News Releases

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 ...

OLYMPIA – Sen. Bob Hasegawa (D-Beacon Hill) was chosen by the Washington State Senate Democratic Caucus to be the Majority Caucus Chair early last month. He has filled the position as Interim Chair since Sen. John McCoy retired ...

Governor Jay Inslee signed two closely watched bills recently that were championed through the 2020 Legislative Session by Sen. Bob Hasegawa (D-Seattle). Senate Bill 6066 received Inslee’s approval on March 18, and will expand ethnic studies opportunities in schools throughout ...

Three bills designed to increase equity in Washington’s education system passed the Washington State Senate on Wednesday. The bills, all sponsored by Sen. Bob Hasegawa (D-Seattle), would increase equity by addressing ethnic studies curricula, the shortage of teachers from underrepresented communities, ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Feb. 10, 2018   Senate passes Hasegawa bill to avoid institutional racism   OLYMPIA — Future legislative proposals will be assessed for disproportionate or unintended impacts on racial and ethnic populations, under legislation passed today by the Senate. “Passing this bill ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Feb. 10, 2018   Hasegawa’s wrongful death legislation moves off the Senate floor ‘We are now one step closer towards justice for the victims lost in the Ride the Ducks Seattle crash’   OLYMPIA – Sen. Bob Hasegawa’s, D-Beacon-Hill, released ...

The Senate’s State Government, Tribal Relations & Elections Committee heard a bill Friday that would end Washington’s Affirmative Action ban, which has been in place since 1998. Bill sponsor Bob Hasegawa, D-Seattle, said that repealing the ban would help undo ...

OLYMPIA – Following the 2017 election, which shifted control of the state Senate from Republicans to Democrats, Sen. Bob Hasegawa, D-Seattle, has been chosen to serve on several key Senate committees. He will vice-chair both the Senate Financial Institutions & Insurance ...

OLYMPIA – A month and a half after the House of Representatives passed a similar measure, the state Senate passed Senate Bill 5023 just before a key deadline, delaying the so-called levy cliff and a $358 million dollar cut ...

OLYMPIA – A bill by Sen. Bob Hasegawa, D-Seattle, addresses impacts to neighborhoods in large cities with high poverty levels and high rates of ethnic diversity by the construction of public facilities, like light rail stations. “When light rail stations went ...