Building a stronger, more just & transparent democracy
Building a stronger, more just & transparent democracy
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By Aspen Anderson Washington State Journal As the prevalence of fentanyl rises, so too does the frequency of critical incidents related to parental substance abuse among foster children, often resulting in fatalities or near-fatalities. This alarming trend spurred foster mothers from across the state to gather and protest on the steps of the capitol. They say a recently adopted state law makes it harder to remove children from homes for the evidence of substance abuse alone, a...
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The Washington State Journal relies on a broad coalition of media professionals, newspapers and college and university administrators to provide coverage of Washington State and of the state government. The State Journal is funded by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1986. People serving on the Foundation's Board of Directors are: President Don Nelson Publisher, Methow Valley News Vice President Patrick Grubb Publisher, The Northern Light Secretary/Treasurer Fred...
By Mary Murphy and Aspen Anderson Washington State Journal It was still dark outside when people with MAGA hats and anti-Trump signs gathered outside the entrance of the Thurston County Courthouse Jan. 18. A court filing that would push former President Donald Trump off the primary ballot in Washington State was the issue that drew them. Alexis Wallace showed up early displaying a cardboard sign that read, "What happened to: "Our democracy?" Ha Ha Ha." Wallace is a precinct...
Meaningful, independent journalism is at a crossroads. Advertisers who once filled newspaper coffers and funded local journalism have shifted resources to the Internet. And although newspapers are reaching more people than ever in print and online, the money that was once available for journalism has gone elsewhere. Nowhere is this more apparent than Olympia's Capitol Campus. Before the press corps was moved to the Capitol building, offices in the old press houses were...
After five years serving as Washington state's House Republican Leader, Rep. J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, announced his decision to step down from his leadership role. Being the House Republican Leader is a partisan job, and in the past, Wilcox said if his leadership did not result in a more balanced Legislature, it was time for a change. The House of Representatives currently has 58 Democrats and 40 Republicans. "It's been weighing on me since the election, and I don't go back on my...
The Washington State Legislature adjourned April 23 after failing to approve a controversial bill setting drug possession penalties, raising the possibility of a special session in the coming weeks to resolve the issue. Drug possession became a misdemeanor two years ago when the Supreme Court invalidated the law that made drug possession a felony. Hurried legislation made the crime a misdemeanor, but many thought that charge was too light. The Legislature debated SB5536, which...
Legislators celebrated Earth Day with the passage of environmental bills in the final hours of the legislative session. The package creates new laws that regulate the use of foam blocks for docks, govern production of hydrogen to power buses, provide for the study of carbon monoxide and places new restrictions on battery sales. Substitute House Bill 1085, by Rep. Sharlett Mena, D-Tacoma, prohibits the sale and distribution of expanded foam blocks and floats used in overwater structures, unless the foam is contained in a...
Police may pursue suspects that pose long-term serious risk to others under revisions of a more restrictive 2022 vehicle chase law that has now passed both houses of this year’s Legislature. Engrossed Senate Bill 5352 was introduced by Sen. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek. “I’m a Black man from birth, my skin tone is brown, but I wore the blue uniform proudly for 31 years as a state trooper,” he said. “I know there are fears out there, but I think legislation like this can bring our community together and help our law enforceme...
Cosmetic products containing nine toxic chemicals already removed from some retail shelves would be banned under a House-passed bill currently in the Senate. Substitute House Bill 1047, by Rep. Sharlett Mena, D-Tacoma, passed the House with a 55-41 vote and would restrict the manufacture, sale and distribution of cosmetic products containing certain chemicals as an intentionally added ingredient, beginning Jan. 1, 2025. “The chemicals we’re talking about, nine chemicals and classes of toxic chemicals, are things that we kno...
Thirty thousand doses of the pregnancy-ending drug mifepristone was purchased by the state under an order by Gov. Jay Inslee. The abortion-related drug is legal in the state of Washington to end pregnancy up to 10 weeks. The drug was approved for use by the Federal Food and Drug Administration 20 years ago and studies show the drug is safe to use. But, a judge in Texas is presiding over a case that challenges the FDA’s approval, and that could impact the ability of women in the state of Washington to have access to the d...
