Building a stronger, more just & transparent democracy
Building a stronger, more just & transparent democracy
Sorted by date Results 1 - 6 of 6
Sex traffickers often manipulate their victims with lies or threats and force them to participate in sexual acts, and the most vulnerable victims are between the ages of 12 and 18. “Sex trafficking is rampant, indiscriminate and insidious, especially among youth, but it’s rarely thought as (of as) such,” said Ria Bahadur, a member of the Legislative Youth Advisory Council at Eastside Preparatory School. “I like to believe humans are good people, and I like to believe when given the right education, we’re stronger and smarter...
Free lunches for all public-school students is apparently off the table in the state Legislature, but House members are now considering phasing-in paid lunches for kindergarten through fourth grade. “While I am disappointed we are unable to move legislation that will cover all kids with universal meals, I am pleased that we are continuing to move legislation forward that will help us take another step toward the goal,” said bill sponsor Rep. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane. House Bill 1238 originally provided universal free lun...
Reproductive health care services including abortion and gender affirming treatment would be protected in Washington State under a bill recently by the House with a 59-38. The legislation, House Bill 1469, was sponsored by Rep. Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge Island. Hansen said it establishes the state’s right to protect the insurance coverage of protected healthcare services, regardless of a person’s location when receiving those services. Other states are free to make their own public policy choices on what is legal or ill...
Washington State is moving to keep out-of-pocket costs of insulin at $35 per month until Jan. 1, 2025. “For people with Type 1 diabetes, this bill is literally life or death,” said Matthew Hepner, the father of a child with diabetes in support of SSB 5729. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, passed unanimously through the Senate and moved to the House of Representatives Feb. 28. It requires insurers to cap the patient share of the cost for insulin. In 2022, legislators passed Keiser’s previous insul...
Driver’s education courses will include guidance about sharing the road with big trucks and buses if a bill approved by the House gets an OK from the Senate. House Bill 1540 is sponsored by Rep. Spencer Hutchins, R-Gig Harbor. Hutchins said we share the road with these large commercial vehicles and buses, and it is important for new drivers to learn how to share the road safely. “It would be a great disruption to life, to commerce, to have unnecessary accidents with our large commercial vehicles,” he said. “This bill does a...
People 18 to 22 will be required to pass a driver’s education course before getting their license, if a bill that passed the state Senate becomes law. Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5583, which passed 41-7 on March 1, also includes fee increases. The measure now moves to the state House of Representatives. Sponsored by Sen. Marko Liias, D-Everett, the bill would require people between the ages of 18 and 22 to take a full driver’s education course by a licensed, private driving school or a school district before rec...
