Josie Howard, a sophomore at Kamiak High School in Mukilteo, served as a page with the Washington State Senate the week of March 6. Sen. Marko Liias (D-Everett) sponsored her week at the Legislature. The page program offers a week of interactive learning about how state government works. Pages get to sit in on committee hearings, watch floor debates, and deliver papers for Senate staff. Howard applied because of her past political involvement, and said her favorite part of the program ...
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Bill to safeguard youth seeking protected health services clears Senate FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 1, 2023 Press Inquiries | 360.786.7853, courtney.james@leg.wa.gov OLYMPIA – Legislation to support youth seeking protected health care services in Washington passed the Senate on a 27 – 19 vote today. Senate Bill 5599, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Everett), removes barriers to shelter for at-risk and vulnerable youth. Under ...
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OLYMPIA – A bill to require anyone 25 or younger to complete a traffic safety education course before receiving a driver’s license passed the Senate today on a bipartisan 41-7 vote. Senate Bill 5583 aims to increase traffic safety in Washington on the heels of a report from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission showing that 745 people were killed in crashes in 2022. The legislation is part of a Read More
OLYMPIA – A bill to create more opportunity for housing near transit centers passed the Senate on a bipartisan 40-8 vote today. Senate Bill 5466, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Everett), provides development targets near light rail and bus rapid transit stations and gives local jurisdictions flexible tools to meet these targets in ways that reflect the unique characteristics of their communities. Washington is currently facing a massive housing shortage, and ...
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OLYMPIA – Legislation to address diversity, equity, and staffing concerns within the Washington State Ferries (WSF) workforce passed the Senate on a bipartisan 45-3 vote today. Sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D – Everett), Senate Bill 5550 would require WSF to adopt a formal diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, and develop an action plan to address issues identified in a newly mandatory annual employee survey.
“Our Washington State Ferries workers are exceptional ...Read More
OLYMPIA – Legislation to implement inclusive learning standards in Washington schools passed the Senate today on a vote of 29-19. Senate Bill 5462, sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Everett), would update learning standards to include the histories, contributions, and perspectives of LGBTQ people, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion standards.
“Every student deserves to feel represented by the material they’re learning, and when they hear their stories in the school curriculum, students ...Read More
OLYMPIA – A bill to authorize the use of speed safety cameras in state highway work zones passed the Washington State Senate today on a bipartisan 47-2 vote. Sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Everett), Senate Bill 5272 aims to increase safety for workers on state highways.
“Folks working on our state highways deserve to do so with the peace of mind that they will end their shift by going home to their families ...Read More
OLYMPIA - A bill sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Everett) to streamline the process of student data transfer to higher education institutions cleared a key Senate committee last week. Senate Bill 5593 provides four-year and community and technical colleges in Washington with the contact information of all graduating high school seniors at no cost. The information was previously available for a fee.
“High school seniors are faced with so many choices to make after ...Read More