OLYMPIA – Budget leaders in the Washington State Senate responded to news that the state has maintained its historically high ratings from the nation’s top credit agencies. Reports from Moody’s (Aaa), S&P (AA+) and Fitch (AA+) cited the state’s strong governance practices, sound reserves, a broad and growing economy, and a commitment to fiscal balance. The agencies also highlighted Washington’s fiscal management and forecasting system among the reasons for the strong credit ratings in their latest assessments. The high credit ratings allow Washington to obtain low-interest rates and issue bonds to refinance existing obligations for public projects. Senate leaders ...
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HOW ARE GAS PRICES DETERMINED?
- 57% of what consumers pay for a gallon of gas is for crude oil
- 18% for refining
- 12% for distribution and marketing
- 13% for taxes
- Demand
- Refinery production
- Maintenance
- Local, regional, global impacts
June 30, 2023 At a time of increased nationwide violence and hatred directed towards the LGBTQ+ community, the United States Supreme Court has sided today with forces of division and taken a step back in the march toward a more perfect union. This decision marks the first time in our nation’s history that the Court has allowed businesses open to the public to effectively discriminate against a protected class. To refuse service to customers based on who they love is not only outdated, but also hateful and in conflict with the beliefs of the vast majority of the country. The ...
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – A year after the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision upended abortion rights, lawmakers from around the country met in the nation’s capital to detail their efforts to ensure reproductive freedom in their home states. Sens. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond) and Patty Kuderer (D-Bellevue) represented the Washington State Senate at the event. Dhingra participated on a panel with lawmakers from Minnesota and Maryland entitled “Building a Powerful Policy Agenda” to discuss laws they passed to protect access to safe and legal abortions in their home states. Vice President Kamala Harris also attended Thursday's ...
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A new analysis from nonpartisan legislative staff shows that 95.89 percent of bills that passed the legislature in 2023 did so with bipartisan support. The legislature passed 487 bills during the 2023 legislative session, 467 of which received the ‘yes’ vote of at least one Republican senator or representative. “When I’m out in our community talking to people, I think the thing that surprises them most is how much we work together,” Senate Majority Leader Andy Billig said. “I’m so proud of the collaborative spirit of our legislative work, a great example of that was the bipartisan work ...
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OLYMPIA — A bill to amend Washington’s drug possession laws and expand access to pretrial treatment programs was signed into law Tuesday, after passing both the House and Senate with bipartisan support. Senate Bill 5536, sponsored by Sen. June Robinson (D-Everett), permanently addresses the state Supreme Court’s 2021 State v. Blake ruling, which struck down the statute that made possession of controlled substances a class C felony and removed any criminal penalties for possession. In response, that year the Legislature established a simple misdemeanor penalty for knowing possession, but it is ...
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OLYMPIA — Washington state’s behavioral health system is coming out of the 2023 legislative session with nearly $1 billion in new funding and crucial innovative initiatives established. “With the rollout of Washington’s new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, our state is becoming a national model for behavioral health crisis intervention,” said Sen. Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond), deputy majority leader of the Senate. “And this year, the Legislature stepped up to fulfill that promise — not only to deliver the services that people in crisis need, but to build a system and a workforce that can help prevent crises before ...
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 15, 2023 Press Inquiries | 360.786.7853, courtney.james@leg.wa.gov OLYMPIA – Legislation to further protect Washington’s endangered southern resident orca population was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee today. Senate Bill 5371, sponsored by Sen. Liz Lovelett (D-Anacortes), requires whale-watching boats and other marine vessels to refrain from approaching within 1,000 yards of a southern resident killer whale. The measure marks an increase in distance from the current 300-yard buffer on approach, and is based on recommendations from the Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force.
“Orcas are such an emblematic symbol of Washington state’s ecosystem, but climate change ...Read More
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 11, 2023 OLYMPIA – Applicants to Washington’s childcare workforce will no longer have to pay burdensome background check fees thanks to Sen. Claire Wilson’s (D-Auburn) Senate Bill 5316, signed into law Thursday. State law requires critical and necessary background checks when the Department of Children, Youth and Families is approving childcare employee applicants. However, the background check fees often create a barrier for applicants. Not only are they costly but processing them creates delays between the time someone accepts a job offer and when ...
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 11, 2023 OLYMIPA -- Sen. Claire Wilson’s (D-Auburn) legislation to regulate authorized entities serving Washington students with disabilities was signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee Thursday. An investigation by the Seattle Times and ProPublica found Washington was giving millions of dollars to these private schools (previously referred to as non-public agencies) without proper oversight. The investigation unearthed complaints of abuse, lack of academic progress, as well as staff dependency on restraint and isolation. Senate Bill 5315 will make immediate changes to establish clear ...
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