News Releases

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that a Seattle concrete company could move ahead with a lawsuit against workers who had gone on strike in 2017. Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines), who serves as chair of the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee, offered the following statement on the ruling: “This ruling will have a chilling effect on workers considering a ...

OLYMPIA – Small towns around Washington state that have seen local news wither will get a civic shot in the arm from new funding in the state’s budget, passed Sunday. The appropriation of $2.4 million over the next two years, championed by Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines) and Sen. Marko Liias (D-Everett), establishes a new public-interest journalism fellowship program in the ...

OLYMPIA – Washingtonians would be guaranteed uninterrupted access to the safe, effective medication used in nearly 60% of abortions in the state, under a bill passed by the Senate today on a 28-18 party-line vote after a lengthy debate. At the direction of Gov. Jay Inslee, the state Department of Corrections (DOC) has purchased a three-year supply of mifepristone using its ...

OLYMPIA – Washingtonians would be guaranteed uninterrupted access to the safe, effective medication used in nearly 60% of abortions in the state, under a bill that passed the Senate Ways & Means Committee today. At the direction of Gov. Jay Inslee, the state Department of Corrections (DOC) has purchased a three-year supply of mifepristone using its existing statutory authority and pharmacy ...

OLYMPIA – Gov. Jay Inslee today signed SB 5729, which ensures that Washingtonians with diabetes will continue to pay no more than $35 a month for insulin. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines). In 2022, legislators passed Keiser’s previous insulin bill, which capped the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 a month, but the cap ...

OLYMPIA – New hires in Washington will no longer have to take cannabis tests as a condition of employment, under legislation passed today by the House. Washington joins California and Nevada in banning pre-employment discrimination based on cannabis. Having received minor amendments in the House, the bill will return to the Senate for a vote on concurrence before going to the ...

Sehab Boparai, a freshman from Seattle Christian School in SeaTac, served as a page with the Washington State Senate the week of March 20. Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines) sponsored his week at the Legislature. The page program offers a week of interactive learning about how state government works. Pages get to witness committee hearings, sit in on floor debates, and ...

OLYMPIA – Washington would become the 41^st 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 used to control a girl’s sexuality and make her acceptable for marriage in her community. It can cause serious consequences for ...

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. In 2022, legislators passed Keiser’s previous insulin bill, SB 5546, which capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month, ...

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 sick leave. It’s fair, it’s right, and it’s what the voters want. Unfortunately, there are some workers for whom that ...