WA Government

News > Crime/Public Safety

State House passes bills to ban assault weapons and require background checks, safety training for gun purchases

UPDATED: Thu., March 9, 2023

The types of firearms someone can purchase and the ways someone purchases them could soon be limited in Washington, if two bills making their way through the Legislature this week become law.

News > Crime/Public Safety

Washington Senate passes police pursuit bill, increasing when law enforcement can chase

UPDATED: Wed., March 8, 2023

The controversial bill that passed the state Senate 26-23 on Wednesday would allow law enforcement officers to pursue if they have reasonable suspicion that a person in the crime has committed or is committing a violent offense, a sex offense, a vehicle assault offense, a domestic violence assault, an escape or a driving under the influence offense.

News > Washington

Bill would make WA clergy mandatory reporters of abuse

UPDATED: Wed., March 8, 2023

Mar. 8—OLYMPIA — A bill currently making its way through the Washington State Legislature would require clergy to report child abuse, neglect or sexual abuse to the authorities, according to a press release from bill author and sexual abuse survivor Sen. Noel Frame, D-Seattle. Senate Bill 5280, which unanimously passed the state Senate last week, requires clergy to report abuse allegations ...

News > Health

State Senate passes safe staffing standard, in compromise between hospitals, unions

Wed., March 8, 2023

The bill reflects a compromise between hospitals and nurse unions across the state who have long disagreed over the best way to address workforce shortages. Nurses have pushed for staff-to-patient ratios while hospitals have said they don't have staff to follow the ratios.

News > Washington

Bill to limit single-family housing in Washington picks up steam with House passage

UPDATED: Tue., March 7, 2023

Legalizing middle housing, such as duplexes or triplexes, across the state may soon become a reality with a bill that passed the state House of Representatives late Monday.

News > Crime/Public Safety

Washington Senate passes bill making drug possession a gross misdemeanor

UPDATED: Mon., March 6, 2023

In an emotional debate on the floor, supporters of the bill said it was a compromise that would provide a balance between compassion and accountability. Opponents, on the other hand, said the bill does not do enough to help those suffering with substance abuse and that criminalizing the illness is not the answer.

News > Nation/World

Finnish president visits Olympia in first stop on U.S. tour

UPDATED: Mon., March 6, 2023

Niinistö met with Gov. Jay Inslee and addressed a joint session of the Legislature, the first time a foreign head of state has addressed a joint session of the Legislature, according to the governor's office.

News > Health

Washington lawmakers are trying to protect out-of-state abortion patients. Here’s what you need to know:

UPDATED: Mon., March 6, 2023

Supporters say the "shield law" is necessary as states try to find ways to prosecute for abortions that happen outside of their state while opponents say the bill is unnecessary "fear mongering" that could hurt Washington's relationships with other states.

Opinion > Column

Spin Control: With the results always ignored, Washington’s tax advisory measures may be dropped from the ballot

Sat., March 4, 2023

Washington voters were asked 38 times over the past 11 years whether they thought a tax the Legislature had passed earlier that year should be kept or repealed.

News > Education

Bill to expand free school meals advances in Washington legislature

UPDATED: Fri., March 3, 2023

A bill that would provide free meals to all students in qualifying schools passed the state House of Representatives Thursday.

News > Nation/World

Finnish president to address Washington Legislature on Monday

Fri., March 3, 2023

During a short visit, Niinisto will meet with Gov. Jay Inslee and give an address to the joint session of the state Legislature.

News > Washington

Washington may add automated cameras on highways to catch speeders in construction zones

UPDATED: Wed., March 1, 2023

The bill allows the Washington State Department of Transportation to implement automated speed safety cameras in work areas that capture speeding infractions when workers are present. The department would also be responsible for mailing notices for speeding infractions, while Washington State Patrol would enforce these violations.

News > Pacific NW

Emitting greenhouse gases in Washington state? Here’s who will need to pay up to pollute

UPDATED: Wed., March 1, 2023

SEATTLE – Blue and orange flames flicker and whir within five massive natural gas-fired boilers, visible only through hatches where coal used to be shoveled.

