News

Most people agree that it is the job of state government to educate our children and build infrastructure that strengthens our economy. As a representative of the 49th District, I find these are not partisan issues. Our state constitution and … Continue reading →

Well, Olympia has just had its second Sine Die. But nothing is finished. Senate Republicans need to hear from the public that everyone’s tired of this strategy of holding a budget hostage to ideologies. It is our duty to fund … Continue reading →

Statement by Rep. Hans Dunshee on bare-bones capital budget If we fail to act, work around the state stops July 1, and 24,000 men and women in hard hats will drop their hammers and shovels and go home. Contractors who’ve … Continue reading →

Democratic leaders from the House and Senate proposed a new compromise budget in an attempt to finish negotiations before the end of the first special session. House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan (D-Covington), House Appropriations Chair Ross Hunter (D-Medina), House Finance … Continue reading →

Thankfully, no one was killed or seriously injured in the I-5 Skagit River bridge collapse. This is a reminder of how important it is to invest in critical infrastructure. It will be a jobs-generating move for our economy. Check out … Continue reading →

Two out of five workers in Tacoma can’t take time off if they – or a family member – gets sick or injured. Two Tacoma lawmakers think that’s wrong. Now supporters of paid sick leave for all workers are having … Continue reading →

Spokane elected officials, law enforcement officers and health experts gathered on Tuesday to speak on the role of Spokane Regional Health District’s (SHRD) bioterrorism laboratory during the recent ricin threat and took questions on the future of the bioterrorism laboratory … Continue reading →

We’ve seen the tragedy that can occur when the mentally ill don’t get the care they need. Tuesday afternoon, Governor Inslee approved several measures to improve mental health care and make Washington a safer place. Among the reforms is Rep. … Continue reading →

On Tuesday Governor Inslee signed a bipartisan bill to increase transparency in state government by making information on the capital and transportation budgets more easily accessible online. The legislation, House Bill 2058, improves access to information on state budgets by … Continue reading →

Dear Neighbors, Our top budget leaders are in Olympia this week trying to reach an agreement on the budget while most of us have returned home and are reconnecting with family and friends, working hard to respond to all of … Continue reading →

Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island, and Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, D-Burien, expressed hope and enthusiasm after the first meeting of Gov.  Jay Inslee’s Climate Legislative and Executive Workgroup yesterday. “This is the start of something really exciting,” said Ranker, who joins … Continue reading →

It’s official: Ballard’s brewers are our new manufacturer entrepreneurs. Just visit these modern manufacturing wonders. I took a tour of Hilliard’s last February to learn about the industry taking off in the Ballard-Interbay Manufacturing Industrial Center (BINMIC). This is serious … Continue reading →

Governor Inslee has signed legislation that will allow Washington’s four year public colleges and universities to establish student advisory committees. “The bill gives students an important voice around the table when it comes to the decisions that affect their education … Continue reading →

This week, Rep. Carlyle and his fellow representative from the 36th District, Gael Tarleton, fielded questions on a wide range of topics from constituents  during a live, hour-long “town hall” discussion, via a district-wide conference call. To listen to the … Continue reading →

Published in the Tacoma News Tribune, April 25, 2013 Families are suffering, and opportunities for our most vulnerable and low-income families have been slowly diminishing in Washington. For the past few years, WorkFirst, the state’s initiative for helping low-income parents … Continue reading →

Small businesses will get help equipping employees with the skills they need to do their jobs better under a bill by Rep. Drew Hansen that was signed into law by Gov. Inslee today. House Bill 1247 makes it easier for … Continue reading →

The regular legislative session ended last night without agreement on the two-year operating budget. Our budget team knew coming in that this was going to be a tough year to reach agreement because: • We’ve cut $12 billion from state … Continue reading →

Both chambers of the Washington state legislature passed a transportation budget for the 2013-15 biennium today. The $8.4 billion budget passed on bipartisan votes of 46-1 in the Senate and 72-25 in the House. “I am pleased with the bipartisan … Continue reading →

