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Thursday, April 13

WA Legislature backs compromise bill on police pursuits
The state Legislature is moving to ease restrictions on when police can engage in car chases to nab fleeing criminal suspects. A bipartisan compromise bill approved by the state House this week was praised by supporters as striking a middle ground on the hot-button issue. On Tuesday, the state House passed Senate Bill 5352, which would give police some more discretion to pursue suspects for some serious crimes, but would not go as far as law-enforcement groups have asked. SB 5352 lowers the threshold for police to engage in chases from “probable cause” to a “reasonable suspicion” of violent and sex crimes. It would also allow pursuits for domestic violence and vehicular assaults and says suspects can be chased if they pose a “serious risk of harm to others” — as opposed to a stricter “imminent threat” standard in the current law. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)

WA Legislature strikes capital punishment from the books
On Sept. 10, 2010, Cal Brown was executed by lethal injection at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. He is likely to be the last person to be executed in Washington state. There’s a number of reasons for that. In 2014, Gov. Jay Inslee issued a moratorium on the death penalty. And in 2018, the Washington Supreme Court struck down the penalty all together. But even so, the death penalty remained on the books, until now. Last Friday, Washington lawmakers voted to permanently repeal capital punishment. “There’s been a lot of push in the past few years for there to be a statement from the Legislature that capital punishment is wrong,” explained Axios reporter Melissa Santos. “Both chambers of the Legislature felt that it was time for the Legislature to weigh on this issue.” Continue reading at KUOW. (NW News Network)

WA is first state to grant Uber and Lyft drivers family and medical leave, unemployment
On Tuesday, Washington became the first state to establish family and medical leave and unemployment benefits for the state’s Uber and Lyft drivers. The Washington State Legislature set the precedent through its approval of HB 1570, which awaits Gov. Jay Inslee’s signature before being set into law. The new law cements another win for Washington drivers with the two transportation companies. Last year, the passage of HB 2076 in the state Legislature granted other worker’s rights to Washington drivers, including protections against unjustified termination, access to worker’s compensation insurance, paid sick time, and set the highest wage floor for drivers in the U.S. Continue reading at Olympian. (Richard Vogel)

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Associated Press
Gun shop faces fine for selling high-capacity ammo magazines
Court preserves access to abortion drug, tightens rules

Aberdeen Daily World
FEMA bind keeps county building vacant

Axios
Prepare for nonbinding tax advisory votes to go away (Kuderer)

Capital Press
Study: Wolves to colonize south-central Washington by 2030
NW Washington farmers see elk problem worsening

Columbian
Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez seeks I-5 Bridge funding

The Daily News
UPDATE: Lewis and Clark Bridge shut down after WSDOT crew discovers fractured floor beam

Everett Herald
Neighbors worried over noise, traffic from potential Everett Ave bridge
Former Snohomish County official to lead WA Department of Commerce
A Blake battle, a budget beef, and a new tax proposal arrives (Fey, Liias)
House passes ‘Blake’ bill to enshrine drug possession as misdemeanor (Taylor, Robinson, Simmons, Davis)
Editorial: Strike death penalty, forced sterilization from books

The Inlander
Spokane’s $1.5 billion north-south freeway is back on schedule — but will it work to ease traffic? (Billig, Liias)
Idaho passes even more abortion restrictions, while Washington fights for access and federal courts issue conflicting rulings (Keiser)

News Tribune
Five days in, hot spots remain on listing fishing ship that holds 55,000 gallons of diesel

New York Times
Justice Department to Seek Emergency Supreme Court Action on Abortion Ruling
Biden Will Expand Health Care Access for DACA Immigrants

Olympian
WA is first state to grant Uber and Lyft drivers family and medical leave, unemployment
What WA Senate vote means for airport prospects in Pierce, Thurston and what’s next (Fey)
House passes amended version of drug possession law. Bill heads back to Senate for review (Goodman)

Puget Sound Business Journal
WA lawmakers pass bill to protect warehouse employees
Feds expand 40-year mortgage eligibility as affordability worsens

Seattle Medium
Assault Weapon Bill Moving In Washington State

Seattle Times
WA Legislature backs compromise bill on police pursuits (Reed, Hackney, Lovick, Entenman)
Seattle police may limit when officers can use deception
Child care fall through? You might be able to get unemployment in WA (Saldana, Keiser)