Employers would be prohibited from denying a person a job for their non-work-related cannabis use in a bill passed by the state Senate 28-21 and the House of Representatives 57-41. Currently, there is one difference between the two houses. The House bill excludes people seeking positions as a first responder or corrections officer, or with a law enforcement agency or a fire department. Both bills exclude applicants in the aviation and aerospace industries because of federal transportation rules. Beyond those exemptions,...
Cannabis stores may be able to display larger outdoor signs if they comply with local ordinances rather than statewide regulations from the Liquor and Cannabis Board under a proposal in the state Legislature. Vicki Christophersen, Washington CannaBusiness Association Executive Director, said the bill does nothing to change the LCB’s authority to regulate the content of the signs, whether it be a billboard or a sign on the store. What the bill does is make regulation of the sign’s size and the number of signs subject to loc...
People with mental health issues and those who might consider suicide sometimes voluntarily give up their right to possess guns by filing a voluntary waiver of their firearm rights with the clerk of the court of any county within the state. Under a bill now being debated in the Legislature, filing such a waiver would be allowed electronically and revoking the waiver would trigger notification of a friend or relative. Substitute Senate Bill 5006, by Sen. Jamie Pederson, D-Seattle, also would create a class 4 civil infraction o...
Public schools must adopt a “Statement of Student Rights,” that includes freedom of speech and religion, the right to assemble, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness under legislation that has passed the Senate and is now in the House. Engrossed House Bill 1478, by Rep. Joe Timmons, D-Bellingham, passed the House with a 61-35 vote. “By having a consolidated statement of student rights that are available to students and by having that statement incorporated into civics education in K-12 schools, my hope...
A public-school grant program to help students evaluate news reports would be established if a bill passed by the state Senate makes its way through the House of Representatives. The amount of the grant program awarded to teachers and school districts proposed in Substitute Senate Bill 5626 by Sen. Marko Liias, D-Mukilteo, is unspecified. Funding would be subject to the final budget approved later in this year’s legislative session for the 2003-2005 biennium, The bill passed the Senate 44-4. Jen Ligot, Washington State C...
Use of consumer reproductive health data would be much more restricted under House Bill 1155, the proposed “My Health, My Data Act.” The proposed law requires the consumer’s consent before sharing or collecting personal health data. This prohibits organizations from selling consumer health data not otherwise protected by law. After an extended floor debate over 23 proposed amendments, the bill received a vote of 57-39 in the state House of Representatives and moved to the Senate. In 2022, Attorney General Bob Ferguson announc...
More people working in public sector jobs would be required to report suspected abuse of senior adults under a bill now being debated in the state Legislature. “Typically, the first idea that we have that abuse or neglect is occurring comes through mandatory reporters,” said Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro Woolley, the bill’s sponsor. “It also lets everybody know who they can share information with under what circumstances.” Typically, mandated reporters are members of law enforcement, social workers and professional school pe...
A state task force on missing indigenous women, created in 2021, will be extended at least two more years if a Senate-passed bill is approved by the House and governor. The bill, Senate Bill 5477, sponsored by Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, would implement recommendations identified in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force. “Crimes against Indigenous people, especially women, and children, have continued to plague our state and our nation,” said Torres. “Despite making up only 2% of our popul...
More than 400,000 health care professionals would be required to provide information on race, ethnicity, gender, and spoken languages under a bill that passed the House and now is under consideration by the Senate. “This is something that we need to do to align our racial and ethnic makeup, and also just understanding better how we can get the workforce that reflects our state,” said Rep. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane. “This is needed to help us have a more robust and diverse workforce.” Currently, demographic informa...
Food banks are finding it necessary to provide diapers, toiletries, feminine hygiene products and other non-food items but currently are limited on how much they can spend on those essentials. Substitute House Bill 1499, by Rep. Clyde Shavers, D-Oak Harbor, allows food banks to expand the percentage of food assistance funding they can spend on non-food items from 10% to 25%. “During the pandemic, they faced this financial struggle, this hurdle, where they couldn’t purchase these products or use state funds to purchase pro...
The manufacture, distribution and sale of any assault weapon would be prohibited by legislation passed by the state House of Representatives and now in the Senate. “There has been a dramatic shift in the public, I think there’s been a shift in the legislature,” said Sen. Andy Billig, D-Spokane. “I think this bill has momentum and will have a good chance to pass.” Substitute House Bill 1240 was introduced by Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds. Assault weapons are defined very specifically in the bill as particular brands an...
