OLYMPIA — Washington’s bees are in trouble. Climate change, chemicals and other factors have caused our state’s bee population to decline at a rate faster than the national average, with colonies decreasing 9% from April 2022 to April 2023. The Senate took an important step to protect bees and other pollinators Tuesday with the passage of Senate Bill 5972, which will end the domestic outdoor use of pesticides that contain neonicotinoids. This type of insecticide ...
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OLYMPIA — Communities near Paine Field in Everett suffer from some of the worst air quality in the state. Sen. Marko Liias grew up nearby in a neighborhood overburdened by pollution. This experience was, in part, the motivation behind his sponsorship of Senate Bill 6114, which cleared the Senate Transportation Committee Monday. The bill requires airport operators to make sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blends available to noncommercial, private jet owners with the goal of ultimately ...
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Washington’s history is filled with contributions from people of all walks of life, but often many of those stories go untold. A bill sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds) aims to tell those stories and ensure that current and future generations of Washington students learn about the contributions all Washingtonians have made in shaping our state. Liias’ inclusive learning bill, SB 5462, which passed the Senate on 29-19 vote Wednesday, will require school districts ...
Read MoreWashington’s bees are in trouble. Climate change, chemicals and other factors have caused our state’s bee population to decline at a rate faster than the national average, with colonies decreasing 9% from April 2022 to April 2023. One major contributor to the shrinking bee population is pesticides. That’s why Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds) is sponsoring Senate Bill 5972, which will end the domestic outdoor use of pesticides that contain neonicotinoids. This type of insecticide is absorbed into plants and can ...
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Dec. 15, 2023 Sen. Annette Cleveland (D-Vancouver) and Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds), chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, applaud the securement of $600 million in federal grant funds for the Interstate 5 Bridge project and released the following joint statement Friday: “Today marks another tremendous step forward in our path to replacing the Interstate 5 Bridge. Our federal partners’ recognition of the years of hard work and commitment to replacing the aging infrastructure ...
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Members of the Washington State LGBTQ Caucus commend the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to not hear a challenge to Washington’s ban on conversion therapy and issued the following statement Tuesday:
“Conversion therapy is a harmful and discredited practice that lacks scientific validity and often causes severe psychological and emotional distress. “This crucial decision upholds the state’s commitment to protecting LGTBQ+ individuals and reinforces the importance of promoting the mental ...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – August 25, 2023 Press Inquiries | 360.786.7298, erin.hut@leg.wa.gov OLYMPIA – Sen. Joe Nguyễn (D-White Center) and Sen. Marko Liias (D-Everett) met with leaders at Washington State Ferries (WSF) Thursday to address repeated route delays and cancelations impacting constituents on Vashon Island. WSF officials said these challenges are an industry-wide reality, but promising changes are on the horizon thanks to new legislation passed during the ...
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 16, 2023 OLYMPIA – Sen. Marko Liias’ (D-Everett) bill protecting Washingtonians from discriminatory treatment because of their identity was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday. Senate Bill 5186 requires antidiscrimination clauses to be included in all state contracts and subcontracts. While current anti-discrimination laws only protect workers of certain employers, this legislation applies similar protections to all employers paid with public funds. This ensures all ...
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