News Releases

A bipartisan majority of 27 Washington state senators today introduced a resolution urging peaceable action on the part of diplomatic bodies of the federal government in collaboration with the international community on behalf of victims of homophobic persecution in Chechnya. “There are reports of 100 or more gay and bisexual men having been abducted and detained at a de facto concentration camp, where many have been beaten, tortured and even killed, and yet many people in our country and around the ...

Democratic senators introduced five separate reforms today to address frustration surrounding how Sound Transit 3 is handling car tabs. Senate Bill 5905, sponsored by Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens, would adopt a new formula for assessing the value of vehicles taxed by Sound Transit on future bonds issued by accelerating the rate of depreciation. “We all have a stake in building a world-class transportation system, but we must also ensure that those who can least afford it don’t shoulder an unfair ...

In-school strategies to help students navigate the pitfalls of digital media and communication would be reviewed and improved by legislation scheduled to be heard at 8 a.m. tomorrow by the House Committee on Education. Senate Bill 5449, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias, D-Lynnwood, earlier passed the Senate on a strong, bipartisan 40-9 vote. “We live in a dynamic environment where our young learners are being exposed to thousands of messages and advertisements, such as for alcohol, and there are folks online ...

Sen. Marko Liias, D-Lynnwood, issued this statement today following the Senate’s passage of legislation to postpone the so-called levy cliff that would have resulted in massive budget cuts to K-12 schools across the state. “This is a huge, huge victory for our local schools, which would have faced massive cuts and the prospect of budgets that would have laid off teachers and other staff. The Edmonds School District would have lost $14.8 million and the Mukilteo School District would have had ...

Teens who lack home addresses because they face homelessness and related hardships could purchase identicards at cost under legislation that passed the Senate 47-2 and is now awaiting consideration in the House of Representatives. “The mere possession of an ID can mean survival for teens who experience homelessness and are trying to get a job or find permanent housing,” said Sen. Marko Liias, D-Lynnwood. “Any money they save on identicards is better spent on food, clothing and shelter from the nonprofits ...

A bicycle safety advisory council would be established under legislation that passed the Senate unanimously today and is now headed to the House for consideration there. Senate Bill 5402, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias, D-Lynnwood, would create the Cooper Jones Bicycle Safety Advisory Council with the goal of reducing and eventually eliminating bicycle-related injuries and fatalities. “About 400 Washingtonians every year suffer bicycle-related accidents, a number that continues to rise,” Liias said. “When cars collide with bikes, nine times out of 10 ...

Sen. Marko Liias, D-Lynnwood, has been named Legislator of the Year by the Aerospace Futures Alliance for his support of the nearly 1400 aerospace companies that make up Washington’s aerospace industry.

Sen. Marko Liias, D-Lynnwood, has requested in a letter to Attorney General Bob Ferguson that his office investigate Exxon Mobil Corp. to determine if the company has violated Washington’s environmental or consumer protection laws. The request stems from media reports that surfaced late last year revealing Exxon scientists learned decades ago the negative impacts fossil fuels have on the environment and the role they ...