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“When we began this session 105 days ago, we had a choice.  We could come in to do the minimum and get out of town. Instead, we chose to rise to the moment as a Legislature and as a state and invest in robust, long-term recovery that works for everyone.” “We listened. We acted. The 2021 legislative session saw the end of incremental change and the beginning of a fundamental transformation to institutions that were always intended to work for people but too often fell short. “We addressed tax reform through the Working Families Tax Credit for Washingtonians struggling ...

OLYMPIA – Earlier today, the Washington State Legislature approved a critical piece of tax reform legislation. Senate Bill 5096, sponsored by Sen. June Robinson, D-Everett, enacts a capital gains excise tax to fund the expansion and affordability of child care, early learning, and the state’s paramount duty to provide an education for the children of Washington. After passing the House on April 21, the bill was sent to conference following the Senate’s refusal to concur with House amendments. The final bill adjusts the distribution of collected revenues by capping deposits in the Education Legacy Trust Account at ...

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Legislature passed a historic budget today that focuses on an equitable recovery from the economic and health impacts of COVID-19. The 2021-23 operating budget uses a combination of ongoing state revenue and federal funds from the American Rescue Plan to provide back-due rent relief, small business support, strengthen the state’s safety net, build upon investments in local public health, and prioritize needs of low-income and communities of color who have suffered the most impacts due to the pandemic. “This is a budget that meets the moment and will guide a sustainable and equitable recovery ...

OLYMPIA – Washington will extend its public-health approach to substance use disorder by establishing a temporary new legal framework the possession of controlled substances and providing nearly $90 million to significantly expand treatment infrastructure, under a bill passed today by the Legislature. In a Feb. 25 decision in the case of State v. Blake, the Washington State Supreme Court struck down the state statute that made possession of controlled substances a class C felony, removing all state criminal penalties for possession. SB 5476, sponsored by Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond), reduces the penalty to a simple misdemeanor and mandates ...

Washington would re-establish a statewide legal framework pertaining to controlled substances and expanding behavioral health treatment options, under a bill passed today by the Senate. In a Feb. 25 decision in the case of State v. Blake, the Washington State Supreme Court struck down the state statute that made possession of controlled substances a class C felony, removing any state criminal penalties for possession. As amended on the floor today, SB 5476 would make knowing possession of controlled substances a gross misdemeanor and mandate that jurisdictions provide treatment options. The first two times a person is arrested for possession ...

  OLYMPIA – Today, Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law a measure that will protect people who purchase “flipped” homes from damage or injury due to inadequately performed electrical work. Senate Bill 5267, sponsored by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D-Seattle), requires electrical work to be performed by a certified electrician or a licensed electrical contractor in homes that are sold within one year of being acquired. Similarly, it requires telecommunications work in such homes to be performed by a licensed telecommunications contractor. “Electrical inspectors are seeing a fairly pervasive problem of people performing inadequate electrical work on property they are ...

OLYMPIA – A bill that takes another step toward decriminalizing poverty by removing non-payment of moving violation-based traffic infractions from a list of actions that can lead to criminal enforcement of license suspensions was approved by the House of Representatives on Saturday with a strong bipartisan vote of 80-17. SB 5226, sponsored by Sen. Jesse Salomon (D-Shoreline), would remove criminal penalties for an inability to pay traffic fines.

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Senate passed a $59.2 billion, two-year budget today to boost funding for state services and provide essential support for the state’s pandemic recovery efforts. The 2021-23 operating budget includes an additional $7 billion in one-time federal funds from the American Rescue Plan to bring relief to struggling households, strengthen the state’s safety net, and build a more resilient public health system. “This is an ambitious budget that will touch every community across the state and includes strategic investments to lift up people who have been hit the hardest over the last year,” said Read More

OLYMPIA — Community members that are experiencing difficulty affording their car tab fees in a lump sum may find relief from a workgroup to study alternative payment options in the Senate Transportation budget that passed off the senate floor this week. The proposal to offer a payment plan originated in a bill proposed by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest). “Community members have had to make extremely difficult decisions because they cannot afford to pay the fees all at once,” Nobles said. “At the same time, they can’t afford to not pay the fees because they don’t want to risk driving ...