Latest news with #WashingtonLegislature
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Legislative ballot battles shaping up for Washington's fall elections
Friday marked the deadline for candidates seeking nine seats in Washington's Legislature to file to run in elections this year. (Laurel Demkovich/Washington State Standard) Intriguing match-ups in the fall elections emerged Friday as Democrats look to retain control of several seats in the Washington state Legislature. Two Senate contests should provide a test of voters' views on new laws, higher taxes and spending decisions pushed through by the majority Democrats over the objections of Republicans. Races for two other legislative seats will showcase strains within the Democratic Party between its progressive and moderate factions. Three appointed Democratic lawmakers are breathing easy. They drew no challengers before the filing window closed Friday. This all but assures the trio — state Sens. Tina Orwall of Des Moines and Emily Alvarado of Seattle, and Rep. Brianna Thomas of West Seattle — will retain their seats for the 2026 session. Here's where things stood Friday. Candidates have until Monday to formally withdraw from any of the races. 26th District: This looms as the must-watch contest of the year. Sen. Deb Krishnadasan, a Gig Harbor Democrat, is looking to keep the seat she was appointed to after the district's former state senator, Emily Randall, was elected to Congress. She faces Republican state Rep. Michelle Caldier, also of Gig Harbor. She was first elected to the House in 2014 and re-elected in November with nearly 55% of the vote. The winner will represent the legislative district which encompasses parts of Kitsap and Pierce counties and includes Bremerton, Port Orchard, Purdy and Gig Harbor. They will need to run again in 2026. Caldier enters with backing from most of the Senate Republican Caucus. She is expected to focus on what GOP legislative leaders say has been Democrats' overreach with passage of a $9.4 billion package of tax increases to balance the budget and another $3.2 billion for transportation, anchored by a 6-cent per gallon gas tax hike. Krishnadasan, who served six years on the Peninsula School District Board of Directors, was among the vulnerable Democrats voting against their party's major tax bills and transportation revenue package. She'll be pressed to make that clear in the coming campaign. 5th District: This race is to fill the vacancy created by the death of Democratic state Sen. Bill Ramos in April. Whoever wins will serve the remaining three years of the term. Rep. Victoria Hunt, D-Issaquah, a scientist and former Issaquah City Council member, won her House seat in November with 54% of the vote. She formally entered the race Monday and is backed by her seatmate, Rep. Lisa Callan, D-Issaquah. 'While this was not a campaign I wanted to run, I am honored to build upon the legacy of leadership and spirit of selfless service exemplified by Bill Ramos, while continuing to rely on my experience in Olympia and local government,' Hunt said in her announcement. Republican Chad Magendanz, a former two-term state representative for the district, is opposing her. He ran for Senate last year, losing to Ramos by 3,400 votes. In 2022, Magendanz lost to Callan for the House seat. In his announcement, he targeted Hunt's support of 'billions in new, unnecessary, and regressive taxes' and called the election 'our opportunity to correct course.' 48th District: Sen. Vandana Slatter, D-Bellevue, and Rep. Amy Walen, D-Kirkland, are squaring off in what will be a litmus test for some of the party's priorities and the district voters' allegiances. Slatter had served in the state House since 2017 until being appointed to replace Patty Kuderer, following her election as Washington's insurance commissioner. Walen won her seat in 2018 and also sought the appointment. The district covers communities in Redmond, Bellevue and Kirkland. Both opposed the largest piece of the Democrats' $9.4 billion tax package, a sweeping bill containing an across-the-board increase in the business tax and surcharges on the state's largest corporations and financial institutions. And both supported another key component, extending the retail sales tax to some services. Slatter voted for the gas tax increase. Walen did not. They differed on some high-profile policies, too. For example, Walen opposed the new rent increase cap and Slatter voted for it. This will be a costly contest. As of Thursday, Walen had raised nearly $320,000 to Slatter's $107,000, according to filings with the state Public Disclosure Commission. 33rd District: Rep. Edwin Obras, D-SeaTac, who was appointed to fill Orwall's House seat, is being challenged by Burien Mayor Kevin Schilling, a Democrat, and Darryl Jones, a Republican and Kent resident. The two with the most votes in the August primary will advance to the general election. The district includes Burien, Normandy Park, Des Moines, SeaTac, and much of Kent. Obras formerly worked for the city of Seattle's Human Services Department. This will be his first election campaign for a public office. 