This past Friday, in its 29th Anniversary Gala, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) presented Rep. Luis Moscoso with its Golden Door Award for his commitment to promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees in our state.  “I am both … Continue reading →

Governor Jay Inslee signed House Bill 1647 into law on Tuesday, which will require landlords to safely secure spare and master keys to rental units. State Representative Gael Tarleton (D-Ballard) introduced the measure after hearing Dana Widrig’s story. Widrig was … Continue reading →

Hello! This week marked the deadline for bills (other than budget bills) to make it through the Legislature, so I’m writing to give you a quick update what I’ve been doing in this legislative session. I’ve been focused on jobs—protecting … Continue reading →

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction announced today that 28 school districts around the state will collectively receive $20 million to improve energy efficiency in public schools. Seattle Public Schools will receive $500,000. From today’s news release: The … Continue reading →

High-school students would gain an added incentive to take computer-science courses and prepare for 21st-century jobs under a bill by Rep. Drew Hansen that won overwhelming bipartisan approval Tuesday in the state Senate. “This bill will help students train for … Continue reading →

Bill by Rep. Orwall strengthens efforts to aid troubled teens A comprehensive plan to help troubled teens and reduce youth suicide won approval in the state Senate earlier this week as House Bill 1336 moved closer to final legislative passage. … Continue reading →

CRC Project a product of a thorough process We live in busy times with busy lives, and many of us don’t get involved in major public issues or projects until implementation is imminent. Nowhere is this more evident than with … Continue reading →

Military veterans would get help in pursuing higher education and, when needed, in making ends meet, under two bills by Rep. Drew Hansen that are on their way to the governor for signing into law. “These bills will help our … Continue reading →

The state will step up to its responsibility to educate public-school students and will make sure college graduates are ready for high-demand jobs under the budget proposal released by the House Democratic majority on Wednesday. The budget proposal authored by … Continue reading →

Rep. Chris Reykdal of Olympia lays out the argument for a smarter tax policy on the Stand web site.  

Last week, the Rainier Beach basketball team, led by their coach, Mike “Falcon Eddie” Bethea, came to accept a resolution honoring their team,  their winning record and their academic success! Rainier Beach High School is in the 37th Legislative District, represented … Continue reading →

Throughout the fall we heard about the Republican “War on Women” and the middle class. On Wednesday that battle continued with the roll out of the Republican Senate’s proposed $33.2 billion operating budget. Though there were some highlights, thanks to … Continue reading →

Listen to the 49th Legislative District telephone town hall held by Reps. Sharon Wylie and Jim Moeller, and Sen. Annette Cleveland on Wednesday, April 3, 2013.  

The House Transportation Committee released its proposed transportation budget for the 2013-2015 biennium on Thursday morning. The budget, introduced by Transportation Committee Chair Rep. Judy Clibborn (D-Mercer Island), allocates about $8.4 billion in state, federal and miscellaneous dollars to capital … Continue reading →

House Democrats were pleased to welcome nine new members to the Legislature this session, and they didn’t waste any time getting to work. A story in today’s Columbian highlights freshman Rep. Monica Stonier’s near perfect success record for moving her … Continue reading →

Representatives Dave Upthegrove and Tina Orwall, and Senator Karen Keiser held a telephone town hall on Thursday, March 28. If you missed it, you can listen to it now:

Who: State Reps. Kevin Van De Wege and Steve Tharinger (24th Legislative District) What: Town Hall When: 6:00-7:00 PM, Tuesday, April 9th Where: Elma High School (Commons) 1101 West Main Street, Elma, WA 98541 Why: To discuss legislative priorities and … Continue reading →

Speaker Frank Chopp issued the following statement on Governor Inslee’s budget and revenue proposal: “Governor Inslee made a strong commitment to education in his proposal – one that we agree with.  And he did so without sacrificing vital state services … Continue reading →

Get kids mental health care instead of sending them to juvenile courts The state should allow law-enforcement officials to send nonviolent youth to mental-health-care facilities instead of the juvenile-justice system, according to guest columnists Mary Helen Roberts and Eric Trupin.  … Continue reading →

