OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill into law today that requires the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee (JLARC) to incorporate a racial equity analysis into its audits, reviews and evaluations. JLARC consists of 16 members evenly split between senators and representatives in the Republican and Democratic caucuses. Nonpartisan staff within JLARC evaluate programs and conduct performance audits, sunset reviews, and other analyses as assigned by the Legislature. Senate Bill 5405 was sponsored by Sen. Bob Hasegawa (D-Seattle) and allows JLARC to work with statewide commissions to design the racial equity analysis. “This is an important addition to other work we have done this session to advance racial equity,” said Hasegawa. “As a member of JLARC, I have been disappointed ...
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Floor speech in support of HB 2124 – extending collective bargaining to legislative employees
Videos from the 2020 Session
Senate Resolution 8701: Nuclear Weapons Testing in the Marshall Islands Marshallese Community Members Perform in Honor of the resolution Amendments 1365 and Amendment 1366 on Senate Bill 6690 (Aerospace B&O Taxes) Senate Joint Memorial 8006: Nuclear Checks and Balances Senate Bill 6138: Beginning Educator Support Team Program Senate Bill 6066: Ethnic Studies Senate Bill 5679: Public Facilities Mitigation State Bank Update State Bank Bill Testimony (Senate Bill 5995) Legislative Update: Jan. 21, 2020 Martin Luther King Day message
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About Bob
Bob is a longtime labor and social justice activist. He led many workers struggles, winning top wages and benefits for working families and retirees, and he collaborated in many social justice struggles to protect civil rights, democracy, the environment and our constitutional rights.
Read Bob’s full biography here.
In the News
The Washington state Legislature, which has proposed legislation in the past to tackle issues such as data privacy and the use of facial recognition tech, is now reviewing a bill that would regulate the use of “automated decision systems” and AI technology within state government. According to the bill, these systems use algorithms to analyze data to help make or support decisions that ...
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Washington State’s 2021 legislative session kicked off on January 11 and it will go for 105 days, until April 25. Between now and then, State senators and representatives will introduce bills to the legislature, refer them to their applicable committees, and consider the bills multiple times and at various stages before a bill is potentially passed into law. This year’s ...
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Senator Bob Hasegawa, who represents Washington’s 11th District (Renton, Tukwila, part of Kent, SoDo, the Industrial District, Georgetown, and South Park), introduced a bill that would create a healthcare trust allowing everyone in the state to access affordable healthcare, vision care, dental, and mental health care. Hasegawa’s bill, SB 5204, has six co-sponsors so far. Hasegawa said in an interview with the ...
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