Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891
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OLYMPIA (March 6, 2019) -- In a 57-40 vote, the Washington state House of Representatives passed a bill that would eliminate the philosophical or personal objection used to exempt children from receiving the vaccines required to attend school in Washington. Engrossed House Bill 1638 adopted six amendments out of 42 requested before final passage. The companion bill, Senate Bill 5841, will be considered next. The measure was co-sponsored by 15 representatives and introduced by Rep. Paul Harris, R-Vancouver, the only Republican sponsor. “This is...
• Plaintiffs claim initiative deprives their 2nd and 14th Amendment rights • Defendants summoned to court for following the Washington state law OLYMPIA (March 8, 2019) -- Two civil rights lawsuits in Washington state have challenged the constitutionality of certain bans enacted through the gun control measure, Initiative 1639. Each lawsuit is built on the premise that the initiative deprives plaintiffs of rights under the Second and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. The plaintiffs have remained the same for each cas...
• Lawmakers seek to eliminate bullying in public schools • Law would protect transgender students OLYMPIA (Feb. 28, 2019) —State senators passed a bill with a 29-20 vote to prohibit harassment, intimidation, bullying and discrimination based on gender identity in public schools. The vote followed party lines, with the exception of Sen. Curtis King, R-Yakima, voting with the Democrats, and Sen. Tim Sheldon, D-Potlatch, siding with the Republicans. The bill will move to the House now for consideration. Substitute Senate Bill 5689 aims to elimi...
OLYMPIA (Feb. 21) — A proposed bill would eliminate the philosophical or personal objection used to exempt children from vaccines required to attend schools in Washington state. Senate Bill 5841 is co-sponsored by a group of 10 Democratic senators and introduced by Sen. Annette Cleveland, D-Vancouver. There is a current measles outbreak in Clark County with 62 confirmed cases, Cleveland said. Gov. Jay Inslee declared a public health emergency in Clark County on Jan. 18. [The total reached 65 on Sunday in Clark County; a total of 66 in the s...
By Madeline Coats WNPA Olympia News Bureau OLYMPIA (Jan. 30, 2019) OLYMPIA — Lawmakers are pushing for a bill to allow year-round observation of daylight saving time in the state of Washington, with the intention of the practice spreading throughout the country. House Bill 1196 was co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 14 representatives and introduced by Rep. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane. “I want to ditch the switch,” said Riccelli at a public hearing. “We’re already on daylight saving time eight months of the year.” According to the bill, t...
• Washington state sheriffs call upon Second Amendment rights • Opposition of gun law sparks lawsuits in state • Some sheriffs refuse to uphold gun initiative OLYMPIA (Feb. 12, 2019) The state attorney general has stepped in with a warning to more than half the state’s county law enforcement officials who say they refuse to fully enforce the gun control measures voters approved in November. Police chiefs and sheriffs will be held liable if they refuse to perform background checks required by I-1639, said Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Tues...
• Bill could avoid health risks by allowing year-round observation of daylight saving • Daylight saving time could become permanent in Washington state • Federal law must approve year-round daylight saving in Washington state OLYMPIA (Jan. 30, 2019) OLYMPIA — Lawmakers are pushing for a bill to allow year-round observation of daylight saving time in the state of Washington, with the intention of the practice spreading throughout the country. House Bill 1196 was co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 14 representatives and introduced by Rep. Ma...
• Bill to prepare public schools for catastrophic emergencies • Plan may provide more resources to schools in the case of an emergency A plan may go into effect to better prepare Washington state public schools for natural or human-caused catastrophic incidents, by request of the state Military Department. House Bill 1200 was co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 10 representatives and introduced by Rep. Laurie Dolan, D-Thurston. “Everyday, 1.1 million of our kids spend most of their waking hours in school buildings,” said Dolan during a publi...
Opioid overdose medication could become more readily available for K-12 schools and institutions of higher education in Washington state if a proposed bill passes. “Anyone can resuscitate someone with Narcan. It is incredibly easy,” said Rep. Gerry Pollet, D-Seattle. Narcan is the brand name of Naloxone, a type of nasal spray that treats opioid overdoses in an emergency situation. The medication can be purchased at most retail pharmacies without a prescription, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. House Bill 1039 is co-...
