In the News

The Washington State 2023 legislative session began Jan. 9 and is scheduled to end April 23. State lawmakers have priorities for which bills they consider most essential, so we asked local legislators about their legislative priorities for the current session. Here are their responses:

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington residents are going to have a chance to speak out on whether they should have choices on how to repair their own electronics.

The issue is called “right to repair,” and some bills offering those rights will have public hearings this week.

EDMONDS—Business owner Shubert Ho fears that another stroke of bad luck for the Puget Sound region’s restaurant industry would be the knockout blow. The first devastating setback came last spring, when the economic shutdown forced his restaurant group to lay off 95% of the more than 200 employees who staff the company’s six Edmonds establishments, including Salt & Iron and Bar ...

MLTnews presents The Daily Legislative Report, covering the 2021 Washington State Legislature. In the Senate Labor, Commerce & Tribal Affairs Committee, Senate Bill 5267 earned a public hearing. Sponsored by Senator Derek Stanford, the legislation would require state licensing certification for electrical work associated with flipping property. It would prevent local homeowners from gaining permits and doing the work themselves ...

This year, Washington state could join the rest of the West Coast in a significant step toward reducing carbon pollution as well as health risks from fuel emissions, if a bill sponsored by 1st District State Sen. Derek Stanford passes. SB 5231 would implement a clean fuels standard in Washington. The standard would set a trajectory for oil refiners and importers ...

By Jeffrey Mize, Columbian staff reporter

Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law today a bill that will prevent a defendant from using so-called panic defenses upon discovering a victim’s gender identity or sexual orientation.

House Bill 1687 has been named “The Nikki Kuhnhausen Act” following last year’s killing of Vancouver transgender teen ...

Sen. Derek Stanford, D-Bothell, was sworn in Jan. 13 to represent the 1st Legislative District in the Washington State Senate.

He was appointed to the office on July 1 following the departure of Sen. Guy Palumbo.

“I look forward to continuing to put people first by making sure our education system is ...