News - Washington Senate Democrats

Billig: Hobbs brings 'passion and integrity' to secretary's office

by sdcadminNov 10 20210 Comments

Statement by Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig (D-Spokane) on the appointment of Sen. Steve Hobbs (D-Lake Stevens) to serve as Washington State Secretary of State.

“I want to congratulate Sen. Hobbs on his appointment today and thank him for his long service in the state Senate. He has always been a strong voice in the Legislature and a steadfast champion for our state’s transportation infrastructure, voting rights, reproductive rights, healthcare, and the needs of his district. I look forward to seeing him guide the Secretary of State’s office with the same passion and integrity he ...

Senate Democratic Caucus welcomes Yasmin Trudeau to the Senate

by sdcadminNov 02 20210 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 2, 2021 The Senate Democratic Caucus today welcomed Yasmin Trudeau as the next senator of the 27^th Legislative District following the retirement of Sen. Jeannie Darneille (D-Tacoma). The Pierce County Council voted to appoint her on a 7-0 vote, and she was sworn in by Washington Chief Justice Steven González. “Yasmin will have an immediate and positive impact on the Senate and the state as a whole,” said Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig (D-Spokane). “She will hit the ground as one of the most prepared new senators this body has ever seen. Her advocacy, empathy ...

Walkinshaw releases new VRA-Compliant Legislative map

by sdcadminOct 26 20210 Comments

Today, Senate Democratic Caucus appointee Commissioner Brady Piñero Walkinshaw released an updated proposal for Washington’s new legislative district map. This new map follows definitive analysis released last week that the final adopted map must include a majority-Hispanic district in the Yakima Valley or face a likely successful lawsuit in federal court for non-compliance with the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA). Commissioner Walkinshaw’s new map includes a VRA-compliant 14th Legislative District centered in the Yakima Valley in accordance with analysis provided by Dr. Matt A. Barreto, Faculty Director of the UCLA Voting Rights Project. In addition to ...

New definitive analysis by UCLA Voting Rights Expert: final Washington state legislative plan must include VRA-compliant district in the Yakima Valley

by sdcadminOct 21 20210 Comments

The Senate Democratic Caucus today released analysis from Dr. Matt A. Barreto, Political Science & Chicana/o Studies and Faculty Director of the UCLA Voting Rights Project, that demonstrates a requirement under the federal Voting Rights Act to draw a majority-Hispanic/Latino district in the Yakima Valley. Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act specifically prohibits vote dilution for historically underrepresented racial, ethnic, and language minority groups. This protection was the foundation of successful lawsuits brought against the City of Yakima in 2012 and Pasco in 2016. Dr. Barreto’s analysis found that to comply with federal law, the ...

Bipartisan group of WA senators to Biden: Don’t abandon Hanford workers

by sdcadminOct 06 20210 Comments

OLYMPIA — A large bipartisan, bicameral group of Washington state legislators has signed a strong letter of protest urging the Biden administration to withdraw its challenge to the Washington state law strengthening workers’ compensation access for workers at the Hanford nuclear site. The 2018 law grants presumptive workers’ compensation coverage for sick workers who were exposed to toxic fumes and nuclear waste on the job at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. A court challenge brought under the previous administration failed in the federal district court and in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Biden administration recently requested ...

Senate Majority Leader Billig and Speaker Jinkins comment on Gov. Inslee's vaccine mandate for some state employees, health care workers

by sdcadminAug 09 20210 Comments

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]“Protecting the health and safety of people and communities in our state was a top priority of the legislature’s work this session, and the governor’s announcement today is an important step in stopping the spread of the virus and its variants. Vaccines are the best defense we have against COVID-19, and that’s why the Legislature put $1.2 billion into making sure people have access to vaccines, as well as contact tracing and testing efforts. State employees and health care providers serve the public. Being vaccinated with a safe, effective vaccine is a simple extension of that commitment. ...

Dhingra & Pedersen: Police have a responsibility to show up and help people in crisis

by sdcadminJul 23 20210 Comments

Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond), chair of the Senate Behavioral Health Subcommittee and vice chair of the Senate Law & Justice Committee, and Sen. Jamie Pedersen (D-Seattle), chair of the Senate Law & Justice Committee, today released the following statement on the implementation of HB 1310, which goes into effect on Sunday, July 25:

"The public outcry over a series of high-profile deaths in communities of color led in the 2021 legislative session to the most significant new police accountability measures in our state’s history. "We worked closely with communities that have suffered, as well as with ...
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Legislature’s 2021 budgets bring big investments to 30th district

by sdcadminJul 06 20210 Comments

The budgets approved by the Legislature this year brought significant investments to the 30^th Legislative District, which includes Federal Way, Algona, Pacific, Milton, Des Moines and Auburn. “I’m proud to have supported and advocated for investments that will make life in our district better, from improving programs that increase equity and support our youth, to fostering community development and addressing the unique transportation struggles we experience in our district,” said Sen. Claire Wilson (D-Auburn). Highlights of the investments that affect the district communities in each budget are listed below. The operating budget pays for the day-to-day operations of state government ...

New state childcare provisions in Fair Start for Kids Act to take effect

by sdcadminJul 01 20210 Comments

Several provisions of the Fair Start for Kids Act, the system overhaul the Legislature passed this year in response to the state’s childcare crisis, take effect today. “In Washington, over half a million children do not have access to licensed childcare,” said Sen. Claire Wilson (D-Auburn), who sponsored the act. “Even where there is childcare available, the cost is so high that it remains out of reach for most families. The Fair Start for Kids Act will help parents keep their jobs and the salaries they need to take care of their families by increasing access to affordable, ...

Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig calls on Rep. Walsh to apologize and "educate himself about the history of the Holocaust and Jim Crow laws"

by sdcadminJun 30 20210 Comments

Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig released the statement below Wednesday in response to Republican Rep. Jim Walsh’s comparison of Washington’s COVID public health rules to the Nazi persecution of Jews and a Supreme Court ruling that upheld Jim Crow laws: “Rep. Walsh's comments and actions were deeply offensive and demonstrated either extreme ignorance or a willful effort to lie about historical facts for perceived political benefit. “Before Rep. Walsh makes another clumsy attempt to equate life-saving vaccines with the murder of six million men, women and children, I’d invite him to visit the Holocaust Center for Humanity in ...