News Releases

A task force would be created to identify and recommend better methods for preventing wildfires in the vicinity of electric utilities, under legislation that passed the Senate and awaits action in the House Committee on Rural Development.

Senate Bill 5305, sponsored by Sen. Kevin Van ...

The Legislature is expected to create an insurance program this year to help Washington households deal with the ballooning costs of long-term care, Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (D-Sequim) said today.

“The vast majority of people over 65 will need long-term care at some point ...

Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (D-Sequim) is strongly urging parents to make sure their children have been vaccinated in the face of a growing outbreak of measles in Southwest Washington.

“Just because the outbreak is primarily in Clark County doesn’t ...

OWashington consumers would continue to be protected from being overcharged for everyday products under legislation awaiting a hearing before the Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks Committee chaired by Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (D-Sequim).

Senate Bill 5468 would update the fees the state ...

Public health and environmental stewardship top Sen. Kevin Van De Wege’s priorities list as the 2019 legislative session wraps up its second week.

Tobacco 21, legislation to raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco products to 21, has already passed out of the ...

Sen. Kevin Van De Wege (D-Sequim) has been selected by his colleagues to continue to chair the Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks Committee when the Legislature convenes for the 2019 legislative session on Jan. 14. Having served as the ranking member on the committee during his freshman year in ...

In every legislative session, lawmakers can sponsor students to serve for one week — five business days — as legislative pages. During those five days, the students are immersed in the Legislature while assisting senators and staff. I mention this because now is the ideal ...

The San Juan Islander reported today on the impact of state grants to two non-profit groups that bolster the region’s maritime tradition while creating well-paying jobs in rural areas like Port Hadlock. You can read the full story here.

Legislation to prohibit the sale of firefighting foam that contains chemicals deadly to people and destructive to the environment was signed into law today by Gov. Jay Inslee. “This will limit contamination and exposure to these persistent chemicals, which build up in the environment and in our bodies,” said Sen. Kevin ...

Three bills and a key budget proviso would improve prospects for job growth on the Olympic Peninsula and in rural and coastal areas across the state, Sen. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, said today. The proviso secured by Van De Wege mandates that the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) cannot ...