Lawmakers in at least eight states this year are aiming to reel in wage garnishment for unpaid medical bills. The legislation introduced in Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, and Washington builds on efforts made in other states in past years. This latest push for patient protections comes as the Trump administration has backed away from federal debt protections, health care has become more costly, and more people are expected to go without medical coverage or choose cheaper but riskier high-deductible insurance plans ...
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Washington’s local news industry is in crisis, and our democracy is suffering because of it. Last year, Washington State University published the most comprehensive picture to date of our state’s local news industry. Researchers identified more than 1,000 active outlets in Washington, including newspapers, news websites, magazines, and radio and TV stations, but determined only 353 consistently produce original, locally relevant news.
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OLYMPIA — Hospitals, parks and schools: These key locations are the focus of a bill that would require accessible pedestrian passage to be maintained during construction there.
The prime sponsor of Senate Bill 6311, Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, said the measure was born out of a story he heard from Monroe about a hospital that had a street construction project without adequate pedestrian access.
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OLYMPIA — Hospitals, parks and schools: These key locations are the focus of a bill that would require accessible pedestrian passage to be maintained during construction there.
The prime sponsor of Senate Bill 6311, Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, said the measure was born out of a story he heard from Monroe about a hospital that had a street construction project without adequate pedestrian access.
"As we think about how folks access our hospitals, our schools, our parks, a lot ...Read More
A proposed bill in Washington state's Legislature during the 2025 session would have banned cellphone use by students in the state's public schools, but it failed to get off the ground.
Lawmakers aren't giving up though.
This year, the Legislature is taking another shot at tackling rampant cellphone use among the state's students, but with a milder approach.
Washington state Sen. Marko Liias, D-Edmonds, appeared in front of the Washington state Senate Early Learning and ...
Read MoreOLYMPIA, Wash. – Lawmakers in Olympia are reviewing a bill designed to make home sales more equitable and accessible to everyone. The proposed legislation would prohibit private home listings unless properties are also marketed to the general public. The bill, discussed in committee on Friday, aims to prevent real estate brokers from offering homes exclusively to select groups unless the listings are visible to all potential buyers. State Senator Marko Liias emphasized the bill's role in promoting fairness for buyers and ...
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Washington and Oregon will not have to build a bridge with a movable span to accommodate tall marine vessels when they replace the aging Interstate 5 bridge across the Columbia River, the U.S. Coast …
A new bill introduced to the Washington Legislature, now in session, would require tire manufacturers to reformulate the rubber in their tires to remove a chemical responsible for killing large numbers of coho salmon and other fish. If approved, the legislation would give tire manufacturers nine years to find a suitable replacement for the compound 6PPD, a chemical additive used to extend the life of nearly every tire on the market today. The chemical readily combines with ozone to form 6PPD-quinone, ...
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