News Releases

OLYMPIA – Yesterday the Senate passed the HEAL Act to address environmental health disparities and establish a more equitable approach to environmental health.

Senate Bill 5489, sponsored by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D-Seattle), creates a task force to make recommendations on how state agencies can incorporate environmental justice principles in their work. The task force ...

OLYMPIA – The Senate unanimously passed legislation today to provide public assistance to certain victims of human trafficking by expanding eligibility for state food assistance, family assistance, and medical care services programs.

Under Senate Bill 5164, sponsored by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D-Seattle), noncitizens would be able to access these programs if they have taken ...

OLYMPIA – The Washington Senate today voted 29-20 to prohibit discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status.

Senate Bill 5165, sponsored by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D-Seattle), adds citizenship or immigration status to the list of characteristics protected by Washington’s Law against Discrimination. The change prohibits discrimination based on citizenship or immigration status unless ...

OLYMPIA – The Senate State Government will hear testimony today at 1:30 p.m. on legislation to recognize April 10 as Dolores Huerta Day.

Dolores Huerta, a feminist, civil rights activist and labor leader, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association and was instrumental in California’s adoption of the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975, which ...

RENTON – Sen. Rebecca Saldaña (D-Seattle) said that she is looking forward to addressing housing affordability and transportation issues as one the Senate Democrats’ new deputy leaders. Saldaña, who Senate Democrats chose to be part of the most diverse leadership team in the history of the Washington State Legislature, will join the newly created Senate Housing Stability & Affordability ...

Sen. Rebecca Saldaña is currently accepting applications for session aides for the 2019 legislative session, which begins in January. Session aides provide a variety of support services to help senators and their legislative assistants successfully fulfill the obligations of the senators’ elected position. We are looking for highly motivated individuals interested in public service who enjoy working in a fast-paced environment. If you ...

OLYMPIA – Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, introduced the Washington Voting Rights Act (WVRA) to the state Senate on Wednesday. The WVRA is designed to help cities, counties, school boards and other local elected bodies voluntarily adopt changes to their elections system that will improve representation in local elections. “This bill is a significant step in the ongoing effort to remove barriers ...

OLYMPIA – A bill by Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, to expand access to HOV lanes for blood donation vehicles was signed by Governor Jay Inslee today. “Blood donation, as well as plasma and tissue donation, is vital to helping those who are critically ill,” Saldaña said. “My father became a blood donor as a child so he could help his ...

OLYMPIA – Following the unanimous passage of the Senate Transportation Budget, Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, released this statement: “Ensuring transportation funding that moves our state forward is one of the most critical issues in our district. Being stuck in traffic in our cars is about time away from our families, missed economic opportunities for our state, and pollution that increases asthma ...

OLYMPIA – A bill to help survivors of human trafficking and sexual exploitation passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday and is on its way to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. “Everyone deserves a fair chance and everyone deserves justice,” said Sen. Rebecca Saldaña, D-Seattle, the bill’s prime sponsor. “Survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation in our state ...