Spokesman Review
White House moves to protect abortion patients’ records after developments in Washington, Idaho
‘It’s time to end the failed experiment’: Bill to repeal advisory votes heads to Inslee’s desk (Kuderer)
Washington House passes latest bill to fix state’s drug possession law after debate stretches into wee hours (Goodman, Simmons)

Tri-City Herald
Inslee, Murray praise $1B Eastern WA fertilizer plant proposal as win for green economy

Yakima Herald-Republic
Police pursuit changes pass House, with support from most Yakima Valley representatives
Last chance for Yakima County COVID-19 rental assistance in Sunnyside
Grant will improve fish passage at Roza Dam north of Yakima

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
House passes bill that would classify drug possession as misdemeanor (Taylor)
New Mason County auditor rejects ‘election denier’ label, pledges big changes for office
Everett reaches $4 million settlement with pharmacies in opioid epidemic lawsuit
Seattle Student Union celebrates impending ban on sale, manufacture of assault weapons (Kuderer)

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Washington state gun sales surge after ban on assault weapons
Senate OKs bill allowing duplexes, fourplexes in Washington (Trudeau)
Boaters will need to stay further away from orcas under new Washington bill (Lekanoff, Lovelett)
Bill to make drug possession a misdemeanor in Washington passes the House (Simmons, Taylor)

KNKX Public Radio
More than a third of community college students have vanished

KUOW Public Radio
Final steps for the state’s middle housing bill
WA Legislature strikes capital punishment from the books

KXLY (ABC)
WA House passes bill to make drug possession a misdemeanor (Taylor)

NW Public Radio
How controlled burns benefit fire-dependent ecosystems

Web

Cascadia Daily News
State rejects Lake Whatcom cutthroat trout fishing petition

Crosscut
River otters return to the Duwamish despite toxic contamination
WA House passes bill to make drug possession a misdemeanor (Taylor, Robinson)

MyNorthwest
Bill forcing clergy members to report child abuse passes WA House (Barnard, Frame)

Wednesday, April 12

WA House votes to keep drug possession a misdemeanor
The Washington House passed legislation early Wednesday that if passed into law would keep drug possession as a misdemeanor in the state. The policy differs from the version passed by the Washington Senate last month, so its passage in the House isn’t the final word, but it is a milestone as the Legislature nears the end of its session. “Incarceration never did anything for me except add another layer of trauma to my life and to the lives of my children,” said Rep. Tarra Simmons, D-Bremerton. Simmons said the bill was “very hard” for her to vote on but that the bill would help build “a system that has multiple pathways to recovery.” Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Karen Ducey)

Idaho bans abortion ‘trafficking’ for minors. What it means for WA residents, caregivers
A law recently passed in Idaho aims to curb Idahoans from searching for reproductive care out of state. This could spell trouble for Washington state health care providers. Although abortion is legal in Washington, Idaho’s law, in a way, is challenging the freedoms of the Evergreen State. In March, Idaho’s attorney general, Raúl Labrador, indicated on several occasions he intends to prosecute anyone who disregards Idaho’s recent abortion statute. There are three bills currently in the Washington Legislature that aim to protect Washington state health care providers. Continue reading at Olympian. (Sarah A. Miller)

Duplex influx? Middle housing passes hurdle in Washington Senate
A slimmed version of a bill to allow more duplexes or fourplexes in cities across Washington is on its way to becoming law. The “middle housing” proposal passed the state Senate 35-14 on Tuesday. It previously passed 75-21 in the state House of Representatives, where it must receive one more approval before heading to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk. Most cities across the state would be required to allow denser types of housing on lots – an attempt to shift zoning laws away from decades of only allowing single-family homes. It’s one of a number of proposals making its way through the Legislature this year as lawmakers attempt to address the state’s growing housing and homelessness crisis. “This bill is a direct response to a problem we have all recognized over and over again,” Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, D-Tacoma, said on the floor. “We simply don’t have enough housing.” Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Jesse Tinsley)

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Axios
King County’s population is growing again
Pet insurance will have to abide by new rules in Washington (Stanford)

Columbian
Lower taxes lure business from Portland to Clark County
Report underscores need for affordable housing in Vancouver
City of Vancouver finds 3 wells exceed state levels for PFAS
Opinion: In Our View: Congress should codify abortion policy