For the first time in history, a foreign head of state has addressed a joint session in the Washington State Legislature. President, Sauli Niinistö, of the Republic of Finland, met with Washington lawmakers March 6 to discuss climate change and their partnership in supporting Ukraine. The visit comes as Finland intends to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). "The current critical geopolitical situation has brought us closer together than ever before. We are...
A social workers' guide to identify child malnutrition cases has passed the state House of Representatives and is now under consideration by the Senate. The guide would be required to be easily accessible to social workers, describe how to identify child malnutrition, include questions to ask if child malnutrition is suspected, include next steps staff must take. Child Protective and Welfare Services are offered to families to protect children from abuse and neglect. The Department of Children, Youth, and Families is...
Terminally ill patients seeking help to end their lives with the aid of a physician shouldn’t have to wait so long to get approval from the state. That’s the position of Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, who said he intends to eliminate barriers to care without removing safeguards in the Washington Death with Dignity Act. His Senate-passed proposal is Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5179. "One in four people do not live long enough to survive the 15-day waiting period (currently in the law). We talked to people who asked for...
High school students could earn elective credit through paid work experience under a bill that has passed the state House of Representatives 93-4 and is now in the Senate. “Financial education is a priority for young adults and families,” said Rep. Clyde Shavers, D-Oak Harbor, who sponsored the bill. “That means how to open a checking account or a savings account, how to invest, how to take out a loan. Let’s make sure financial literacy is a part of every young adult’s life; let’s give them the financial knowledge and the too...
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...
School districts should be required to test all students to see if they qualify for more challenging classes. That is the message behind Substitute Senate Bill 5072, proposed by T’wina Nobles, D-Fircrest. It requires districts to screen all students during the school day for participation in a “Highly Capable Program (HCP). “With this model, every student in a grade level gets to be considered, and no student is overlooked.” Nobles said. “Districts that have implemented universal screening are seeing the results improve e...
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...
Installing automated vehicle speed cameras and other measures to improve highway safety were approved in separate bills by the state Senate Feb.23. “Speed kills. Our work zones have lower posted speeds for very good reasons. This helps to prevent collisions with slower-moving work vehicles and helps to protect workers who are often outside of their vehicles,” said Mark McKechnie from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission testifying in support of ESSB 5272. There were 28 fatalities in work zones in the past three years. Abo...
Elementary schools will be required to give students 30 minutes of recess every day and teachers would be prohibited from denying recess as a disciplinary measure, under a bill that passed the Senate despite objections. The bill, ESSB 5257, is sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles, D-Fircrest, and passed with a vote of 28-21. “Play is critical to positive youth development. What we know about recess is it can lower cortisol levels. It can increase problem-solving, and it can help our students build relationships with each oth...
Children and grandchildren sat on laps and wandered the aisles of the House of Representatives for this year's Children's Day at the state Legislature, and many young observers played with toy dinosaurs as House members voted for a bill establishing an official state dinosaur. House Bill 1020, sponsored by Rep. Melanie Morgan, D-Parkland, establishes a fossil nicknamed "Suciasaurus Rex" as Washington state's official dinosaur. The fossil was discovered in 2012 on Sucia Island...
A national test given to people who want to be paraeducators in public schools often slows the process and presents roadblocks for bilingual applicants, some educators say. Substitute House Bill 1015, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos, D-Seattle, attempts to solve these problems. “As many of you are aware, school districts are not only dealing with a significant shortage of teacher applicants but also struggling to fill their para-pro positions,” said Rural Education Center Director Jim Kowalkowski. “While this bill...
Victims of domestic violence will get more protection under a package of bills now moving through the state Legislature. Rep. Lauren Davis, D-Shoreline, is sponsoring House Bill 1715. The bill challenges the idea that domestic violence victims need to go into hiding and it holds the abusers accountable, she said. The law would initiate statewide requirements for electronic monitoring with victim notification, it changes the process that requires surrendering firearms and it creates provisions under which a domestic violence v...
Ashley Bonus said she began her fight against impaired driving after her sister, Stacy Gammons-Ankerfelt, died in an accident in 2012. Now, she wants a new law that lowers the blood alcohol level needed to sustain an impaired driving conviction. “I work hard to make a change for my sister. I would never want any other family to feel the pain we feel every day. So, I work really hard just to make any change I can,” Bonus said. Bonus, now a volunteer with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), testified recently in support of Su...
