News Releases

OLYMPIA – A bill giving the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) more tools to deliver large construction projects on an expedited — and less costly — timeline passed the Senate on a 48-1 vote Tuesday. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds), allows WSDOT to deliver large construction projects using alternative delivery methods and financing mechanisms. “We cannot afford business as usual when it comes to transportation projects. Our costs are rising too fast, and projects are taking too ...

OLYMPIA — Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds) issued the following statement March 11 after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy rescinded the Biden administration’s memos on factoring environmental justice into infrastructure decisions: “Our historic transportation decisions have sometimes had devastating consequences for Washingtonians, whether it was the destruction and displacement of vibrant ethnic communities when I-5 and I-90 were built or the lasting consequences on tribal fisheries from fish barriers on state highways. While the Trump Administration is walking away from correcting these ...

OLYMPIA — A bipartisan bill increasing penalties for some repeat traffic offenses passed the Senate on a 48-1 vote Monday. With traffic deaths at a 33-year high, the legislation, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds), aims to reduce fatalities by doubling penalties for drivers who repeat the same offense within a two-year period. The bill focuses on behaviors most associated with traffic deaths and serious injury crashes, such as speeding or not wearing a seat belt. Liias introduced the bill after ...

OLYMPIA – A bipartisan bill requiring electricians to be certified to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at certain facilities passed the Senate Wednesday. Senate Bill 5528, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds), ensures EV charging stations at state-owned facilities are installed only by electricians certified by the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program or a similar nationally recognized program. About one in five charging stations in the U.S. malfunctions, with issues like unresponsive screens, payment failures, internal station faults, and ...

Stella Rucker, a sophomore at Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, served as a Senate page for Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds) from Feb. 17-21. During her week as a page, Rucker collected research in support of a bill lowering the legal blood alcohol limit and presented it in a mock committee hearing. She said her favorite part of the program was learning about the legislative process. Rucker is a member of the National Honor Society and a class officer for ...

OLYMPIA – Worldwide demand for jet fuel is projected to double by 2050, creating new opportunities for aviation innovation. With a cleaner future on the horizon, a bipartisan bill to jumpstart Washington’s sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) industry will be heard in the Senate Ways & Means Committee Feb. 25. Senate Bill 5601, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds), incentivizes new sustainable fuels projects in the state like the SkyNRG project in Walla Walla and Paine Field’s Sustainable ...

OLYMPIA — Two bills recently heard in Senate committees aim to lower the legal blood alcohol limit and create a grant program to hire more police officers in Washington. The bipartisan legislation, co-sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds), is focused on enhancing public safety, especially on the state’s roadways. From 2018 to 2023, fatal crashes involving impaired drivers increased by nearly 53% in Washington. Senate Bill 5067 proposes lowering the legal blood alcohol limit from 0.08% to 0.05%, which Read More