WA lawmakers want to beef up state aid for college students
Several legislative bills are designed to beef up the Washington College Grant by extending the timeline or expanding money to provide further support for college students. In the 2021-22 academic year, the state grant gave more than 94,000 students a total of $400 million, making Washington’s grant program one of the most generous state financial aid programs in the nation. Senate Bill 5703, sponsored by Sen. Emily Randall, D-Bremerton, increases the maximum award eligibility from 60% to 70% of median family income. Senate Bill 5554, introduced by Sen. Joe Nguyen, D-White Center, would require the college grant to increase each year based on tuition growth. These bills would allow more students to qualify for financial aid, and ensure that the grant would cover tuition increases. “We want to make sure that we’re opening up as many doorways of opportunity to students and to employers that need a well-trained workforce,” Randall said. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)

Lunar New Year proposed as Washington’s next state holiday
There are 11 paid state legal holidays. Among them are New Year’s Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth. The Lunar New Year would be added to the list under House Bill 1516. It would designate the Saturday before the beginning of the Lunar New Year as the legal holiday. It would be treated a little differently than other state holidays. Typically, when one falls on a Saturday, it is observed on the preceding Friday. Lunar New Year would be an exception and observed only on Saturday, per the bill. Rep. My-Linh Thai, D-Bellevue, a native of Vietnam, is the prime sponsor. She said she introduced it to recognize the broad contributions of the state’s growing Asian-American community. The celebration is about “making sure the people feel they belong,” she said. The House State Government and Tribal Relations Committee may vote on the bill Wednesday afternoon. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Ryan Berry)

WA Dept. of Natural Resources pushes bill to sell carbon credits
In the eyes of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, one big thing is missing from the state’s climate policies. Recent laws don’t allow the state agency to sell carbon credits, an act officials said would help slow climate change and generate millions of dollars for public schools, counties and fire departments. That’s why DNR is pushing legislation that would add the state agency to the list of private businesses and non-profit organizations that can freely sell carbon credits and create carbon offset projects, which reduce or remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere. Bill co-sponsor Sen. Joe Nguyen, D-West Seattle, said the state needs thoughtful, innovative carbon offset projects to get off the ground. “Goals are not enough. We have to have a plan, and this is a significant step to make it all work,” Nguyen said at the Thursday news conference. Continue reading at KNKX. (NW News)