Allisone McClanahan suffered from severe chronic pain and fibromyalgia. To ease her pain, the 26-year-old took a pain pill from a friend she thought contained oxycodone. Instead, she died of a drug overdose in 2021. After her death, the toxicology report revealed the pill did not contain any oxycodone and was poisoned with fentanyl, seven times the amount her body could withstand. Genevieve Schofield, Allisone’s mother, said she did not want anyone to experience pain like hers. She reached out to legislators, and testified a...
Washington State might have an official nickname if a bill that passed a Senate committee becomes law, but it's not really “new.” You’ve seen it on everything from license plates to a state college. Senate Bill 5595, by Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview, designates “The Evergreen State” as Washington’s official nickname, a moniker first employed 135 years ago. It was penned by Charles T. Conover in 1890, who became city editor of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer more than a century ago. “What it implies is something that can remain...
The Running Start program, which allows high school juniors and seniors to earn college level credits, will expand to include sophomores, if a proposal in the state Legislature is approved. “It’s a heavy lift when you’re a junior and senior to try to accomplish your two-year degree in those two years,” said Sen. Brad Hawkins, R-Wenatchee. “A little running start to Running Start might be good to actually accomplish some of the two-year attainment that we’re seeking in the state.” Running Start allows high school studen...
Stalking is stalking, whether it is in person or online, and they will be treated as identical crimes if a bill presented in the Legislature is adopted. Under current law, a person commits the crime of stalking if they repeatedly follow someone with the intent to intimidate and harass. “Unfortunately, scholarly literature indicates that law enforcement has a tendency to downplay the behavior because the individual acts of stalking are not typically criminal on their own and do not appear threatening to someone who doesn't u...
The war against the use of illegal fentanyl will get some extra help in the future from drug sniffing dogs trained to detect the substance. That’s the intent of House Bill 1635, introduced by Rep. Gina Mosbrucker, R-Goldendale. The bill instructs the Criminal Justice Training Commission to develop model standards for training the police dogs. Fentanyl is used illegally for intense but short-term highs and temporary feelings of euphoria, but can cause fainting, seizures and sometimes even death. Mosbrucker said the fentanyl e...
Students should spend more time in school and less time on break so they retain the learning they acquire during the school year. That’s the opinion of Sen. Brad Hawkins, R-East Wenatchee, who has introduced a bill in the state Legislature that adds five days to the school calendar. “SB 5505 takes swift and decisive action to support learning recovery with a simple solution -- providing our students with additional access to their teachers, their peers, and to dedicated support staff,” Hawkins said. Under current law, schools...
Victims and witnesses who track perpetrators in prison to know when they are released will be able to keep their identities private, if a bill that passed the Senate with broad bipartisan support becomes law. “This bill creates a safer environment for the victims and survivors, and they are not placed again in harm’s way because of a public records request,” said T’wina Nobles, D-Fircrest. The Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) provides a tracking program for victims and witnesses so they can know when the per...
People who perform female genital mutilation on a minor could face criminal and civil penalties if a bill now in the state Senate becomes law. Female genital mutilation, or FGM, involves removal or injury to female genital organs for non-medical reasons. It is a cultural procedure for young girls more commonly practiced in some African countries but instances of it in the United States are on the increase as immigrants move here. “Unfortunately, I am told by members of the community that not only licensed health p...
Delivery drivers working for firms such as DoorDash and Instacart would be required to purchase a $50 state license and complete a certified class to deliver alcoholic beverages from bars and restaurants if a House bill under consideration passes. Under current law, a class 12 permit is required for managers, bartenders and servers engaging in alcohol sales. House Bill 1375, sponsored by Kristine Reeves, D-Federal Way, would require delivery drivers to have to have the same permit. Reeves said the bill is not an expansion of...
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle and Gov. Jay Inslee say they are backing a package of new laws aimed at protecting workers, pedestrians and commuters. New bills would include reducing the blood alcohol concentration limit for operating a vehicle when driving, imposing more restrictions on high-risk drivers and requiring a skills course for young and older drivers. Amber Weilert, a mother from Parkland, described how her son was struck and killed in a crosswalk while...
