News Releases

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 ...

Students will be able to apply class credits earned at four-year institutions of higher learning to earn degrees at two-year schools, as a result of legislation passed today by the House. Senate Bill 6354, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias, D-Lynnwood, requires Washington state institutions of higher learning to develop policies to allow the transfers by Dec. 31, 2017. “Higher education is too expensive for too many students, but this challenge is even worse for students who aren’t able to finish their ...

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