In The News

Tucked away in a corner of Washington’s Yakima Valley is the small town of Sunnyside, made up of roughly 17,000 residents, a majority of whom are Latino and some lack legal status. In January, shortly after President Donald Trump took office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raised fear in the local immigrant community when they arrested two people in the ...

Washington State legislators are considering legislation stabilizing rents statewide. Since 2019, the Washington state legislature has been hard at work to pass state policy that addresses our housing affordability crisis. This effort has been anchored by a three-pronged approach: supply, subsidy, and stability. In recent years, the legislature has made nationally celebrated strides on the supply front. The legislature has also been ...

When state Sen. Yasmin Trudeau was still in law school, she had to have an uncomfortable conversation with a professor about the timing of an exam. The test fell on Eid al-Fitr, an Islamic holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan, a month of fasting and prayer. Trudeau asked for the exam to be moved. The professor declined. Now, as the ...

In a move that could further aggravate efforts by the Trump administration to deport undocumented immigrants, several Democratic state lawmakers are pushing forward a bill that would make it illegal for bail bond recovery agents—aka bounty hunters—to enforce civil immigration laws. Senate Bill 5714, sponsored by Senator Yasmin Trudeau, D-Tacoma, aims to keep bounty hunters in their lane and prevent them ...

As-salamu alaykum, a greeting among Muslims that translates to peace be upon you, is how Sen. Yasmin Trudeau began recent testimony for her bill that would establish Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as state-recognized holidays. After the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Trudeau, D-Tacoma, remembers calling a local radio station and expressing fears about the way people were responding to her ...

A bill before the Washington state Senate would make intentional water pollution, air pollution, and spilling of hazardous waste felonies. Under Washington state law, most environmental crimes are misdemeanors. “I believe that criminal polluters who violate our environmental laws must pay the price for doing dirty business in Washington,” said bill sponsor state Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, a Democrat from Tacoma, at a ...

OLYMPIA – Legislation to establish a rent cap in Washington passed the House Housing Committee this week, as lawmakers in the Senate once again begin to weigh more tenant protections. On Monday, the House committee approved the bill during an executive session. The proposal now heads to the House Appropriations Committee before potential consideration on the House floor. If signed into law, ...

Housing affordability is a big concern among Washingtonians who feel crushed under the weight of inflation and skyrocketing rents. It’s why Democratic lawmakers this session are again trying to limit annual rent hikes to no more than 7%. State Sen. Yasmin Trudeau of Tacoma and state Rep. Emily Alvarado of Seattle are sponsoring legislation that would do just that. A ...

Democratic state lawmakers are again pushing a proposal to restrict rent hikes across Washington. Despite the rent cap bill’s dramatic failure last session, backers say its prospects this year are better given new lawmakers, revamped legislative committees and growing public support. The road to final passage, however, could still be tough. Rep. Emily Alvarado, D-Seattle, prefiled a “rent stabilization” ...