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OLYMPIA — Washington Senate Democrats are taking bold action to ensure the right to reproductive healthcare and safe abortion services.   Every day this week, members of the Senate Democratic Caucus introduced legislation aimed at further protecting this human right and not only prioritize patients, but protect providers.   “Access to reproductive healthcare and services is a top priority for Senate Democrats this year. As chair of the Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee, it is imperative to me that we continue to protect the right to safe, quality reproductive health care for all.  We are ...

OLYMPIA — A bill to regulate hospital and health system mergers and preserve community access to comprehensive medical care was filed in the Senate this week.  The Keep Our Care Act, sponsored by Deputy Majority Leader Emily Randall (D-Bremerton), prohibits hospitals from merging if the consolidation diminishes patients’ access to services — including reproductive, end-of-life and gender-affirming care — by creating a system of public oversight that ensures people’s needs are prioritized over corporate growth. If passed, it would only apply to future consolidations that receive authorization from the state attorney general.  Randall said ...

OLYMPIA – All K-12 students in Washington state would have access to free breakfast and lunch under proposed legislation introduced today by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest) and Rep. Marcus Riccelli (D-Spokane). The Washington Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (HB 1238/SB 5339) would require all schools to provide free breakfast and lunch, and would define school meals as part of basic education. That distinction means that the state would be constitutionally required to provide funding for meals. “Access to nutritious food is a key component to the health and wellbeing of children,” said Riccelli. “Hungry kids ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Jan. 11, 2023 OLYMPIA—Sen. Liz Lovelett (D-Anacortes) and Rep. Davina Duerr (D-Bothell) have introduced legislation that aims to address climate change by updating Washington’s planning framework.

“This is about protecting our homes and businesses from floods, wildfires, and droughts while reducing greenhouse gases,” said Duerr. “Housing, transportation, and energy use are all related to how we plan—or fail to plan. When we do it right, it saves taxpayer money and creates a healthier, more sustainable state for all of us.”

OLYMPIA – Employers in Washington state who provide reproductive health care benefits would gain recourse against penalties imposed by other states under legislation filed by Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines) and Rep. Liz Berry (D-Seattle). “After the U.S. Supreme Court’s radical decision to take away reproductive freedom, lawmakers and governors in other states are attempting to penalize employers who provide reproductive health care benefits,” said Keiser, chair of the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee. “While we can’t change those states’ laws, we can provide employers who are simply providing reproductive health benefits with a way to ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Jan. 9, 2023  OLYMPIA – In Washington, abortions must be covered by all state-regulated health plans that cover maternity services, but out-of-pocket costs can currently be a burden for patients. Sen. Annette Cleveland (D-Vancouver) and Rep. Jessica Bateman (D-Olympia) are looking to ease that burden through Senate Bill 5242 and its companion, Read More

The Washington State Senate has one of the best Page programs in the country and applications are now open! This is an exciting program which allows many young Washingtonians to get a closer look at the civic process and learn firsthand about state government and the Legislature. Pages are students sponsored by legislators who serve for one week during the legislative session. During that week, they spend time in Page School learning about the legislative process while also distributing materials throughout the Capitol campus, assisting legislators, working on the Senate floor, and presenting the colors at the opening of ...

At a ceremony in Bellingham, Sen. Sharon Shewmake (D-Bellingham) was sworn into office today by Judge Cecily Hazelrigg with family, friends, and supporters looking on. Shewmake replaces Republican Sen. Simon Sefzik in the Senate, who was appointed to replace Sen. Doug Ericksen after Ericksen’s death in late 2021. Shewmake defeated Sefzik in the 2022 election, and was sworn in to fulfill the final weeks of what would have been Ericksen’s term, followed by a full four-year term starting in 2023. Shewmake previously served in the state House of Representatives. In the Senate, Shewmake is slated to serve as Vice ...

OLYMPIA – Sen. Derek Stanford (D-Bothell) has been chosen to chair the Senate Business, Financial Services, Gaming & Trade Committee in the 2023 legislative session. “Our state has the strongest economy in the country and has been recognized as one of the best places both to do business and to be a worker,” said Stanford. “I’m honored my colleagues have chosen me to lead our efforts to build on that success.” Gaming, an issue area added to the committee’s bailiwick this year, has been the topic of legislation in recent years to legalize and regulate sports wagering. The committee ...

OLYMPIA – Sen. Liz Lovelett (D-Anacortes) was unanimously selected by her peers in the Senate Democratic Caucus to chair the newly formed Senate Local Government, Land Use & Tribal Affairs Committee in the 2023 legislative session.

“I’m honored to assume this new position,” said Lovelett. “Since I began public service, I have been proud to prioritize collaboration between all levels of government on the issues most pressing to our communities, and I look forward to continuing that work as a committee chair.”