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OLYMPIA — Legislation to create an official Smokey Bear license plate was heard in the Senate Transportation Committee Thursday.  Senate Bill 5910, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), would allocate all funds raised by the special license plate to support the state Department of Natural Resources' human-caused wildfire prevention efforts. If passed, Washington would be one of three states with a Smokey Bear license plate, joining Oregon and Texas.  In Washington, more than 2.2 million homes are exposed to heightened wildfire risk, and over the past five years, wildfire suppression costs statewide ...

OLYMPIA — Several education bills sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest) were heard in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee Wednesday.  The legislation included: 

• Senate Bill 6082 provides school districts with an additional allocation equal to $7 per hour plus benefits for all paraeducators hired in the 2022–23 school year. It also requires funding for paraeducator salaries under this bill to only be used for paraeducator salaries and sets a minimum staffing compliance ratio that ensures the additional funding does not inadvertently ...
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OLYMPIA — A bill to make financial aid more easily accessible was heard in the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee Wednesday.  Senate Bill 6254, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), expands the FAFSA/WASFA completion program at the community and technical colleges to every educational service district, as well as the scope of the completion programs to include supporting student persistence.   The bill also creates a new financial aid certification program for secondary school teachers and counselors, higher education staff, and community partners with the goal of providing at least one ...

OLYMPIA — A bill to provide prescribed access to outdoor recreation, particularly for youth of color, was heard in the Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee Tuesday.  Senate Bill 5095, sponsored by Sen. T'wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), requires the state Department of Health to create an advisory committee for the parks Rx health and wellness pilot programs. The committee’s membership would include communities that have been historically marginalized in access to parks. DOH and the advisory committee must then establish at least three, two-year pilot programs in the Puget Sound and eastern ...

OLYMPIA — A bill to create more affordable homeownership opportunities was heard in the Senate Housing Committee Friday.  Senate Bill 6173, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), aims to expand the production of affordable housing by enabling local municipalities to support organizations in creating homeownership opportunities for households earning up to 80% of area median income.  It also seeks to address the significant gap between median incomes and home prices in areas where homeownership is largely unattainable for those earning less than the median income, particularly among communities of color.    According ...

OLYMPIA — A bill to establish collective bargaining rights for student employees was heard in the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee Thursday.  Senate Bill 5895, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), would create a framework for collective bargaining for a new bargaining unit of employees enrolled in an academic or certificate program at Washington’s regional universities — Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Western Washington University and Evergreen State College — that are not currently covered in state law.   Right now, there is no statutory framework that defines collective bargaining for student ...

Washington’s history is filled with contributions from people of all walks of life, but often many of those stories go untold.  A bill sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds) aims to tell those stories and ensure that current and future generations of Washington students learn about the contributions all Washingtonians have made in shaping our state.   Liias’ inclusive learning bill, SB 5462, which passed the Senate on 29-19 vote Wednesday, will require school districts to adopt curriculum that covers inclusive, age-appropriate materials that tell the histories, contributions and perspectives of LGBTQ+ ...

OLYMPIA — Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest) was named chair of the Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee following a vote of the Senate Wednesday.  “I’m honored to have been chosen by my colleagues to step into a greater leadership role,” Nobles said. “Education is the cornerstone of my life, and that passion fuels my work in the Legislature. I’m so excited to lead initiatives that not only enhance access to high-quality education and workforce development but reflect a genuine dedication to fostering a society where every Washingtonian can thrive.”  Nobles, who previously served ...

OLYMPIA — An omnibus bill to promote a victim-centered, trauma-informed response to sexual assault in Washington’s legal system was heard in the Senate Law & Justice Committee on Monday. SB 5937 streamlines eligibility for crime victim benefits, covers some of victims’ costs for forensic examinations, expands protections to more victims, improves state and local teams to respond to sexual assault, and ensures that children age 13 and up can consent to forensic sexual examinations and examinations for sexually transmitted infections — consistent with current law on the age of medical consent. “SB 5937 draws on the recommendations of ...

OLYMPIA — A bill to help close gaps in wage and advancement opportunities among Washington workers, particularly women and workers in other protected classes, was heard in the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee Monday.  Senate Bill 5894, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), would expand the workplace rights and protections in the Washington Equal Pay and Advancement Opportunities Act to include protected classes beyond gender, such as age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any ...