Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Sorted by date Results 1 - 22 of 22
K-12 schools have more guidance on how to conduct active-shooter lockdown drills with a new bill signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee. The bill prohibits schools from conducting drills involving life-like simulations or reenactments of active shooter scenarios that are not “trauma-informed and age and developmentally appropriate.” Additionally, students, teachers and staff will be alerted before carrying out a shooting-safety lockdown drill. Prime sponsor of the bill, Rep. Amy Walen, D-Kirkland, said the legislation is needed to protect sta...
A bill that aimed to limit the governor’s emergency powers died in a late night debate on the floor of the Washington State Legislature just hours before the bill cutoff deadline. Critics had hoped to limit the use of gubernatorial powers, like the ones Gov. Jay Inslee has used since Feb. 2020 to control the spread of COVID-19. House minority leader Rep. J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, said after approximately 30 minutes of discussion considering the first proposed amendment, debate was suddenly stopped with Democrats pulling the bill off the floor. H...
Gov. Jay Inslee said lawmakers delivered on his call to take “big, bold, action,” after the 60-day legislative session came to a close March 10 in Olympia, working until the midnight deadline to push through a $64.1 billion supplemental state budget. In addition to boosting spending by $5 billion in the current two-year budget cycle, legislators approved the first major transportation funding package since 2015. The Democratic majority in both the House and Senate outlined priorities in the beginning of the year including addressing hom...
The $17 billion transportation package dubbed “Move Ahead Washington,” is on its way to the Governor’s office for final signature. House legislators passed the 16-year plan on a pair of votes of 54-44 and 57-41 on the final day of the 2022 legislative session. State Senators voted an hour later, passing the package with a 29-20 and a 30-19 vote. One of the package’s sponsors, Sen. Marko Liias, D-Everett, said in a news release: “We’re investing in projects from rural to urban areas across our state, letting kids ride free on buses, ferries and...
The $17 billion transportation package dubbed “Move Ahead Washington,” is on its way to the Governor’s office for final signature. House legislators passed the 16-year plan on a pair of votes of 54-44 and 57-41 on the final day of the 2022 legislative session. State Senators voted an hour later, passing the package with a 29-20 and a 30-19 vote. One of the package’s sponsors, Sen. Marko Liias, D-Everett, said in a news release: “We’re investing in projects from rural to urban areas across our state, letting kids ride free on buses, ferries and...
A bill that aimed to limit the governor’s emergency powers died in a late night debate on the floor of the Washington State Legislature just hours before the bill cutoff deadline. Critics had hoped to limit the use of gubernatorial powers, like the ones Gov. Jay Inslee has used since Feb. 2020 to control the spread of COVID-19. House minority leader Rep. J.T. Wilcox, R-Yelm, said after approximately 30 minutes of discussion considering the first proposed amendment, debate was suddenly stopped with Democrats pulling the bill off the floor. H...
Cannabis dispensary owners and employees are hoping to see a decrease in armed robberies with the passage of a bill imposing stricter penalties for offenders. The bill proposes increasing the standard sentence range by 12 months for those found guilty of robbing a dispensary. The legislation is currently awaiting a House floor vote after passing through the Senate. Executive Director of the Craft Cannabis Coalition, Adán Espino, said dispensaries have seen a rise in the number of armed robbery incidents, with some shops reporting multiple...
Mask mandate in most setting ends March 11 Washingtonians will see the end of the state masking mandate 10 days earlier than expected, following a dramatic decline in COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths. “We want to move forward as a state at the appropriate time,” Gov. Jay Inslee said Feb. 28. After March 11, face masks will no longer be required in most settings, including schools, restaurants and businesses. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated masking guidelines the week prior, with a focus on altering res...
Small business owners and schoolchildren hurt by the pandemic will see some financial relief with approval of state supplemental budget proposals now under consideration. “We’re looking at the basics, food, shelter, health and cash assistance,” House Appropriations Committee Chair Rep. Timm Ormsby, D-Spokane, said. “Those are things in this pandemic economy that are going to make a difference in people’s lives, and that is our focus.” The Washington State House and Senate each released their proposals Feb. 21, just hours before public hear...
A package that pays for free passes on public transportation for young people and upgrades to major bridges are all part of a 16-year transportation funding plan approved by the Washington State Senate. The Senate approved the proposed revenue sources for the $17 billion ‘Move Ahead Washington’ transportation investment package on a 29-20 vote on Feb. 15. The bill sponsored by Transportation Committee Chair Sen. Marko Liias, D-Everett, now goes to the House for consideration. The plan includes funding for transit programs, replacement of fish p...
A $16 billion plan, crafted mainly by Democrats, to fund hybrid-electric ferries, high speed rail and highway maintenance is gaining speed in the state Legislature. “‘Move Ahead Washington’ is a promise to put Washingtonians first,” Rep. Jake Fey, D-Tacoma, chairman of the House Transportation Committee, said. “It’s future-oriented while still dealing with the realities people face today. It reflects what people told us they wanted to see in this package.” Transit programs get $3.1 billion, including $150 million set aside for high-speed ra...
