Legislation strengthening criminal penalties against corporate actors responsible for pollution spills and other environmental crimes was introduced Thursday by Sen. Yasmin Trudeau (D-Tacoma). SB 5360 comprehensively updates these statutes to more closely align with federal law. This includes stronger criminal penalties to ensure that those who violate Washington’s laws on clean air, clean water, and hazardous waste are held accountable for their actions. “Criminal polluters who violate our environmental laws must pay the price of doing dirty business here in Washington,” Trudeau said. “Too often our criminal justice system has a double standard — it comes down hard on lower income individuals who commit crimes, while businesses and corporate actors avoid meaningful accountability when they violate our laws. This bill ensures ...

Sen. Yasmin Trudeau (D-Tacoma), vice chair of the Senate Ways & Means Committee for the capital budget, released the following statement in response to the capital budget proposed by Gov. Jay Inslee Tuesday: “I would like to thank the governor and his team for all their work. This budget proposal will be an important foundation to our capital budget writing work this session. I share the governor’s commitment to continuing major investments in affordable housing and completing some of our state’s most important infrastructure projects, like the new Western State hospital, so we can ensure all Washingtonians can get the care and services they need. All three of our state’s budgets face challenges in 2025, but I am confident we ...