Washington Legislature – Northwest Public Broadcasting

Seattle And King County Will Sue To Block Initiative 976, The $30 Car Tab Measure

By NWPB News November 8, 2019

Sound Transit light rail train and tunnel in Seattle

If fully implemented, Initiative 976 would force the city to cut more than 100,000 bus hours and would hamper her program to provide free bus access for high school students and low-income residents, Seattle's mayor said in a news conference. She also emphasized that voters in King County, which is home to Seattle, firmly voted against the measure sponsored by Tim Eyman. Read More

Former Inmate Who Won Fight To Become An Attorney Announces Run For Washington Legislature

By Austin Jenkins October 21, 2019

Tarra Simmons, an attorney who previously served time in prison, plans to run for the Washington Legislature. Courtesy of Tarra Simmons

Tarra Simmons, of Bremerton, who in 2017 won a Supreme Court fight to sit for the state bar exam, despite her prior criminal conviction, plans to formally announce her candidacy for the state House on Monday. Continue Read More

Washington State Racks Up Contempt Orders, Fines As Developmentally Disabled Patients Languish

By Austin Jenkins September 9, 2019

Dawn Akerman and her brother Fred pose while having lunch together before he returned to the hospital in June. Courtesy of Dawn Akerman

In recent months, court commissioners on both sides of the Cascades have found the state of Washington in contempt, and even imposed fines, over access to state psychiatric care for people with severe developmental disabilities. The cases involve people who’ve been found to pose an imminent risk to themselves or others, but are languishing in local hospitals. Read More

Rep. Laurie Jinkins Selected As First Woman House Speaker In Washington History

By Austin Jenkins July 31, 2019

In this April 11, 2019 photo, Rep. Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, listens to debate on the House floor at the Capitol in Olympia. Jinkins became the first woman elected House Speaker in Washington history on July 31, 2019. CREDIT: TED S. WARREN/AP

Washington House Democrats have selected Rep. Laurie Jinkins to serve as the state's first woman speaker of the House. The historic vote today in SeaTac ushers in a new era in Washington politics following a 20-year reign by Frank Chopp of Seattle, who was the state's longest serving speaker of the House. Read More

Claim Of ‘Coded’ Racism Prompts Calls For More Inclusivity At Washington State Capitol

By Austin Jenkins July 19, 2019

Pedestrians walk in the rain near the Legislative Building, Tuesday, March 28, 2017, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash., as cherry trees display their spring blossoms. CREDIT: TED S. WARREN/AP

In the month since Washington state Sen. Mona Das, a first-term Democrat from Kent, made headlines for comments about racism and sexism in the Senate Democratic Caucus, she has been calling her colleagues to apologize that her words “were as strong as they were.” Read More

Commission Recommends Major Overhaul Of Washington Sentencing Laws

By Austin Jenkins June 15, 2019

THOMAS HAWK / FLICKR - TINYURL.COM/HA5H3WP

Washington's Sentencing Guidelines Commission, tasked with promoting accountability and equity in sentencing, has adopted a report to the state Legislature that urges lawmakers to consider two options for modernizing the grid with the twin goals of simplifying sentencing and increasing judicial discretion. Read More

Clean Fuels Proponents Move Forward With Plans In Washington State Despite Legislative Setback

By Courtney Flatt June 4, 2019

Tailpipe exhaust is the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions in Washington state and nationwide. CREDIT: RICK BOWMER/AP

Plans for a low carbon fuel standard in Washington didn’t work out this legislative session. Now, advocates are figuring out what to do next to reduce gasoline and diesel emissions in the Evergreen State. Continue Read More

Jay Inslee Signs $52.4B State Budget As Republicans Decry ‘Avalanche Of Unnecessary New Taxes’

By Austin Jenkins May 21, 2019

Vape shop owners give the thumbs down sign as Gov. Jay Inslee poses for a photo after signing into law a new tax on vaping liquids. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS/N3

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday signed into law a $52.4 billion, two-year state budget that he said "rises to the needs of our time," but that minority Republicans quickly criticized as a "tax-and-spend home run." Read More