In their “Huskies on the Hill”series, the University of Washington is profiling alumni currently serving in the legislature. Their first interview is with Rep. Dawn Morrell (D-Puyallup). Dawn graduated cum laude from the University of Washington- Tacoma with a Bachelor’s … Continue reading →

Thank you to all of you who joined me, Representative Reuven Carlyle, and Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles for our 36th District Town Hall on Saturday. Almost 100 people showed up! I encourage you to check out this Ballard News-Tribune article to … Continue reading →

Three pieces of legislation that Representative Roger Freeman has worked in support of this session have been approved by the House of Representatives “I am passionate about these bills, and I believe they will have a strong, positive impact on … Continue reading →

Rep. Brian Blake talks about his legislation on seafood labeling, HB 1200, in this Comcast Newsmakers interview:

Last week was one of pleasant surprises for state Rep. Sherry Appleton.  It started with the news that Gov. Jay Inslee was appointing the veteran Democratic lawmaker from Poulsbo to the Washington State Commission on Judicial Conduct (CJC), and ended … Continue reading →

Thirty-third District legislators Reps. Tina Orwall and Dave Upthegrove, and Sen. Karen Keiser will host a telephone town hall focusing on topics such as education, health care and environment. Constituents in the areas of Kent, SeaTac, Normandy Park, Des Moines, Burien and … Continue reading →

Working as a nurse at Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, I’ve seen firsthand the difficulties that individuals face as they navigate our health care system. I have spoken to folks who are worried about losing their health coverage – or … Continue reading →

If you were unable to attend the 49th Legislative District Columbia River Crossing town hall and you want the documents that were handed out, you can get them here: CRC Handout – Why the bridges need to be replaced    CRC … Continue reading →

Higher Ed Chat with Rep. Larry Seaquist

Listen to the 38th Legislative District Telephone Town Hall held by Reps. Mike Sells and John McCoy, and Sen. Nick Harper on Thursday, March 14.

In case you missed it, this op-ed by Rep. Farrell on local transportation funding options ran in The Stranger on March 7, 2013. There’s nothing worse than waiting at the bus stop and having the bus pass you by because … Continue reading →

Veterans would get recognition from the state for the training they received in the military under a pair of bills passed by the House Wednesday that aim to boost later progress in education and professional life. “The training our veterans … Continue reading →

I’d like to invite you to a Live Chat session I’ll be hosting on Monday, March 18 from noon to 1 p.m. The focus of this chat session will be higher education, so I’d like to have a dialogue with … Continue reading →

You’re invited to join Rep. Eric Pettigrew with his colleagues, Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos and Sen. Adam Kline, for the next 37th Legislative District town hall. Date: Saturday, March 23 Time: 10 a.m. – noon Location: Garfield Community Center (Multi-Purpose … Continue reading →

Currently there are 830,000 people over the age of 65 in Washington state. That evens out to about fourteen percent of the population. Over the last few days, the House of Representatives has taken necessary steps towards making sure that … Continue reading →

Who: State Sen. Paull Shin and state Reps. Mary Helen Roberts and Marko Liias (21st Legislative District) What: Town hall meeting  When: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Saturday, March 16  Where: Serene Lake Elementary Gymnasium, 4709 Picnic Point Rd. Edmonds. … Continue reading →

Drivers on the SR 520 bridge can plead their cases with a judge if they feel they got unfairly penalized for not paying the bridge toll on time – and they can get the penalty thrown out  if the judge … Continue reading →

“Library Square” project in Vancouver can move forward with Wylie’s bill. The House of Representatives approved a measure (HB 1306) today to extend the expiration date of the Local Infrastructure Financing Tool Program (LIFT) from June 30, 2039 to June … Continue reading →

In this week’s House Majority Report, House Democratic Caucus Chair Eric Pettigrew discusses leadership and legislation as the 2013 session hits the midpoint. Click here to listen to this week’s House Majority Report.

