June in the News

Everett Herald: A handshake, a deal then hospital staffing bill emerges from Senate

Everett Herald: A handshake, a deal then hospital staffing bill emerges from Senate

OLYMPIA — Hospital executives and nurse union leaders achieved detente late last month in their years-long battle on staffing levels. They only had a handshake, not a deal. Agreement required several more days of negotiations between the two groups and a handful of state senators, drafting every word in a bill prescribing procedures for drafting, deploying and enforcing of staffing plans.

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Everett Herald: State mends a safety net that saved many in the pandemic

Everett Herald: State mends a safety net that saved many in the pandemic

Funding and more will help replenish the community health centers many relied on the past two years.

The landmark investments made this legislative session to Washington state’s health care system are akin to providing critical life support to a patient.

After two years of pandemic response, along with providing continued essential primary and behavioral health services, our community health centers in Snohomish ...

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Everett Herald: Bill to set minimum hospital staffing dies in state Senate

Everett Herald: Bill to set minimum hospital staffing dies in state Senate

OLYMPIA — A fierce legislative fight over staffing levels and worker protections in hospitals is over. For now. A bill that would have limited the number of patients assigned to a nurse and imposed hefty fines on hospitals that failed to comply with staffing plans died in a Senate committee earlier this week. Nurses and health care workers, many physically and emotionally wiped ...

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Columbia Basin Herald: State budget passes both chambers

Columbia Basin Herald: State budget passes both chambers

The Senate and House passed the Senate’s proposed supplemental budget which intends to spend billions on various sectors. The state’s spending bill is now awaiting a decision from Washington Gov. Jay Inslee.

Democratic legislators in both the Washington House and Senate released their 2021-2023 supplemental operating budgets last week. On Friday, the Senate voted 29-19, passing its proposal into ...

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Everett Herald: ‘They are safe here.’ Snohomish County welcomes hundreds of Afghans

Everett Herald: ‘They are safe here.’ Snohomish County welcomes hundreds of Afghans

EVERETT — Amid the Taliban’s rise, more than 300 evacuees from Afghanistan were welcomed to Snohomish County between October and the end of January.

Another 150 were expected by mid-February, advocates say.

Those numbers don’t account for all arrivals from Afghanistan, only those served by a welcoming center the county stood up in October. The increase this month is due to the ...

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The Everett Herald: Washington Senate OKs bill on governor’s emergency powers

The Everett Herald: Washington Senate OKs bill on governor’s emergency powers

OLYMPIA — Nearly two years after Washington Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Washington Senate on Tuesday approved a measure that authorizes legislative leaders to terminate an emergency after 90 days if the Legislature is not in session. Senate Bill 5909 passed the Democrat-led chamber on a 29-20 vote and now heads to ...

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Seattle Chamber of Commerce: Legislative Session Week 5: Covid-19 Mask Changes + Controversial Nurse Staffing Bill is Moving Ahead Quickly

Seattle Chamber of Commerce: Legislative Session Week 5: Covid-19 Mask Changes + Controversial Nurse Staffing Bill is Moving Ahead Quickly

Week Five – February 7-13

We are now five weeks into session with only four more weeks to go. February 7, was the House of Origin Fiscal Committee cutoff when all bills needed to be voted out of their fiscal committees to stay alive. Following last Monday’s cutoff, legislators have been on the floor passing bills out of their respective chambers. ...

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AWB: Legislature works to address troubled but important PFML program

AWB: Legislature works to address troubled but important PFML program

One of Washington’s most popular new family support programs, the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act, is facing serious problems. Employers are supporting a bill by Sen. June Robinson, D-Everett, that will help stabilize this important benefit for workers and their families in Washington.

In 2017 the Legislature passed the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFML), one of the first ...

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Auburn Examiner: WA Bills Address Need for Safe Staffing Ratios in Hospitals

Auburn Examiner: WA Bills Address Need for Safe Staffing Ratios in Hospitals

A majority of Washington health care workers report feeling burned out in the pandemic, according to the latest survey. Now, legislation aims to address their concerns by ensuring safe staffing levels, as well as rest and meal breaks.

Companion bills in the state House and Senate create staffing ratios for different departments within a hospital. They also repeal certain exemptions ...

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The Economic Opportunity Institute: With Strategic Investments and Improvements, Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Program will Support Families for Generations to Come

The Economic Opportunity Institute: With Strategic Investments and Improvements, Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Program will Support Families for Generations to Come

PFML has improved the health and economic resilience of Washington families

Washington launched its new Paid Family & Medical Leave program (PFML) in January 2020, just weeks before the first U.S. COVID case was first identified in the state. That timing turned out to be fortuitous. PFML has helped keep Washington families financially afloat, improved health, and relieved stress during the ...

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