Washington Lawmakers Revive Tax Break For Electric Vehicle Buyers

By Tom Banse April 30, 2019

Washington legislators revived a lapsed tax incentives for electric car purchases, effective August 1, 2019. CREDIT: TOM BANSE / NW NEWS NETWORK

In their last minute dash to adjournment Sunday, Washington state legislators revived a lapsed sales tax break for buyers of electric cars. The resurrected incentive will be similar in value to a publicly-funded rebate for battery-powered cars that Oregon now offers.A valuable tax break for buyers of fully-electric and plug-in hybrid cars in Washington expired last Read More

Affirmative Action Opponents File Referendum To Overturn Washington’s I-1000

By Austin Jenkins April 29, 2019

Affirmative action opponents demonstrate outside the Washington Senate on Sunday night following a vote to approve I-1000. AUSTIN JENKINS/N3

Opponents of affirmative action filed a referendum Monday morning to overturn Initiative 1000, which majority Democrats in the Washington Legislature passed Sunday evening in the waning hours of the 105-day legislative session. Backers of the repeal effort will have until July 27 to collect 129,811 signatures to qualify for the November 2019 ballot. Read More

Washington Lawmakers Are Done This Year. Here’s What They Passed — And Didn’t — In 2019

By Austin Jenkins April 29, 2019

A first-in-the-nation law to allow human composting was among the bills that passed the 2019 Washington Legislature. CREDIT: MOLT STUDIOS

Washington lawmakers just wrapped up an action-packed, 105-day session with passage of the first state budget to exceed $50 billion and a bundle of tax hikes to fund it. Continue Reading Washington Lawmakers Are Done This Year. Read More

Washington Lawmakers Pass $52.8 Billion Budget, Raise Taxes, Approve Affirmative Action, Adjourn

By Austin Jenkins April 29, 2019

Washington lawmakers adjourned at midnight Sunday after majority Democrats approved an initiative to restore affirmative action and passed a $52.4 billion, two-year state operating budget. The budget relies on an array of tax increases, including on businesses and real estate transactions, but doesn't impose a new capital gains tax as had been proposed. Read More

Is There Room For Hydrogen-Powered Cars In A Future That Looks Electric?

By Tom Banse April 18, 2019

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee sets out on a test drive Wednesday, April 17, 2019 in a Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell car. CREDIT: TOM BANSE/N3

Today, automakers Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes make hydrogen fuel cell electric cars in very limited numbers. None of their Pacific Northwest dealers currently stock or sell those models to local drivers. Nevertheless, Toyota is laying the groundwork to bring its hydrogen-powered vehicles to the Northwest. Read More

Washington Legislature Votes To End Twice-Yearly Time Changes (Your Move, Oregon)

By Tom Banse April 16, 2019

Changing the clock for the first Daylight Saving Time in 1918. CREDIT: U.S. SENATE HISTORICAL OFFICE

A measure to adopt daylight saving time all year-round is now one small step away from the desk of Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. The same issue is still chugging along in the Oregon and California legislatures as part of a loosely coordinated movement to dispense with the unpopular ritual of springing forward and falling back. Read More

Former Washington State Rep. Matt Manweller Settles Lawsuit Against CWU For $155,000

By Austin Jenkins April 2, 2019

Washington 13th District GOP Rep. Matt Manweller CREDIT: WASHINGTON LEGISLATURE/2014

Former Washington state Rep. Matt Manweller has settled a wrongful termination lawsuit against his former employer, Central Washington University (CWU), for $155,000. Manweller had initially sought more than $2 million in damages. Read More

Washington Legislature Votes To Raise Smoking And Vaping Age To 21

By NWPB News March 27, 2019

A proposal to raise the smoking and vaping age to 21 in Washington has passed the Legislature, putting the state on the precipice of becoming the ninth state to make such a change. Having previously passed the House, the measure now heads to Gov. Jay Inslee, who has said he supports the bill and is expected to sign it. Read More

Fuel Producers, Consumers Take Sides On Washington’s Debate Over Lower-Carbon Transportation