Dear Neighbors, House policy committees did not meet last week, but legislators were busy hearing bills in the House fiscal committees.  Bills were required to pass out of these committees by Friday, March 1, if they were to remain in … Continue reading →

Representative Judy Clibborn will co-host two town hall meetings with her seatmate, Representative Marcie Maxwell: When: Saturday, March 16 Where: 10:00 am-11:30 am Hazelwood Elementary School 7100 116th Ave SE, Newcastle, WA 98056 And:      1:30-3:00 pm Discovery Elementary … Continue reading →

Education was the main focus of the Legislature this week. While the Senate was passing bills that would grade schools, hold back third-graders, and reform the recently-reformed teacher/principal evaluation system, the House is taking a student-centered approach to education policy. … Continue reading →

Yesterday, the House of Representatives unanimously passed a measure sponsored by state Rep. Tina Orwall to build on the progress made last year in the fight against human trafficking.    “Unfortunately, SeaTac and surrounding areas have one of the highest rates … Continue reading →

Please join me for a town hall conversation on Saturday, March 16th from 1-2 p.m. at the King County Regional Communications & Emergency Coordination Center (RCECC). A tour of the RCECC will follow after the town hall Address: RCECC 3511 … Continue reading →

The House of Representatives unanimously approved Representative Roger Freeman’s (D-Federal Way) legislation to ensure firefighters and police officers who are catastrophically injured in the line of duty are cared for. The legislation was spurred by the story of Wynn Loiland, … Continue reading →

Representative Roger Freeman (D-Federal Way) will host a community social gathering  on March 16 to discuss the 2013 legislative session. See flyer below for details:

Rep. Dawn Morrell (D-Puyallup) returned to Olympia with an idea she brought from her summer of knocking on people’s doors – improve an important program for local seniors and veterans. “This summer I spent countless hours visiting people at their … Continue reading →

A measure to increase transparency for taxpayers and ensure government accountability in how state dollars are spent cleared the state House today on a 96-0 unanimous vote.  It was a top priority for state Rep. Marcus Riccelli (D – Spokane), … Continue reading →

Automatic federal budget cuts kicked in on Friday as a result of Congress’ failure to reach a compromise spending plan. While programs like Social Security and Medicare will largely go untouched, many other areas of federal spending could see spending … Continue reading →

State Representative Gael Tarleton’s bill requiring landlords to safely secure spare keys to their rental units was approved by the House of Representatives today by a vote of 98-0. Tarleton introduced the measure after hearing Dana Widrig’s story. Widrig was … Continue reading →

Should minors convicted of crimes serve life sentences without parole? Some prisoners in Washington state are currently serving life sentences without the possibility of parole for crimes they committed when they were under the age of 18. Is that just? … Continue reading →

Can you imagine getting charged with a horrible crime that you did not commit?  And what if the evidence that would prove you were innocent was not allowed in the court room and you spent almost two decades in prison?  … Continue reading →

In this week’s House Majority Report, Floor Leader Tami Green discusses progress on Democratic priorities, working with the minority party, and what the job duties of a floor leader really are. Click here to listen to this week’s House Majority … Continue reading →

Health Reform Explained Working Washingtonians deserve to be a part of the health care system- not a burden on it. We believe in One Washington, with opportunity for all, and that means making sure all of our citizens – young … Continue reading →

In response to the story a South Puget Sound firefighter who was catastrophically injured in the line of duty, Representative Roger Freeman (D-Federal Way) has introduced legislation to ensure those who protect and serve our citizens are taken care of … Continue reading →

Legislation sponsored by Representative Larry Springer (D-Kirkland) that would ease restrictions on local government purchasing practices passed out of the House of Representatives on Wednesday afternoon. “This legislation helps cities and counties better serve their citizens while promoting local and … Continue reading →

An interesting look at structural problems in our state’s revenue system Washington’s Flawed Revenue System from Remy Trupin

Four high-profile pieces of legislation introduced by Representative Roger Freeman have had a public hearing and passed out of committee – the first important step in the legislative process. Here is a look at each of the bills: HB 1719 … Continue reading →