The Daily News
Bill would let more WA homeowners qualify for property tax breaks

Everett Herald
Forest Service wins Stillaguamish logging suit over conservation group
House passes bill giving police greater ability to undertake pursuits (Peterson, Farivar)
Paine Field, housing crunch are hot-button issues at annual update
Comment: In normal times, we can argue gray areas; now isn’t normal
Comment: State’s decade of retail cannabis a work in progress

News Tribune
State Attorney General’s Office sues puppy retailer in Pierce County for deception

Northwest Asian Weekly
WA state recognizing Ramadan will help connect Muslims and non-Muslims

Olympian
Idaho bans abortion ‘trafficking’ for minors. What it means for WA residents, caregivers
WA Senate passes reproductive ‘shield law.’ Bill now heads for the governor’s desk (Hansen, Trudeau)

Peninsula Daily News
Police gain greater ability for pursuit in House bill (Van De Wege, Chapman)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Seattle mayor proposes zoning changes to boost industrial areas
Boeing beats Airbus on orders and deliveries in March
Why employers hold a critical key to the future of cities
SBA’s final rule will end longtime moratorium on new lenders
Design flaws at Sea-Tac’s new arrivals facility prompt legal battle

Seattle Medium
Inslee Appoints Eric Pettigrew As New Director Of The Washington State Lottery Commission

Seattle Times
Veterans program shows way to reducing all homelessness
Amazon warehouse work is getting safer but still more dangerous than 2020
Amid post-Roe landscape, WA lawmakers pass abortion ‘shield law’ (Hansen)
AG sues Puppyland over alleged false health guarantees, predatory loans
Laid-back Bellingham gets tough on drugs? It’s a sign for the rest of WA
WA House votes to keep drug possession a misdemeanor (Simmons, Goodman)
Lawmakers pass bill to change how WA cares for youth stuck in hospitals (Wilson C., Callan)
WA Senate passes bill allowing duplexes, fourplexes in single-family zones (Trudeau, Bateman, Mullet)
Opinion: WA’s capital gains tax will have unintended consequences

Sol De Yakima
Fundación UFW continúa asistencia a trabajadores agrícolas

Spokesman Review
Duplex influx? Middle housing passes hurdle in Washington Senate (Trudeau, Billig)
Change to Washington’s police pursuits law one step closer to reality with House approval (Goodman, Entenman, Hackney)
Opinion: Trans youth deserve to be seen, heard and cared for

Yakima Herald-Republic
YVC faculty and students call on Legislature to fully fund community colleges
Ecology: No water contamination detected around Rocky Top landfill west of Yakima, air monitoring continues

Broadcast

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Bill to loosen restrictions on police pursuits passes Washington state House (Fitzgibbon)
Washington sues Puppyland over alleged false health guarantees, predatory loans

KNKX Public Radio
Inflation eased in March but prices are still climbing too fast to get comfortable
Advocates push WA lawmakers to help undocumented immigrants cover health insurance premiums

KUOW Public Radio
WA Legislature passes bill aimed at reducing single-use plastics
2 words to understand amid abortion drug headlines: Today So Far

KXLY (ABC)
WA Senate passes “missing middle” bill to increase housing density (Bateman)
WA House passes bill to lower threshold for police pursuits (Hackney)

NW Public Radio
Drag show protests throughout Tri-Cities lead to death threat, vandalism — Part Three

Q13 TV (FOX)
Inslee signs bill to strengthen prosecution of hate crimes (Dhingra)

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Walmart stores in Whatcom and Skagit to drop single-use bags

Crosscut
WA Senate passes “missing middle” bill to increase housing density (Bateman)

MyNorthwest
National SNAP benefit reduction squeezing local food banks

Tuesday, April 11

WA House votes to roll back police pursuit laws. Now Senate must consider amendments
A bill to lower the threshold for law enforcement officials to be able to pursue suspects passed the Washington state House chamber with some conflicting votes in the early morning hours Tuesday. The proposed measure passed the House chamber with a 57-40 vote. House lawmakers brought Senate Bill 5352 forward late Monday night. Republicans and Democrats were split on their votes, with both parties voting for and against the proposal. The bill will now head back to the Senate for concurrence. If signed by Gov. Jay Inslee, the bill would go into effect immediately due to an emergency clause. Under the proposed bill, the evidentiary threshold for officers to engage in vehicular pursuits is lowered to reasonable suspicion in instances such as: violent offenses, sexual offenses, vehicular assault, domestic violence assault in the first, second, third and fourth degrees, escapees and driving under the influence. Continue reading at News Tribune. (Getty Images)

