WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Tuesday, March 19

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction

Inslee signs bill requiring schools to include LGBTQ history, perspective in teachings
Public schools in Washington will be required to update curriculum to include LGBTQ histories and perspectives under a new law signed by Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday. Senate Bill 5462 requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to incorporate “the concepts of diversity, equity and inclusion” in new or revised learning standards. The law requires OSPI to post a revision of learning standards on their website by September 2025, and requires schools to amend and conform with the model policies by October 2025. Continue reading at The Olympian. (The Olympian)


Gov. Jay Inslee signs a bill relating to fabricated intimate or sexually explicit images and depictions with primary sponsor Rep. Tina Orwall, right, and Caroline Mullet who testified in support, left, on Thursday in Olympia.

Inslee signs bill creating criminal penalties for distribution of AI fabricated intimate images
Gov. Jay Inslee signed that bill into law on Thursday…proposing criminal penalties for distributing digitally altered sexually explicit images or videos featuring identifiable minors. Deepfake technology, a way to digitally alter photos or videos to appear real, first appeared in late 2017. Sensity AI, a research company that has tracked online deepfake videos since 2019, found that between 90% and 95% of those videos online are pornographic, with the majority depicting women. Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, has been working to strengthen protections against intimate images since 2019, though it wasn’t until this year that she proposed the idea of expanding restrictions against fabricated images. Continue reading at Spokesman review. (LSS)


Daniel Lugo (left) poses for a photo with Jim Theofelis, founder and executive director of NorthStar Advocates, a non-profit serving homeless youth.

Extended foster care for young adults up to 21 set to expand in WA
Extended foster care is a voluntary program in Washington available to certain foster care youth ages 18-21 who are no longer eligible for the usual foster care program. The program is aimed at making sure young people in foster care have the skills to enter independent adulthood. Currently, foster care youth about to age out of the system must meet certain federal requirements to qualify. Washington lawmakers want to lower the barriers to accessing extended foster care by removing those federal requirements. Senate Bill 5908, which does that, passed both legislative chambers. It is now awaiting Gov. Jay Inslee’s signature to become law. Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Daniel Lugo)


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Aberdeen Daily World
Domestic violence survivor: ‘It’s never too late’
Cosi city administrator, many longtime staff resign en masse

Axios
New Washington state law criminalizes deepfake porn (Orwall)

Bellingham Herald
Inslee signs bill requiring schools to include LGBTQ history, perspective in teachings (Liias)
WA Department of Health updates guidance for COVID-19, RSV and the flu. Here’s what to know
Lummi Nation gets almost $10 million to help save endangered Chinook salmon on Nooksack River

Capital Press
East Low Canal repaired, filling to proceed as scheduled

Columbian
Redistricting map meant to fix ‘systematic racism’ ousts 1st Latina senator in Central WA

Courier-Herald
Parental authority initiative approved, but concerns linger | Washington State Journal (Pederson, Wellman, Wilson)

Everett Herald
At Everett mayor’s keynote speech: $35 entry, Boeing sponsorship
Comment: Measles outbreaks show importance of MMR vaccinations
Comment: Clearing the internet of misinformation, deep fakes
Editorial: Your choice, drivers; slow down or pay up

News Tribune
Inslee signs bill requiring schools to include LGBTQ history, perspective in teachings (Liias)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Kroger, Albertsons fire back at FTC over attempt to block merger
Commission lawsuits total $626M in settlements. How will payouts work?

Seattle Times
Is a plug-in hybrid better than a fully electric vehicle?
10 years in, here’s what to know about WA charter schools
Judge redraws WA’s legislative map after lawsuit over Latino voters
How one river in south Puget Sound tells the story of salmon’s plight
As WA traffic deaths climb higher, remembering those who died in 2023
Editorial: Return focus to fish in culvert replacement
Opinion: Legalizing pot worked; let’s legalize sex work in WA, too
Opinion: Outraged by police violence? Everyday gun violence is outrageous, too
Opinion: Reevaluate decisions that hamper WA’s clean energy future

Spokesman Review
Inslee signs bill creating criminal penalties for distribution of AI fabricated intimate images (Mullet, Orwall)

Tri-City Herald
Pasco overpass construction forces business to close indefinitely. ‘Can’t wait any longer’

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
State officials: Downtown Walla Walla gas leak began months before it was discovered

Washington Post
U.S. fully bans asbestos, which kills 40,000 a year
Fed weighs future rate cuts as inflation picture looks murky

WA State Standard
Update of Washington’s wildfire building code gets ditched
Extended foster care for young adults up to 21 set to expand in WA (Wilson)

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Seattle’s new street parking rates take effect Monday. Here’s what changed
Edmonds School Board must make $10 million in cuts to 2024-2025 budget
L&I cites King County landfill, calls for arsenic safeguards in worker safety plans

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Frustrations grow over gun violence within Central District
How recent real estate settlement will impact buyers and sellers
WSP settles $1.4M lawsuit claiming trooper singled out Black people, immigrants
As support grows for a federal Election Day holiday, experts warn of some potential challenges

KUOW Public Radio
New data shows it’s gotten easier to vote in the U.S. since 2000
Washington state reduces isolation period for Covid from 5 days to 1
In a pandemic milestone, the NIH ends guidance on COVID treatment
AI tool helps Seattle landlords collude to keep rents high, report alleges
The U.S. bans most common form of asbestos, after decades of pushback from industry
Judge approves WA’s new legislative district maps after court battle over Latino voting rights

KXLY (ABC)
Spokane early learning center benefits from $30 million grant for Washington state

Web

Cascadia Daily News
PeaceHealth to open Lynden clinic in April

Crosscut
King County must take swifter action to save Salmon, auditor says