Washington marijuana users won’t face losing their job over a positive drug test if a proposal under consideration in the state Legislature wins approval. SB 5517 would update the Washington law that currently allows employers to turn-away job applicants and fire employees for testing positive for marijuana use in drug screenings. Prime sponsor of the bill, Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, said current employment laws must be reformed to accommodate recreational legalization of the drug. “The war on drugs has had a really negative impact on...
Washington marijuana users won’t face losing their job over a positive drug test if a proposal under consideration in the state Legislature wins approval. SB 5517 would update the Washington law that currently allows employers to turn-away job applicants and fire employees for testing positive for marijuana use in drug screenings. Prime sponsor of the bill, Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Des Moines, said current employment laws must be reformed to accommodate recreational legalization of the drug. “The war on drugs has had a really negative impact on...
Young adults will be able to access a fund years from now to give them a boost if lawmakers pass a bill aimed at narrowing the gap between the rich and poor. Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver, sponsor of HB 1861, said the Washington Future Fund Trust would act as a savings and investment account for babies born under the state’s Medicaid program, Apple Health. Beginning in 2024, a minimum of $3,200 will be set aside for each eligible child to access between their 18th and 31st birthdays. “I think it’s an exciting way to deal with a lot of the c...
Advocates hope mandatory conservation of key habitat areas will help salmon runs recover, but opponents worry farmers will pay a price. House Bill 1838, to be known as the Lorraine Loomis Act in honor of the late Northwest Indian Fisheries Commissioner, will reserve land on public and private property near salmon bearing waterways. Prime sponsor of the bill, Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Anacortes, said salmon play a vital cultural and economic role in Washington. The potential loss of the species will affect all Washingtonians, she said. “Salmon a...
Advocates hope mandatory conservation of key habitat areas will help salmon runs recover, but opponents worry farmers will pay a price. House Bill 1838, to be known as the Lorraine Loomis Act in honor of the late Northwest Indian Fisheries Commissioner, will reserve land on public and private property near salmon bearing waterways. Prime sponsor of the bill, Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Anacortes, said salmon play a vital cultural and economic role in Washington. The potential loss of the species will affect all Washingtonians, she said. “Salmon a...
Advocates hope mandatory conservation of key habitat areas will help salmon runs recover, but opponents worry farmers will pay a price. House Bill 1838, to be known as the Lorraine Loomis Act in honor of the late Northwest Indian Fisheries Commissioner, will reserve land on public and private property near salmon bearing waterways. Prime sponsor of the bill, Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Anacortes, said salmon play a vital cultural and economic role in Washington. The potential loss of the species will affect all Washingtonians, she said. “Salmon a...
March 23, 2021 was a sunny day in Lewis County. Zachary Lee Rager, an 18-year-old Centralia teen wanting to take advantage of the pleasant weather, headed to a familiar hang out with some friends, a bridge connecting the banks of Chehalis River. When Zachary jumped, he did not know how cold the water would be. He did not know the temperature would read only 42 degrees Fahrenheit. “He jumped off this bridge so many times, he’d done this time and time again with all his friends,” Lee Hines, Zachary’s stepfather said. “But the differenc...
College students struggling to balance the cost of higher education with everyday expenses will have the burden slightly alleviated if lawmakers pass a bill increasing access to funds through the Washington College Grant program. The House College & Workforce Development Committee held a hearing for HB 1659 on Jan. 12 which aims to modify the WCG program by increasing award eligibility and providing an annual stipend for expenses beyond tuition and fees. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Vandana Slatter, D-Bellevue, said, “You should not have to be ext...
Young adults will be able to access a fund years from now to give them a boost if lawmakers pass a bill aimed at narrowing the gap between the rich and poor. Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver, sponsor of HB 1861, said the Washington Future Fund Trust would act as a savings and investment account for babies born under the state’s Medicaid program, Apple Health. Beginning in 2024, a minimum of $3,200 will be set aside for each eligible child to access between their 18th and 31st birthdays. “I think it’s an exciting way to deal with a lot of the c...
Immediate action must be taken to address climate change, the housing crisis, transportation, and education, Gov. Jay Inslee said in his annual State of the State address Jan. 11. “We face a variety and dimension of demands greater than ever as we enter 2022,” he said. “We must take action this day to keep and strengthen our commitments to those in need right now and in the future.” With a 2021-23 budget supplemented with leftover COVID relief funds and new federal revenue sources, Inslee said Legislators must act quickly to address big ticket...
Women fought a decades-long battle for the right to vote, and now lawmakers want to memorialize the crusade by designating March 22 Women’s Suffrage Day. The 19th Amendment, prohibiting voting discrimination on the basis of sex, was passed over a century ago, with Washington becoming the 35th of 36 states to ratify on March 22, 1920. The House Committee on State Government & Tribal Relations received notes and commentary from the public regarding the proposed bill during a remote hearing Jan. 10. Janie White, representing the Washington E...