Lawmakers have until Wednesday to pass bills from the other chamber. Here’s some of what’s passed
There are only two weeks of the Washington state legislative session left, and lawmakers have until 5 p.m. Wednesday to vote bills out of the opposite chambers from where they originated. After that cutoff date, lawmakers will then need to review changes made by the other chamber on bills that are returned. If any amendments from the opposite chamber were added, lawmakers in the chamber where bills were initially introduced must go back and agree to those changes. The last day of the legislative session is April 23. Here are some of the high-profile bills that already have been approved by the opposite chambers. Continue reading at Olympian. (Ted S. Warren)

Opinion: Collaboration, funding are key to unlock more affordable housing
If the housing solutions working their way through the Legislature are the bricks, funding is the mortar needed to ensure a lasting foundation. We’re grateful for past actions at the state level to respond to the housing crisis. The hard reality is we need to continue pushing innovative funding solutions at all levels to succeed. We ask our legislators to lead once more and pass affordable housing investments this session. Two funding options that have been put forward at the state level include a governor-proposed $4 billion bond referendum and the Affordable Homes Act, House Bill 1628, which creates a 1% increase in real estate taxes paid on the sale of properties for amounts over $5 million and a new local option to levy a 0.25% tax on real estate sales to address housing and homelessness. Across the board, cities of various sizes from Covington to Kenmore and Bothell feel the strain as well and support the need for increased affordable housing funding in their communities. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (City of Redmond)

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Associated Press
Next abortion battles may be among states with clashing laws

Axios
Washington Legislature votes to repeal death penalty (Pedersen)

Capital Press
Columbia River Treaty listening session for April 19
Wolf population grows, disperses across Washington state

Columbian
Vancouver Rep. Monica Stonier emerges as strong voice in the House (Stonier, Chopp, Cleveland, Wylie)

The Daily News
Bill abolishing advisory votes passes WA House
Editorial: Our view: I-5 bridge tolls would hit poorest the hardest

Everett Herald
Assault weapons ban, late-night dramas, and license plate pile-up
Comment: Women’s dignity will be lost if mifepristone ban upheld
Editorial: Lawmakers must protect access to abortion pill

The Facts Newspaper
Inslee announces unprecedented state purchase of embattled abortion medication.

News Tribune
Fishing vessel fire in Port of Tacoma still burning 2 days in. Here’s what we know
WA House lawmakers vote to roll back police pursuit laws. Bill heads for concurrence (Reed, Stonier)

Olympian
Lawmakers have until Wednesday to pass bills from the other chamber. Here’s some of what’s passed

Peninsula Daily News
Jefferson lifts its COVID measure

Puget Sound Business Journal
Judge throws out 7 of 8 claims in Amazon suit against former employees

Seattle Medium
U.S. Education Secretary Fires Back At Push To Dismiss Black Studies

Seattle Times
Federal Way gun shop faces steep fine for selling banned high-capacity magazines
Bill would let more WA homeowners qualify for property tax breaks
Congresswoman Jayapal: Bidenomics: Policies that lift up all Americans
Editorial: Veto showdown alert: WA Senate expands on House secrecy bill (Trudeau)
Opinion: Collaboration, funding are key to unlock more affordable housing
Opinion: Q&A: WA AG Ferguson on Google antitrust case, local news

Walla Walla Union Bulletin
Walla Walla colleges, K-12 schools experience declining enrollment

Broadcast

KING 5 TV (NBC)
Public weighs in on state’s pitch to distribute abortion drug mifepristone (Keiser)

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
Bill establishes protections for those seeking, providing reproductive care in Washington
AG’s lawsuit against Puppyland alleges misleading marketing, predatory loans

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
WA bill would allow Dept. of Corrections to distribute abortion pill to health providers (Keiser)
Reproductive, gender-affirming care providers and patients to be protected under WA bill (Hansen)

KNKX Public Radio
More than half of Americans have dealt with gun violence in their personal lives

KREM
Abortion pill mifepristone remains legal and available in Washington, says Planned Parenthood (Keiser)

KUOW Public Radio
Washington’s ‘middle housing’ bill has been tweaked a bit. Here’s what’s in it now (Alvarado)

KXLY (ABC)
State of Washington nearing assault weapons ban

NW Public Radio
Family reunited 15 years after mother’s deportation
Olympia School District facing potential $11.5 million deficit, deciding on RIF process

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Washington mulls future of salmon hatcheries