Several bills pending at the state Legislature could peel back worker protections, according to guest columnists Bob Hasegawa and Mike Sells. By Representative Mike Sells and Senator Bob Hasegawa UNLESS you’re self-employed, you’re probably covered by our state’s workers’ compensation … Continue reading →

By Rep. Mary Helen Roberts, Rev. Paul Benz and Sr. Sharon Park  The United States is the only country on earth that sentences children to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Washington is one of 29 states in … Continue reading →

As state legislatures across the country are taking steps to limit reproductive freedoms, lawmakers in Olympia are fighting to protect the choices that already exist in Washington state. This morning, the House of Representatives approved the Reproductive Parity Act in … Continue reading →

Have you been wondering how “sequestration” might affect us here at home? Unless Congress takes action soon, federal sequestration budget cuts will take effect March 1. While programs like Social Security, Medicare, and the military will largely remain unaffected, many … Continue reading →

Rep. Marcie Maxwell (D-Renton) joined forces with Governor Jay Inslee when they testified before the House Education Committee on Wednesday in support of her bill, HB 1872, which will put more focus on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education … Continue reading →

Representative Roger Freeman (D-Federal Way) is cosponsoring the Washington State DREAM Act, which would make higher education more affordable for Washington students seeking citizenship. “These students grew up here, they made friends here, they went to school here, and they … Continue reading →

Washington state would play a stronger hand in competing with Silicon Valley and other high-tech hot spots in attracting entrepreneurs who launch companies and create jobs, under a bill approved overwhelmingly today by a House committee. “This is a smart … Continue reading →

The Seattle Bike Blog does a great job explaining the Neighborhood Safe Streets bill (House Bill 1045), which passed the House on a vote of 86-10. Right now, cities and counties must pay for an engineering report to raise – … Continue reading →

The “Connecting Washington” transportation package, advanced by transportation leaders in the House Democratic Caucus, was rolled out today (Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013). The package would fund nearly $10 billion in transportation projects in many Washington communities. State Rep. Jake Fey, … Continue reading →

Transportation Committee Chair Judy Clibborn (D-Mercer Island) and members of the committee rolled out the details of the Connecting Washington transportation package, which would fund nearly $10 billion in transportation projects across the state. “The Connecting Washington package will link … Continue reading →

Ready to get to work It is with profound gratitude and humility that I begin my first term in the Washington state House of Representatives. I do so at an exciting and challenging time for our state. Last year, the state … Continue reading →

Representative Dawn Morrell and her six grandchildren in her Olympia office this morning.

What’s up with early learning funding here in Washington, and how do we measure up against other states?  Why should the state invest in early learning programs?  Rep. Kagi talks with KUOW’s Ross Reynolds on The Conversation, and mentions her … Continue reading →

A new bill authored by Rep. Marko Liias (D-Edmonds) would convene a workgroup through the Department of Health to examine and potentially regulate the controversial practice of Sexual Orientation Change Efforts (SOCE), alternatively known as “Gay Conversion Therapy “or “Reparative … Continue reading →

Signed by more than 70 stakeholders (representing a broad coalition of leaders from business, labor, environmental groups, and local governments who support moving forward with a statewide transportation-funding package in 2013), a letter was recently sent to transportation leaders in the Legislature. Here is … Continue reading →

Last week, House Early Learning & Human Services Committee chair Rep. Ruth Kagi went on TVW’s The Impact to discuss the issue of drug testing TANF recipients.  You can view the entire segment here, but she makes her main points … Continue reading →

This is a critical week regarding the future of the GUARANTEED EDUCATION TUITION (GET) program and higher education in general. The GET program faces some fiscal challenges ahead. But rather than addressing these challenges to strengthen the program, some lawmakers … Continue reading →

Representative Eileen Cody received the American Medical Association’s Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Public Service by a State Legislator last night in Washington, D.C. The Davis Award is the AMA’s highest honor for government service in health care. It is … Continue reading →