College students enrolled in an institution of higher education in Washington state could receive compensation for their athletic services, should House Bill 1084 become law. The proposed bill is sponsored by Reps. Drew Stokesbary, R-Auburn and Jesse Young, R-Gig Harbor. “It has been famously remarked that states are laboratories of democracy,” said Stokesbary at a public hearing on Jan. 23. The Republican legislator believes HB 1084 would put the infamous quote to use. According to the bill, students could reserve the right to hire agents to...
(OLYMPIA) Jan. 16, 2019--Washington may become the first state to designate an official state clam, according to a law co-sponsored by Rep. Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen and Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen. The bipartisan partnership of HB 1061 was scheduled for a public hearing in the House Committee on State Government and Tribal Relations on Jan. 16. “I think it is common knowledge that the razor clam is the most important clam in the state,” said Blake at the hearing. The bill finds that the Pacific razor clam, otherwise known as Siliqua patula, is...
Vote by mail could become postage-free in Washington state • Could increase voter participation (OLYMPIA) Jan. 17, 2019--A proposed law requested by Gov. Jay Inslee would provide prepaid postage for all election ballots in the state of Washington. Since 2011, all elections in the state have been conducted by mail, leaving voters responsible for paying return postage. Senate Bill 5063, co-sponsored by Sen. Joe Nguyen, D-White Center, and Sen. Bob Hasegawa, D-Beacon Hill, would eliminate that cost. Inslee and Secretary of State Kim Wyman c...
(OLYMPIA) Jan. 18, 2019--Three representatives from the Democratic caucus are sponsoring a bill to work towards reducing food waste by consumers and grocery stores in Washington state. House Bill 1114 suggests a plan to fight hunger and reduce environmental impacts of wasting food. The bill was co-sponsored by Reps. Beth Doglio, Vandana Slatter and Jake Fey and discussed at a public hearing on Jan. 17. Rep. Doglio, D-Thurston, aims to combine the two issues of rising sea levels and food insecurity in an effort to become a more environmentally s...
• Students would be able to medicate at school A bill proposed by Rep. Brian Blake, D-Aberdeen, would allow marijuana on school campuses for students who require aid for medical conditions. HB 1060 aims to permit students to consume medical marijuana on school property, aboard buses and while attending school-sponsored events. Students must meet the demands of state law RCW 69.51A.220, which requires that healthcare professionals must authorize the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Minors may receive treatment with the approval of their g...
By Madeline Coats WNPA Olympia News Bureau OLYMPIA — The House Committee on Commerce and Gaming took up a bill that would include preschools and school bus stops within the buffer requirements of state-licensed marijuana businesses. House Bill 1003, introduced by Rep. Brad Klippert, R-Kennewick, would further restrict marijuana businesses from operating in areas frequently visited by children. The Liquor and Cannabis Board is barred from issuing a marijuana license to any business within 1,000 feet of an elementary or secondary school, p...
OLYMPIA (Jan. 30, 2019) OLYMPIA — Lawmakers are pushing for a bill to allow year-round observation of daylight saving time in the state of Washington, with the intention of the practice spreading throughout the country. House Bill 1196 was co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 14 representatives and introduced by Rep. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane. “I want to ditch the switch,” said Riccelli at a public hearing. “We’re already on daylight saving time eight months of the year.” According to the bill, the state and all of its political subdivision...
OLYMPIA (Feb. 5, 2019) OLYMPIA – A bipartisan group of 22 representatives is working to improve crisis planning in Washington schools to prevent youth suicides. “I know for a fact I am not the only one that considers suicide every single day,” said Maverick Mendoza from Issaquah High School. The 17-year-old has suffered from major depressive disorder and severe anxiety for multiple years. His most-recent suicide attempt was two weeks ago. House Bill 1221 aims to implement a two-year program for mental health promotion and suicide prevention in...
