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OLYMPIA-- Please join your lawmakers from the 22nd Legislative District for a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26. This is their chance to hear from you as well as update you on their work in at the Legislature on your behalf. The 22nd District includes Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater. WHO: Sen. Sam Hunt, Rep. Laurie Dolan, Rep. Jessica Bateman WHAT: 22rd Legislative District virtual town hall meeting WHEN: 7-8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26 WHERE:  You can watch or participate in the live event on Facebook, YouTube or Twitter. You can submit questions live ...

OLYMPIA – State Sen. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle, today announced he will not seek re-election to the senate in 2022. Carlyle, chair of the Senate Environment, Energy & Technology Committee, has sponsored and shepherded numerous major bills through the senate and legislature during his 13-year career. Carlyle’s proudest work includes cap and invest carbon pricing, 100% clean energy, a clean fuel standard, environmental justice, public disclosure of tax exemptions, reforming marijuana and telecommunications taxation, higher education finance, foster youth success and leadership on national data privacy policy. Carlyle, 56, was first elected to the House of Representatives from the 36th ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 21, 2022 Legislation proposed by Sen. Yasmin Trudeau (D-Tacoma), SB 5702, would allow new parents to affordably access donor breast milk by requiring that health plans and the state Medicaid program provide coverage for donor breast milk. “This bill is deeply personal to me and to so many new or expecting parents in our communities,” said Trudeau. “I understand the struggle, the shame and the trauma that accompanies difficult labor and the inability to produce the nutrients that your baby needs. When I had to go through that, I was not aware that donor ...

Olympia– State Sen. T’wina Nobles has sponsored legislation to address a diaper need for Washington families who are on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Senate Bill 5838, the Diaper Need Act, directs the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to distribute a monthly diaper subsidy to parents or other caregivers who receive TANF and have children under three years old to help pay for diapers. “The cost of diapers is a barrier whether you have one child or four,” said Nobles. “I know how expensive it was for my four children. While costs and hardships have ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 18, 2022 Sen. Emily Randall (D-Bremerton) today introduced a bill to strengthen Washington state’s checks and balances on gubernatorial powers during a state of emergency. Senate Bill 5909 would add legislative oversight to declarations of states of emergency and prohibitive emergency orders during Legislative interim, adding to the oversight already in place regarding the governor’s power to waive or suspend statutes during a declared state of emergency. “The pandemic made it clear – to my neighbors and to Washingtonians in every corner of our state – that our current system of government gives a ...

OLYMPIA – It has been a week of firsts in the Washington State Legislature. The swearing in of Sen. Yasmin Trudeau (D-Tacoma) on Monday, joining Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond) and Sen. Mona Das (D-Kent), marked the first time in American history that Muslim, Sikh and Hindu lawmakers have served together in any state or federal legislative body. Tuesday saw Dhingra and Trudeau presiding over the Senate Law & Justice Committee as chair and vice chair, the first time two South Asian women have served in such roles together in Washington state history. “When I joined the Senate ...

OLYMPIA – Survivors of domestic violence in Washington state could be protected against severe emotional abuse through the civil protection order system through the passage of legislation sponsored by Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond) and Rep. Roger Goodman (D-Kirkland). SB 5845 and its companion HB 1901 would allow victims to file for protection against coercive control, which is a pattern of behavior that attempts to control a victim through the threat of physical, emotional or psychological harm. It includes manipulation through isolation, intimidation, threats, online stalking or economic control, among other tactics. “Research has shown that ...

OLYMPIA — Workers in Washington state would benefit from new apprenticeship programs in growing fields, reinvigorated support for existing apprenticeships, and significantly increased state funding for apprentices at public colleges, under two bills scheduled for committee hearings on Thursday. “The ‘earn-while-you-learn’ approach, with both classroom instruction and supervised on-the-job training, makes apprenticeships accessible to many—especially women and people of color—who can’t take time off work or afford to go to a traditional college or university,” said Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines), chair of the Senate Labor, Commerce & Tribal Affairs Committee. “We can build a more diverse and expanded apprenticeship system that opens the door to a ...