By Courtney Flatt March 27, 2019

Washington lawmakers are developing a low carbon fuels standard. If signed into law, new rules would limit the amount of carbon coming out of car and truck tailpipes. Backers say it’s necessary to combat climate change. Critics say it will increase the price at the pump. Read More

Washington House Democrats Propose $1.4 Billion Tax Package To Fund State Budget

By Austin Jenkins March 25, 2019

Washington House Democrats unveiled their proposed two-year budget at a news conference on Monday. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS

Washington House Democrats on Monday unveiled a proposed $1.4 billion tax package, including a new capital gains tax, to fund a two-year budget with ongoing commitments to public schools, boosted spending for people with mental illness and increased reimbursement rates for a wide-range of social service providers. Read More

Hotel Stays Put Pressure On Washington Lawmakers To Increase Foster Care Funding

By Austin Jenkins March 15, 2019

The report, released late Monday, sounds the alarm over the rising use of hotels to temporarily house foster youth. CREDIT: FLICKR PHOTO/RICH UCHYTIL (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)/HTTPS://BIT.LY/2KEV8GW

Over the past eight years, Washington has lost 170 residential beds for hard-to-place foster youth. But now there’s a push in Olympia to nearly double provider reimbursement rates in an effort to reverse the trend. Continue Read More

Washington Bumps Up Its Presidential Primary To March, Seeking To Be More Relevant

By Austin Jenkins March 14, 2019

Election officials across the country have worked hard to prioritize security ahead of November's midterms, but some strategies could have the unintended effect of sometimes making voting harder. CREDIT: JUSTIN SULLIVAN

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination, signed legislation Thursday to bump the state’s presidential primary from late May to early March. It’s a move designed to make Washington, a frequently overlooked state with just 12 electoral votes, more relevant in the nominating process. Read More

Washington Lawmakers Move One Step Closer To Vacating Misdemeanor Marijuana Convictions

By NWPB News March 12, 2019

The Washington Legislature has sent a ban on bump stocks to Gov. Jay Inslee for his signature. A bump stock is a trigger modification device that make a semi-automatic rifle function more like an automatic weapon. CREDIT: JON CONNELL

Tens of thousands of people who were previously found guilty of misdemeanor marijuana possession charges could see their convictions vacated under a measure passed Monday by the Washington Senate. Continue Reading Read More

Washington Lawmakers Vote For Year-Round Daylight Saving Time. But It’s Far From A Done Deal

By Tom Banse March 10, 2019

Seattle area sunset picture at the beach

The Washington House of Representatives voted 89 to 7 Saturday in favor of observing daylight saving time year-round. The state Senate is expected to vote in the coming days on the issue, which is gaining steam in statehouses across the West. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has not yet signaled where he stands on the measures. Read More

Clean Electricity Rule To Phase Out Fossil Fuel Plants Moves Closer To Passage In Washington

By Tom Banse March 4, 2019

Colstrip power plant in Montana - Flicker-Creative Commons

Electric utilities in Washington would have to phase out all coal power, and eventually, natural gas-fired generation under a measure passed by the state Senate last week. The 100 percent clean electricity mandate is a priority of Gov. Jay Inslee and environmental groups, but Republican critics decried it as a big rate increase in the making. Read More

Washington Legislature Considers Bill For Seat Belts In School Buses

By Murrow News - Claire Martin-Tellis March 1, 2019

Students could begin wearing seat belts in school buses next year, under a proposed Washington House bill. But the bill's primary sponsor, Republican Rep. Gina Mosbrucker of Goldendale, isn’t optimistic. Continue Reading Washington Legislature Read More

As Brain Injury Patients Struggle To Find Basic Services, Washington Families Look To Olympia For Help

By Austin Jenkins February 24, 2019

Rhonda Johnson with her son Brandon Bielen who was severely brain injured in a motorcyle accident in 2010. COURTESY OF RHONDA JOHNSON

More than a decade ago, Washington state legislators added a $2 fee to most traffic tickets in an effort to improve services for the estimated 145,000 Washingtonians who suffer from TBI. But experts who advise the legislature say it's not nearly enough. Read More

