News Releases

OLYMPIA — The 2025-27 bipartisan supplemental transportation budget passed the Senate unanimously Friday. The balanced, $17 billion budget commits funding levels through 2031, and significantly increases investments in preservation and maintenance, creating up to 34,000 jobs for Washingtonians. The plan also prioritizes strengthening the state’s ferry system, improving traffic safety, increasing Washington State Patrol staffing levels, and advancing the state’s climate goals. “Whether it’s our ferries, roads, or bridges, we’ve fallen behind on taking care of our state’s infrastructure. We must do ...

OLYMPIA — The Senate released its bipartisan 2025-2027 supplemental  transportation budget, which prioritizes increasing investments in preservation and maintenance, creating jobs, strengthening the state’s ferry system, improving traffic safety, and advancing the state’s climate goals. The supplemental budget balances the state’s transportation accounts through 2031, and it includes a combined increase of $1.5 billion over the 2025 enacted budget. “When we wrote the biennial transportation budget last session, I committed to delivering a bipartisan plan for Washingtonians. This supplemental budget continues ...

OLYMPIA — The Senate Transportation Committee will release its bipartisan 2025-2027 supplemental budget Monday, Feb. 23. A press release with information on the proposal’s key elements will be sent Monday morning, and a media availability will be held at 11 a.m. for budget leaders to answer questions from press. Who: Sen. Marko Liias, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee Sen. Curtis King, ranking member of the Senate Transportation Committee When: 11 a.m. to noon Monday, Feb. 23. Where: Senate Rules Room, Office of the Lieutenant Governor, 220A Legislative Building, in Olympia The press ...

Sen. Marko Liias and Reps. Lillian Ortiz-Self and Strom Peterson will hold two town halls this week with constituents in the 21st Legislative District.  

Telephone town hall  

In-person town hall 

OLYMPIA — Two bipartisan bills sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds) passed the Senate unanimously Tuesday. The first bill prohibits real estate brokers from marketing residential properties for sale or rent in Washington to an exclusive group unless they are also marketed publicly. Right now, brokers may use private listing networks to market properties to exclusive groups, leaving other buyers and renters in the market with fewer options. “These private listing models that are growing in popularity aren’t just a threat to consumer protections ...

OLYMPIA — A bipartisan bill aiming to limit student cellphone use in the classroom advanced out of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee Wednesday.   The bill, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds), would lay the groundwork to help school districts find the best approach for restricting student cellphone use in ways that work best for their schools. “A statewide, one-size-fits-all ban on students using cellphones in the classroom is not realistic. But we can create a vision for ...

OLYMPIA — A bipartisan bill restricting the use of exclusive private real estate listings was heard in the Senate Housing Committee Friday, Jan. 23.   The bill, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds), would require real estate brokers to market residential properties for sale or rent in Washington without limiting access to select buyers or broker networks. Right now, brokers may use private listing networks to market properties to exclusive groups, leaving other buyers and renters in the market with fewer options.   “Private listings make Washington’s housing market ...

OLYMPIA — Sound Transit would be able to issue 75-year general obligation bonds under new legislation introduced by Senate Transportation Committee Chair Marko Liias (D-Edmonds). The bipartisan bill would give Sound Transit an additional financing tool to deliver promised projects to riders and keep up with rising constructions costs due to inflation and tariffs.   “Transit riders can’t afford business as usual anymore. We must give our transit partners as many tools as possible to minimize construction delays, navigate market uncertainty, and deliver promised projects quickly and at the lowest possible cost,” Liias said. ...