Crosscut
Rulings in WA, Texas could set up new Supreme Court abortion debate

MyNorthwest
Seniors, disabled people, veterans will get break on property taxes (Wylie)
Housekeeping bill finds death penalty in WA unconstitutional (Hansen)
Washington House passes bill to eliminate advisory votes on tax increases (Kuderer)

Monday, April 10

Assault weapon ban clears WA state Senate
The state Senate on Saturday approved a ban on the sale of assault weapons in Washington, setting up the measure to go to Gov. Jay Inslee for a signature in the final weeks of the legislative session. After more than four hours of debate, the Senate approved the assault weapon ban, House Bill 1240, on a 27-21 vote. The proposal passed the state House last month on a 55-42 vote. Because the bill was amended in the Senate, it must now go back to the House for a vote to concur on the final language. Inslee has expressed his support for the ban and is expected to sign it once the House gives final approval. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Elaine Thompson)

Washington had sixth-lowest COVID death rate in U.S., analysis finds
Washington state had one of the country’s lowest adjusted rates of COVID-19 deaths during the pandemic, according to a recent analysis published in The Lancet. What they found: Washington’s COVID-19 death rate was 286 deaths per 100,000 people, when adjusting to account for age and comorbidities. That’s about 23% lower than the national adjusted death rate, which was 372 deaths per 100,000 people, and the sixth-lowest death rate among states. The new report is among the first explorations of the social and economic factors at play during the pandemic in the U.S., and it found a nearly four-fold variation in COVID infection and death rates between states, Axios’ Tina Reed reports. Continue reading at Axios. (Alice Feng)

Bill in Washington Legislature aims to expand training on sexual assault investigations
State lawmakers are looking at ways to improve how sexual assaults are investigated in an effort to encourage more survivors to report these crimes when they happen. The measure would expand training for law enforcement and prosecutors who handle these cases, which advocates say are severely under-reported. House Bill 1028 expands training for law enforcement and prosecutors who interact with victims of sexual assault and gender-based violence. “I think about one percent of people that are charged receive felony charges and are convicted of sexual assault,” the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Tina Orwall (D-Des Moines), said. “When there’s more training, there are better outcomes,” Jennifer Wallace with the Criminal Justice Training Commission, added. Continue reading at KOMO4.

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Associated Press
Washington shutters pot businesses due to old pesticide
Judge in Washington orders feds to keep abortion pill access

Axios
Washington had sixth-lowest COVID death rate in U.S., analysis finds

Capital Press
Bill to refund cap-and-trade fees to Washington farmers fades quickly (Mullet, Nguyen)
Bill to fund Washington brand inspections signed

Columbian
Affordable housing vs. climate: Code creates clash of crises in Clark County
Cleveland health care bills passed by House, head to governor (Cleveland)

The Daily News
Cowlitz County, Longview, Kelso to receive $10.6 million in opioid settlement funds
Longview homeless are scattered around city after Alabama Street closure. Here is how the city helps them.

Everett Herald
Duerr gets dinged, deals get done and the guv gets ghosted (Duerr, Santos, Ryu)
County hits pause on Hope Church shelter plan in Everett
WA Senate OKs assault weapons ban, longer wait on gun sales (Salomon, Kuderer, Van De Wege, Heck)
Editorial: Lawmakers face budget for climate our kids will see
Comment: Mature forests do more for climate, wildlife, water
Comment: Snake River dams’ benefits replaceable; salmon aren’t
Comment: Wealth tax would bring equity, revenue to aid families
Comment: What a century of U.S. shipbuilding, crews have meant (Keiser)

News Tribune
Tacoma Fire issues shelter in place order as boat fire in Hylebos Waterway worsens
Letter: Washington needs to tax the ultra-rich. It would be a game-changer for people like me

New York Times
Abortion Ruling Could Undermine the F.D.A.’s Drug-Approval Authority

Olympian
Senate passes ban on assault weapons. Here’s what would be banned under the law (Peterson, Kuderer, Randall)
WA Senate OKs mandatory waiting period for firearms purchases. Bill now heads to the governor (Berry, Kuderer)
Is your property at risk of wildfires? A no-cost assessment can help you find out
Thurston County plans new voter services center in Tumwater as another project stalls

Peninsula Daily News
Murray, Kilmer hunt invasive crab
Fentanyl remains top concern on Olympic Peninsula
Hospital staffing bill heads to governor’s desk (Van De Wege, Chapman, Tharinger)
Latest bill version enforces orca boundary (Van De Wege, Chapman, Tharinger, Lekanoff, Lovelett)

