Category Archives: News Release

OLYMPIA – Washington would become the 41st state in the country to outlaw female genital mutilation (FGM), under legislation passed unanimously today by the Senate. FGM, the cutting or removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons, is often ...

The Washington State Senate today passed SB 5729, legislation to ensure that Washingtonians with diabetes would continue to pay no more than $35 a month for insulin. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines) and passed unanimously. ...

The Washington state Senate today unanimously passed SB 5111, legislation sponsored by Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines) to help short-term construction workers accrue paid sick leave. “When voters passed Initiative 1433, they said they expect Washington workers to get paid ...

OLYMPIA – New hires in Washington would no longer have to take cannabis tests as a condition of employment, under legislation passed today by the Senate. Currently available cannabis tests work by detecting metabolites that can remain in the body ...

OLYMPIA – Legislation from 2021 and 2022 saved employers roughly $2.5 billion in state unemployment insurance (UI) premium payments over the last three years, according to a new report from the Washington State Employment Security Department. The report, part of ...

OLYMPIA – After the release of a poll showing that half of healthcare workers in Washington say they are likely to leave the field in the next few years, Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines), the chair of the Senate Labor ...

OLYMPIA – On the heels of the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Democrats in the Washington State Legislature are proposing comprehensive action to strengthen state protections for reproductive freedom. On Tuesday, five bills will be heard across three Senate ...

OLYMPIA – Two legislators from the 33rd Legislative District have been chosen by their colleagues to preside over floor debate in the Washington State House and Senate. Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines) was unanimously reelected Jan. 9 as Senate President ...

OLYMPIA – Employers in Washington state who provide reproductive health care benefits would gain recourse against penalties imposed by other states under legislation filed by Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines) and Rep. Liz Berry (D-Seattle). “After the U.S. Supreme Court’s ...

OLYMPIA – At the request of Gov. Jay Inslee, Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines) and Sen. Patty Kuderer (D-Bellevue) have filed a constitutional amendment that would provide the strongest possible state-level protection for reproductive freedom. Senate Joint Resolution 8202 would ...