In The News

As battles over books and libraries continue to rage nationwide, the Washington Senate took a small step Wednesday to protect libraries across the state. Senate Bill 5824, passed unanimously by the Senate on Wednesday, comes in response to an effort last year to close the only library in rural Columbia County. It would make such attempts more difficult, requiring more signatures ...

After a rural library district was at risk of being dissolved last year, Washington senators voted 49-0 on to improve the process that could close libraries. The measure also would not leave people out of the dissolution process. For more than a year, some people called books at a library in southeastern Washington “pornographic and offensive.” Dayton library leaders refused to ...

Numerous Democrats in the Washington Legislature are backing a new proposal to make voting in elections compulsory. Citizens are required by law to cast ballots in about 25 counties, but in no other U.S. states. Republicans in Olympia described the idea as "un-American." State Sen. Sam Hunt (D-Olympia) said he got the idea for what he calls "universal civic duty voting" from ...

History shows us that primaries are more representative than party caucuses. Caucuses are often inaccessible to people who work Saturdays or have other time commitments. Our military personnel serving overseas and people working out of state are denied access. It’s time to move away from that antiquated system.

By Joel Connelly The Washington State Senate, unlike a gridlocked Congress in the “other” Washington, has powered ahead on multiple fronts this week, culminating Friday with passage of the long-delayed Washington Voting Rights Act (WVRA).

ALL communities deserve opportunities to elect public officials who best reflect those communities. Unfortunately, flaws in our election system often result in elected bodies that do not accurately reflect the communities they represent. Election processes that result in voter disenfranchisement are illegal. And while there’s ample evidence that these unfair systems exist in our state, it is nearly impossible for local communities ...