'We need someone in Olympia who will fight for the diverse communities in South King County and not settle for or slide back into the status quo,' he said in his announcement. Schilling was elected to the Burien City Council in 2019 and reelected in 2023. He's been mayor since last year. He is the government affairs director for the Washington State Dental Association and former political director for retired congressman Derek Kilmer. Schilling did not seek the appointment to the post. 'The government of the state of Washington is not doing things differently to solve the problems that need to be solved,' he said. He said he wants to bring new approaches to addressing homelessness, housing, and public safety based on his experience as mayor. Jones, who filed Friday, made an unsuccessful run for a Kent City Council seat in 2023. As of Friday, Schilling had raised $83,100. Obras, who could not raise money during the session, had not reported any contributions yet on the state Public Disclosure Commission website. 41st District: Rep. Janice Zahn, D-Bellevue, who was chosen to replace Tana Senn when she left to lead a state agency, will face two opponents – Democrat Vinita Kak of Newcastle and Republican John Whitney of Bellevue. The top two finishers in the primary will face-off in November to represent the district that includes Mercer Island, Newcastle and part of Bellevue. Zahn is a former Bellevue City Council member and chief engineer at the Port of Seattle. She's formally endorsed by more than 40 members of the House Democratic Caucus, along with Gov. Bob Ferguson. Kak is a member of the planning commission for the city of Newcastle. 48th District: Rep. Osman Salahuddin, D-Redmond, who serves on the Redmond City Council and was chosen to replace Slatter in the House, drew two challengers Friday afternoon – Ranga Bondada and Dennis Ellis. Bondada, a Democrat, lives in Bellevue and owns two small businesses. This is his first campaign. Ellis, a Republican, lives in Redmond and has worked at Boeing. He made an unsuccessful run for Redmond City Council in 2021.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill revises rules for police, fire state retirement plan
Apr. 28—OLYMPIA — The Washington Legislature has approved revisions to state law that will make it easier for law enforcement officers and firefighters in one tier of the state's retirement system to use time they spent on authorized leave toward their retirement, regardless of whether they returned to work. Senate Bill 5306 passed both houses of the Washington Legislature unanimously and will affect law enforcement and firefighters in the LEOFF 2 tier of state government. Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the bill into law Wednesday. Senator Jeff Holy, R-Cheney, the bill's sponsor, said it will give qualifying professionals more flexibility if they want to retire. "This new law makes a change to this retirement system that will help LEOFF 2 members who go on authorized leave of absence, such as being on military duty, that could affect their service credits," Holy said in a press release after Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the bill. "It will help ensure they receive the retirement benefits they deserve." Amanda Cecil, staff member for the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said during testimony on the bill that people in the LEOFF 2 system who return from an authorized leave of absence can buy credits equal to a maximum of two years of work. Those credits go toward their retirement. Previously, people who returned from a leave of absence and wanted to retire rather than go back to work couldn't purchase those credits. With the change to the law, they are eligible to buy those credits. Cecil said analysis of the bill indicated it wouldn't have much impact on the state budget. "For the purposes of the state budget, that equates to no cost, but what they're actually saying is, there is an indeterminate cost to the system because of the purchase of additional service credit that would increase the lifetime benefits to eligible members," Cecil said. "(That cost is) expected to be so small it would not increase the (benefit) rate that's paid and therefore the cost to the state." Quincy Police Department Chief Ryan Green said the QPD does have personnel in the LEOFF 2 system, but none who are in the military reserves or National Guard. Moses Lake Police Chief Dave Sands said the department does have officers who were deployed for military service and came back to work. But Cecil said this change only applies to people who want to retire after finishing their leave without coming back to work. Steve Nelson, executive director of the LEOFF 2 retirement board, estimated it would affect about 40 people statewide each year. "It's a significant issue for them when they are unable to return to work and they can't get that service credit under the (previous) law," Nelson said in his Senate testimony.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Spokane Valley passes 'not a sanctuary city' resolution meant to show allegiance to Trump