Puget Sound Business Journal
Millions of SBA Covid EIDL loans are coming due

Seattle Times
Assault weapon ban clears WA state Senate (Kuderer, Liias)
Seattle’s commercial real estate market slows as bank challenges pile up
WA housing advocates, Realtors clash over proposed real estate tax hikes (Chopp)
Lack of data, unclear roles hamper King County’s progress on equity
Protect railroad workers against retaliation for taking sick time (Kuderer)

Spokesman Review
Whitman County was fastest growing in the nation last year, census data shows
State biologists confirm wolf pack on Mount Spokane during annual wolf survey
Special cold case unit for missing or murdered Indigenous people proposed in Washington Legislature (Lekanoff)
Opinion: Of mice and memories – a look at Olympia’s old press houses as history makes way for progress

Broadcast

KIRO 7 TV (CBS)
WA State Senate passes assault weapons ban, brought upon by mass shootings

KOMO 4 TV (ABC)
Bill to make drug possession in Washington state a misdemeanor moves forward (Davis)
Bill in Washington Legislature aims to expand training on sexual assault investigations (Orwall)

KNKX Public Radio
Judges’ dueling decisions put access to a key abortion drug in jeopardy nationwide
Massive wildfires are taking a toll on Western snowpack, research finds

KUOW Public Radio
Washington lawmakers debate who benefits from juvenile sentencing reforms (Hackney)
Week in Review: legislature, e-scooters, and taxes

KXLY (ABC)
“Move Over, Slow Down” campaign coming to eastern Washington next week
‘That’s why it’s important we don’t look down or look away’: Washington State Patrol looking out for distracted driving this month

Q13 TV (FOX)
Washington Senate votes to ban sale of assault weapons weeks after House approves measure (Peterson, Farivar, Berry)

Web

Cascadia Daily News
Opinion: Whatcom could be first to eliminate kidney waitlist

Crosscut
Washington Senate passes ban on assault-style rifles (Peterson, Kuderer)
How Washington plans to spend money from the new carbon-cap law (Jinkins, Nguyen)

MyNorthwest
Washington State House passes bill to end 40-year exclusive real estate listing contracts
Homebuyers struggle to find the right deal even as prices continue to drop

Friday, April 7

House backs hospital staffing standards bill by wide margin
A bill prescribing new procedures for drafting, deploying and enforcing of hospital staffing plans passed by an overwhelming margin in the state House on Thursday and will now go to the governor for signing. Senate Bill 5236 requires a committee of administrators and nurses of a hospital to agree on how many nursing staff will be assigned in each patient care unit, and how workers will be assured of getting proper rest and meal breaks. Those details will be written into staffing plans. The bill represents a compromise between hospitals and nurses, who fought each other on staffing standards last session. Continue reading at Everett Herald. (Kevin Clark)

Washington trying to ban out-of-state puppy mills from selling in state
Pet stores will no longer be able to source their dogs from out-of-state puppy mills or offer loans for people to purchase dogs if a bill that passed the Washington State Senate on Wednesday becomes law. The proposal, sponsored by Rep. April Berg, D-Mill Creek, aims to protect animals and protect customers from high-interest loans. It passed the state Senate 39-9, with one senator excused. The bill would patch loopholes in a 2022 law that prevented pet stores from selling dogs, with exceptions for stores that had been selling dogs prior to the law’s enactment. One loophole allowed pet stores to source their dogs from out-of-state puppy mills that didn’t comply with Washington’s dog breeding laws. Under this year’s bill, pet stores would have to source their dogs directly from breeders compliant with Washington law or brokers certified by the United States Department of Agriculture. Continue reading at Spokesman Review. (Jim Camden)

WA lawmakers crack down on robocalls
In these divided times, at least one topic can stoke bipartisan fervor: robocalls. House Bill 1051, which passed the Washington Senate unanimously on Wednesday, would place restrictions on robocalls, where an automated message plays when you pick up the phone or listen to a voicemail. The bill, which also passed the House unanimously in February, now heads to Gov. Jay Inslee’s desk. The bill prohibits solicitations to people on the Do Not Call Registry, according to the Washington Attorney General’s office, and gives that office the authority to enforce that ban in state court. Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson requested the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Mari Leavitt, D-University Place. Continue reading at Seattle Times.