News Releases

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 ...

OLYMPIA — A bill to better regulate THC products and limit youth access was signed into law after passing both chambers with strong bipartisan support.  Senate Bill 5367, sponsored by Sen. June Robinson (D-Everett), adds products containing a detectable amount of THC to the regulated cannabis market and amends the definition of “cannabis products” in state ...

OLYMPIA — A bill to help address the health care staffing shortage by mitigating unmanageable patient loads and worker burnout was signed into law Thursday.  Senate Bill 5236, sponsored by Sen. June Robinson (D-Everett), requires hospitals to submit staffing plans to the state Department of Health. The expected staff-to-patient staffing standards would be developed by a ...

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Senate passed a $69.2 billion, two-year budget today on a 40-9 vote to increase funding for vital state services, including targeted support for behavioral health, public schools, housing and homelessness, and a historic investment to address the climate crisis. The two-year operating budget adds roughly $5 billion in new spending and does not rely on any ...

OLYMPIA – Sen. June Robinson (D-Everett), vice chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee and prime sponsor of Senate Bill 5096, released this statement following the Washington State Supreme Court’s ruling in Quinn v. Washington:  “Today’s decision is the culmination of over a decade of work to fix our upside-down tax code and rewrite ...

OLYMPIA – Budget leaders in the Washington State Senate introduced a sweeping, $69.2 billion operating budget proposal Thursday to increase funding for vital state services, including targeted support for behavioral health, public schools, housing and homelessness, and a historic investment to address the climate crisis. The two-year operating budget adds roughly $5.1 billion in new spending and does not rely on ...

OLYMPIA — The Senate unveiled its capital budget proposal Monday, potentially investing more than $125 million in projects throughout the 38th Legislative District if passed.  The suggested funding would go toward behavioral health facilities, local sports venues, community buildings and more. Some of proposed district-wide investments include: 

• Compass Health ...
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OLYMPIA — A bill to protect retired public employees’ access to health insurance unanimously passed the Senate Wednesday.  Senate Bill 5696, sponsored by Sen. June Robinson (D-Everett), ensures retirees can continue to participate in insurance plans provided under Public Employees' Benefits Board.  Right now, if a local government terminates its contract with the state ...

OLYMPIA — A bill to help address the health care staffing shortage by mitigating unmanageable patient loads and worker burnout passed the Senate floor Monday.  Senate Bill 5236, sponsored by Sen. June Robinson (D-Everett), requires hospitals to submit staffing plans to the state Department of Health. The expected staff-to-patient staffing standards would be developed by a ...

OLYMPIA — A bill to amend Washington’s drug possession laws and expand access to pretrial treatment programs passed the Senate floor Friday.  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 ...