue counterparts but cost more.
That's what Senate Bill 5171 would do, says state Sen. Manka Dhingra, the bill's prime sponsor. Dhingra, a Democrat representing Redmond, says that women often face unfair pricing on everything from personal care products to toys.Read More
Washington state is considering making school meals free to every student. That idea received wide support at a recent Senate hearing. But some opponents say it’s a bad idea.
Jason Perrins, superintendent of the Chewelah School District in Stevens County, told the committee he agrees that hunger gets in the way of learning. But he opposes a universal free meal program.
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A bill filed in the Washington State legislature last week and co-sponsored by Senators T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest) and Claire Wilson (D-Auburn) would ensure students receive a minimum of 45 minutes of recess during each school day. There is currently no Washington state law guaranteeing recess for students.
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Sen. Andy Billig (D-Spokane) was re-elected Senate Majority Leader on Friday, a position he has held since first being selected by his colleagues for the post in November 2018. Sen. Bob Hasegawa (D-Seattle) was selected Caucus Chair for the second time. Both were elected by acclamation. Billig begins his third term as majority leader. During his tenure, the Spokane lawmaker has seen the Senate pass landmark legislation to improve childcare, K-12 education, voting access, tax reform, gun safety, climate action, health care and much more. Under Billig’s leadership, the Legislature has adjourned on time five sessions in a row without ...
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(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined Washington state women leaders at a Seattle Planned Parenthood clinic to sound the alarm about the urgent need to protect the right to abortion and pass the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA), in the wake of news that the Supreme Court plans to overturn Roe v. Wade and end the constitutional right to abortion. Click here to read more...
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Washingtonians 18 and under soon won’t have to pay to use public transit across most — if not all — of Washington state. In March, the Legislature approved $3 billion in additional money for transit that will roll out over the next 16 years. But about half of the money comes with a specific condition attached: Transit agencies must let people 18 and under board buses and trains free.
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