News

OLYMPIA – State Senator Christine Rolfes (D-Bainbridge Island), chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee, released this statement following today’s forecast from the state’s Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. “While today’s revenue forecast reflects a slowdown in our state’s economic activity, I’m confident that the Senate remains in a strong position to deliver a balanced state budget with significant new investments for the foundational services people rely on. We are focused on supporting our students and teachers, addressing the housing crisis, strengthening our behavioral health system, improving public safety, and taking historic steps to protect our environment. ...

OLYMPIA – Budget leaders in the Washington State Senate proposed a $7.9 billion capital construction budget today, targeting investments in affordable housing, school construction, land preservation and environmental protection, and education. The proposal, if passed, would set a record for the largest ever investment in the state’s Housing Trust Fund. The budget outlines state infrastructure spending for the next two years and stays within the state’s constitutional debt limit – an important step to protect the state’s historically high Aaa credit rating and avoid higher debt service payments that could financially hinder future state budgets. Details and specific ...

OLYMPIA – The Senate on Tuesday passed Senator Claire Wilson’s (D-Auburn) bill to remove licensing and background check fees for those entering Washington’s childcare workforce.   State law requires critical background checks when the Department of Children, Youth and Families is looking to approve applicants.    However, the associated fees are often a barrier for applicants. Not only are they costly but processing them creates delays between the time someone accepts a job offer and when they can begin work.   DCYF pays these fees for those entering Washington’s foster care and relative or kinship ...

OLYMPIA – The Senate unanimously passed Sen. Claire Wilson’s (D-Auburn) bill to regulate non-public agencies that serve Washington students with disabilities Tuesday.   Senate Bill 5315 in response to a report by the Seattle Times and ProPublica, which found Washington has been giving millions of dollars to schools without proper oversight, leading to complaints of abuse, lack of academic progress and staff dependency on restraint and isolation. “It is on us to change this inadequate system,” Wilson said. “That’s what SB 5315 will do.”   SB 5315 requires the Office of the Superintendent ...

OLYMPIA – The Senate took a critical step to address Washington’s healthcare workforce shortage by passing Sen. Annette Cleveland’s (D-Vancouver) bill to remove barriers for retired nurses wanting to return to patient care.   Currently, nurses in the state retirement system who return to work after retirement face a penalty of reduced benefits for life.   Retirees of the Public Employees’ Retirement System and the Public Safety Employees’ Retirement System can work up to 867 hours per year in a position covered by any of the state’s pension systems while receiving a retirement benefit. However, a ...

OLYMPIA – Sen. Annette Cleveland’s (D-Vancouver) bill to improve workers’ comp benefits for nurses passed the Senate on Monday.  Nursing staff who care day after day for patients have faced tremendous and repeated stress since the start of the pandemic.  They have held the hands of dying patients and faced unparalleled patient surges driven by different COVID variants.   A report by the International Council of Nurses concluded that COVID is causing mass trauma among nurses that results in both immediate and lasting effects. The report suggests the pandemic is causing ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 6, 2023 ---------------------------------------------  OLYMPIA — A bill to help address the health care staffing shortage by mitigating unmanageable patient loads and worker burnout passed the Senate floor Monday.  Senate Bill 5236, sponsored by Sen. June Robinson (D-Everett), requires hospitals to submit staffing plans to the state Department of Health. The expected staff-to-patient staffing standards would be developed by a hospital’s designated nurse staffing committee, composed of 50% nursing staff and 50% hospital administration.  If a hospital is less than 80% compliant with its committee’s approved plan, DOH ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 6, 2023  Press Inquiries | 360.786.7298, erin.hut@leg.wa.gov  OLYMPIA – The Senate on Monday passed legislation to ensure those leaving incarceration are better prepared to be contributing members of our community.   SB 5134, sponsored by Senator Claire Wilson (D-Auburn), looks to increase gate money to better match to current rates of inflation.   People leaving Washington’s incarceration systems are currently given $40; an amount chosen in the 1970s when it went a lot further than it does today.   SB 5134 would remove the current ...

OLYMPIA — A bill to amend Washington’s drug possession laws and expand access to pretrial treatment programs passed the Senate floor Friday.  Senate Bill 5536, sponsored by Sen. June Robinson (D-Everett), permanently addresses the state Supreme Court’s 2021 State v. Blake ruling, which struck down the statute that made possession of controlled substances a class C felony and removed any criminal penalties for possession. In response that same year, the Legislature established a simple misdemeanor penalty for knowing possession, but it is set to expire July 1, 2023.  “By working ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 3, 2023  Press Inquiries | 360.786.7298, erin.hut@leg.wa.gov  OLYMPIA – The Senate on Thursday passed Senator Claire Wilson’s (D-Auburn) legislation to simultaneously increase access to affordable childcare and strengthen Washington’s childcare workforce.   Senate Bill 5225 aims to allow more families to qualify for state-subsidized childcare through expanding eligibility to the Working Connections Child Care program.  Childcare providers are struggling to hire and retain employees. Too often, this is because staff are forced to forego work due to their ...