Washington Lawmakers Weigh 2 Vaccine Exemption Bills

By NWPB News February 20, 2019

Opponents to efforts to remove philosophical exemptions from school-vaccine requirements rally outside the Washington Capitol, in Olympia, Wash., Wednesday, Feb. 20,2019. Lawmakers are considering two measures, one that would remove the exemption from the combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, and another that would not allow personal or philosophical exemptions to be granted for any required school vaccinations. CREDIT: RACHEL LA CORTE/AP

Two Washington legislative bills come amid an outbreak that has sickened at least 64 people in the state — all but one in Clark County — leading Gov. Jay Inslee to declare a state of emergency. Continue Reading Washington Lawmakers Weigh 2 Vaccine Read More

Lawmakers Consider Statewide Plastic Bag Bans In Washington And Oregon

By Cassandra Profita February 19, 2019

File photo. Washington and Oregon lawmakers are considering statewide bans on single-use plastic bags in grocery stores. CREDIT: JULIA REIHS/KUT

Lawmakers in both Washington and Oregon are considering bills that would ban single-use plastic bags statewide to reduce plastic pollution. Continue Reading Lawmakers Consider Statewide Plastic Bag Bans In Washington And OregonRead More

#MeToo Lessons Spur Mandatory Sex-Education Proposal In Washington

By Max Wasserman February 15, 2019

Planned parenthood advocates listen as students speak in favor of legislation mandating consent-based sex education in Washington state, Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2019. CREDIT: MAX WASSERMAN/N3

Issues of sexual harassment raised in the #MeToo era have trickled their way through just about every part of Washington state — from business, to government, and now possibly schools as state lawmakers flag consent as the cornerstone of a mandatory sex-education proposal. Read More

Washington State Lawmakers Want You To Save For College — And They’re Willing To Help

By Max Wasserman February 6, 2019

In this 2013 photo, University of Washington sophomore Megan Herndon, of Kailua, Hawaii, stands on a bench as she leads high school students on a tour of the campus in Seattle. CREDIT: ELAINE THOMPSON/AP

Drastic increases to the cost of college have discouraged many families from saving for their child’s tuition — or even thinking of it as a possibility. But some state lawmakers think that could change for as little as $100. Read More

Former Washington Legislator Kevin Ranker Violated Harassment Policy, Report Finds

By Austin Jenkins February 1, 2019

Washington state Sen. Kevin Ranker is the subject of a workplace misconduct investigation. CREDIT: WASHINGTON SENATE

Former Washington state Sen. Kevin Ranker, an Orcas Island Democrat, violated Senate harassment policy in his treatment of a female subordinate during the 2010 legislative session, according to an investigative report released Friday. Read More

Amid Measles Outbreak, Washington Lawmakers Look To Change Who Can Opt Out Of Vaccines

By Derek Wang January 31, 2019

Jocelyn Smith cares for her 11-month-old son, Mason at their home in Camas, Washington, on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019. Smith has been afraid to take Mason out of the house during a measles outbreak in southwest Washington because he is too young to receive the measles vaccine. CREDIT: GILLIAN FLACCUS/AP

As the number of cases and geographic reach expands in Southwest Washington’s measles crisis, state lawmakers are looking to revisit who can opt out of vaccinations. Continue Reading Amid Measles Outbreak, Washington Read More

Hungry Like The … Bainbridge Wolf? Bill Highlights Differing East/West Views On Washington Wolves

By Emily Schwing January 30, 2019

Most of the wolves in Washington are in the northeastern part of the state. A bill by Republican state Rep. Joel Kretz proposes a wolf sanctuary on Bainbridge Island. CREDIT: WASHINGTON DEPT. OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

A bill in the Washington state House of Representatives would create a wolf sanctuary on Bainbridge Island. And while the bill’s sponsor, Republican Joel Kretz, knows it’s unlikely to even get a hearing, he said he introduced it to make a point. Read More

Yay Or Nay On Permanent Daylight Saving Time? You May Get To Vote On It

By Tom Banse January 30, 2019

File photo. A loosely coordinated effort is gaining steam to get all West Coast states to synchronize their clocks to year-round daylight saving time. CREDIT: HENRIQUE SIMPLICIO / FLICKR PHOTO HTTPS://FLIC.KR/P/F1JXBL