News > Nation/World

McMorris Rodgers promises congressional action on data privacy, ‘an issue that transcends party politics’

UPDATED: Thu., March 2, 2023

WASHINGTON – The Spokane Republican who leads the House panel charged with internet regulations urged her colleagues during a hearing Wednesday to pass a bipartisan bill that would limit how tech companies collect and use Americans’ personal data.

News > Washington

Washington program to reconnect communities damaged by transportation projects renamed in honor of Sandy Williams

UPDATED: Wed., March 1, 2023

Williams advocated for revitalizing the East Central neighborhood, which was split in half by Interstate 90 in the late 1950s, and for helping communities recover from damages done by transportation projects.

News > Washington

Member of WA’s ‘Sunshine Committee’ quits, cites lawmakers’ inaction

UPDATED: Wed., March 1, 2023

Mar. 1—OLYMPIA — A panel scrutinizing carve-outs to Washington's government transparency laws saw one of its members resign Tuesday, frustrated that the Legislature disregards recommendations on making public records more accessible. Kathy George, a public-records lawyer and member of the 13-person Sunshine Committee, stepped down during the middle of Tuesday morning's meeting. "I'm leaving. ...

News > Pacific NW

New WA bill could reverse right to turn at most red lights. What you need to know

UPDATED: Tue., Feb. 28, 2023

Feb. 28—For decades, American drivers have been able to take a free right turn at a red light, shortening intersection wait times. Washington was the first state to enact the practice back in the late '50s, and the rest of the country followed suit in the following decades. But now, Washington might be the first state to reverse the traffic law at specific designated areas. A House bill is ...

News > Crime/Public Safety

Washington Legislature looks to strengthen police accountability by barring qualified immunity

Tue., Feb. 28, 2023

The bill would allow any person injured by an officer to bring a cause of action against that officer and any other who had the power to prevent the injury.

News > Marijuana

Bill would eliminate pre-employment cannabis testing in Washington

UPDATED: Mon., Feb. 27, 2023

OLYMPIA – A bill that would prevent employers from testing for cannabis prior to hiring passed the state Senate last week

News > Washington

Washington may make it easier to build backyard cottages in a bid to ease the housing crisis

UPDATED: Mon., Feb. 27, 2023

A bill that passed the state Senate 42-6 on Monday would require cities and counties to allow for ADU construction within urban growth areas and prohibits certain regulations on the units. The proposal is one of many making its way through the Legislature this year to address the state's housing crisis, a topic that legislative leaders on both sides have made a priority.

Latest Stories

State House passes bills to ban assault weapons and require background checks, safety training for gun purchases

Washington Senate passes police pursuit bill, increasing when law enforcement can chase

Bill would make WA clergy mandatory reporters of abuse

State Senate passes safe staffing standard, in compromise between hospitals, unions

Bill to limit single-family housing in Washington picks up steam with House passage

Washington Senate passes bill making drug possession a gross misdemeanor

Finnish president visits Olympia in first stop on U.S. tour

Washington lawmakers are trying to protect out-of-state abortion patients. Here’s what you need to know:

Spin Control: With the results always ignored, Washington’s tax advisory measures may be dropped from the ballot

Bill to expand free school meals advances in Washington legislature

Finnish president to address Washington Legislature on Monday

Washington may add automated cameras on highways to catch speeders in construction zones

Emitting greenhouse gases in Washington state? Here’s who will need to pay up to pollute

McMorris Rodgers promises congressional action on data privacy, ‘an issue that transcends party politics’

Washington program to reconnect communities damaged by transportation projects renamed in honor of Sandy Williams

Member of WA’s ‘Sunshine Committee’ quits, cites lawmakers’ inaction

New WA bill could reverse right to turn at most red lights. What you need to know

Washington Legislature looks to strengthen police accountability by barring qualified immunity

Bill would eliminate pre-employment cannabis testing in Washington

Washington may make it easier to build backyard cottages in a bid to ease the housing crisis

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