Oregon and Washington voters could get a say at the next general election on whether to adopt daylight saving time year-round — and thereby abolish the twice-yearly clock changes. Continue Reading Yay Or Nay On Permanent Daylight Saving Read More

New Code Of Conduct To Shift How Washington Legislature Deals With Sexual Harassment

By Max Wasserman January 26, 2019

Washington House representatives listen to testimony,, Jan. 24, 2019, before they unanimously voted to approve a code of conduct for the Legislature. CREDIT: TED S. WARREN/AP

The handling of sexual harassment in the Washington Legislature will evolve following a new code of conduct that has already passed one chamber. Continue Reading New Code Of Conduct To Shift How Washington Legislature Deals Read More

If This Bill Passes, Low-Income Washington Families Could Get A Sales Tax Refund

By Paige Browning January 25, 2019

Democratic Representative Debra Entenman of Kent speaks in the House of Representatives to honor Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on January 21, 2019. CREDIT: WASHINGTON STATE HOUSE DEMOCRATS »

A new bill in the state legislature would ease the tax burden on working families by giving a chunk of sales tax money back to them. Continue Reading If This Bill Passes, Low-Income Washington Families Could Get A Sales Read More

Washington Legislators Consider Statewide Native American Voting Rights Act

By Emily Schwing January 24, 2019

Washington state Sen. John McCoy, D-Tulalip, is sponsoring the Native American Voting Rights Act. Courtesy of office of Joe McCoy

A bill in the Washington Senate seeks to improve voting rights for Native Americans. The Native American Voting Rights Act is sponsored by John McCoy, the only tribal member in the state Senate. Continue Reading Washington Read More

Washington State Lawmakers Want To Save Seat At Budget Table For Free College

By Max Wasserman January 23, 2019

The Legislative Building on the opening day of the 2019 session. Lawmakers want to make financial aid for higher education an entitlement. CREDIT: TED S. WARREN / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The question hanging over the Washington state Legislature this winter isn’t so much what laws will pass, but how they’ll be funded. Continue Reading Washington State Lawmakers Want To Save Seat At Budget Table For Free Read More

Would You Want To Be Composted After You Die? Washington Lawmakers Consider Making It Legal

By Tom Banse January 16, 2019

Artist's rendering of a future flagship Recompose facility in Seattle. CREDIT: MOLT STUDIOS VIA RECOMPOSE

A bipartisan effort to make Washington the first state to legalize human composting faced its first test in front of lawmakers on Tuesday — and the idea seemed to go over relatively well. Continue Reading Would You Read More

Washington Lawmakers Open Debate On Clean Fuel Standard

By Courtney Flatt January 16, 2019

Tailpipe emissions. CREDIT: FLICKR/EUTOPICATION AND HYPOXIA

The gas and diesel you use to fuel your car are some of the biggest sources of greenhouse gasses and air pollution in Washington. Some lawmakers want to change that. Continue Reading Washington Lawmakers Open Debate On Clean Fuel StandardRead More

In State Of State Address, Jay Inslee Calls For Climate Change Action, Addressing Mental Health

By Austin Jenkins January 15, 2019

Climate change topped Gov. Jay Inslee's list of priorities in his 2019 State of the State speech. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS/N3

Warning that Washington state is at a "tipping point," Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee on Tuesday delivered a State of the State address that called on lawmakers to address carbon pollution, "transform" the mental health system and save Puget Sound orcas. Read More

Washington State Sen. Kevin Ranker Resigns Amid Workplace Conduct Investigation

By Austin Jenkins January 12, 2019

Washington state Sen. Kevin Ranker, an Orcas Island Democrat, has resigned his seat in the midst of a workplace conduct investigation. In a letter to Gov. Jay Inslee dated Friday, Ranker, who served in the Senate for a decade, said his resignation was effective immediately. Read More

Washington Sen. Kevin Ranker Admits Relationship With Former Staffer Accusing Him Of Misconduct

By Austin Jenkins December 19, 2018

A Washington state senator under investigation for alleged workplace misconduct involving his former legislative assistant acknowledged Tuesday that he had a "brief relationship" with the woman before he hired her in 2009. Read More

Jay Inslee Proposes Big Boost In State Spending, New Taxes In Two-Year Washington Budget

By Austin Jenkins December 13, 2018

Gov. Jay Inslee announced his proposed budget for the 2019-21 biennium at a Capitol news conference Dec. 13, 2018. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS/N3

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is proposing a hefty $10 billion increase in state spending over the next two years to maintain current services and fund new priorities, including mental health and orca recovery. To pay for it, Inslee is once again pushing for a new state capital gains tax on high income earners as well as an increase in the business and occupation tax on Read More

Inside Jay Inslee’s Proposed Budget: A New, 500-Bed Mental Hospital To Replace Western State

By Austin Jenkins December 11, 2018

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, pictured here outside Western State Hospital, is proposing the state explore building a new state hospital. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS / NORTHWEST NEWS NETWORK

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is taking the first step toward a plan to help house and treat psychiatric patients who have been involved in the criminal justice system: a new, 500-bed state mental hospital. Continue Reading Read More

Olympia Harassment: Workgroup Recommends New Office To Investigate Misconduct In Legislature

By Austin Jenkins December 9, 2018

washnigton state capitol CREDIT: BRIANHE / WIKIMEDIA - TINYURL.COM/ZMPZ86K

Following eight months of meetings, a workgroup on the prevention of sexual harassment in the Washington state House is recommending an independent office where victims could report misconduct. The recommendation is part of a package of suggested reforms. Read More

Washington Legislators Reverse Course, Won’t Investigate Rape Allegation Against Sen. Joe Fain

By Derek Wang December 4, 2018

Senate Republican floor leader Joe Fain, R-Auburn. CREDIT: TED WARREN

The Washington State Senate announced Tuesday that it will not go forward with its planned investigation of Senator Joe Fain (R-Auburn). Fain has been accused of raping a Seattle woman in 2007 before he took office and has denied the allegation. Read More

10 People Have Been Arrested In Washington For ‘Lie And Try To Buy’ Gun Law

By Austin Jenkins December 1, 2018

A 2017 Washington law that requires gun dealers to report failed background checks has resulted in at least 10 arrests and two convictions, according to a report to the governor and legislators. CREDIT: QUAGMAR / FLICKR

A 2017 law that requires Washington gun dealers to report when someone tries to buy a firearm and fails a background check has resulted in at least 10 arrests and two convictions so far, according to a report by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. Read More

Professional Initiative Sponsor Tim Eyman Is Back With Another Proposed $30 Car Tabs Measure

By Austin Jenkins November 14, 2018

Professional initiative sponsor Tim Eyman, right, holds a photo from his first successful $30 car tabs initiative in 1999. Eyman says he has collected almost enough signatures to qualify a 2019 car tabs rollback initiative to the 2019 Legislature. CREDIT: AUSTIN JENKINS/N3

Nearly 20 years after Washington voters passed Initiative 695, which repealed Washington's motor vehicle excise tax, anti-tax activist Tim Eyman says he's close to qualifying a new initiative to repeal taxes to support Sound Transit and restrict car tabs to $30. Read More

Washington State Sen. Joe Fain Concedes Tight Re-Election Race Amid Rape Accusation

By NWPB News November 9, 2018

Washington State Senator Joe Fain conceded to his opponent, Mona Das, Friday night. It came after the latest vote tally, and an expected outside investigation into a rape accusation made in September. Continue Reading Read More

Democrats Make Gains In Washington Legislature, Many Races Too Close To Call

By Austin Jenkins November 7, 2018

Washington state Sen. Doug Ericksen was among the Republicans fighting to keep his seat after Tuesday’s election. AUSTIN JENKINS / N3 Listen It wasn’t a sweeping blue wave, but Democrats were poised to pick up several seats in the Washington Legislature based on the first tally of ballots Tuesday evening as many of the most… Read More