Apr. 2—The Spokane Valley City Council voted Tuesday to reaffirm the municipality is "not a sanctuary city," in what was likely the most well-attended and raucous meeting of the year. Tuesday's meeting at Spokane Valley City Hall had two banner issues on the agenda that drew supporters and detractors from across the Inland Northwest: a public hearing on a public safety sales tax the council is considering and a vote on a resolution seeking to reiterate the city's stance on immigration for a federal audience. The latter item, approved in a 5-2 vote, replaces an invalid 2016 resolution approved by the council before state legislators passed the Keep Washington Working Act, which supporters said sought to prevent disruptions to the state's economic sectors that largely rely on immigrant labor, like agriculture. Councilman Ben Wick and Deputy Mayor Tim Hattenburg were the two nay votes. In passing the act, the Washington Legislature determined it is not the primary purpose of law enforcement, and a misuse of local resources, to enforce federal immigration law. Local police departments and sheriff's offices are only allowed to assist or share information with federal agents in limited circumstances since the law took effect in 2019. While its previous iteration was more direct in compelling the city's police force, which is contracted from the Spokane County Sheriff's Office, to assist federal forces with immigration enforcement, the resolution will not lead to any practical changes in how city staff members or sheriff's office deputies within city limits conduct their duties, said Deputy City Manager Erik Lamb and Undersheriff Dave Ellis, chief of the Spokane Valley Police Department. Instead, its purpose was to send a message to President Donald Trump that the council does not agree with the state's sanctuary law, said Councilwoman Jessica Yaeger, the board member who brought the resolution forward. "Quite frankly, it's because we put grants out there all the time, and what it means is we will not have money that comes to this city, in this state, because we are a sanctuary state," Yaeger said. Yaeger said she and fellow council members Laura Padden and Mayor Pam Haley were discussing the resolution with White House officials in their advocacy visit to the nation's capital last week, and that without it, the city "will not get millions upon millions of dollars for the roads you drive on, for other grants that come to our city that actually feed hungry mouths." The majority of residents at the meeting, hailing from within Spokane Valley's borders and from neighboring towns, testified in opposition to the resolution. They voiced concerns that the measure would condone discrimination against immigrants and people of color residing and working in Spokane Valley, and is naked political posturing and could lead to a costly legal battle. Haley had to make multiple warnings that she would end public comment if decorum was not upheld as the crowd clapped, snapped and laughed, at times, during the meeting. "I can tell you that there is great fear already among the immigrants and refugees who are here legally," said Christi Armstrong, executive director of World Relief Spokane. "... World Relief wants to be a part of the solution, but I just think that putting those words that Spokane Valley is not a sanctuary city is really, really hurtful." Yaeger admonished members of the public who said or insinuated the resolution would send the wrong message to marginalized communities, stating that they were the ones who brought "skin color" up and that she was trying to protect young women and "prevent an issue like Laken Riley." The 22-year-old was murdered in Athens, Georgia, by a Venezuelan illegal immigrant, and has become the namesake of a federal law seeking to tighten detention requirements for immigrants who commit crimes. Her death has become a rallying cry among conservatives critical of the prior administration's handling of immigration and border security. Yaeger also decried those same speakers for the lack of positive statements and "standing up to thank us" for code changes the council is considering to crack down on illicit massage parlors and sex trafficking. "How can you guys say that you're defending women and defending minorities when these women are being sex-trafficked and raped every day of their lives," Yaeger said. Councilman Al Merkel said while he does not support the resolution since it lacks any real teeth and is a "complete political waste of time," he heard from multiple Valley residents ahead of the meeting who desired it, so he voted in favor. "I'm saddened to hear that we were discussing this with the White House, because if this is what the White House thinks we spend our time on, that's a little disappointing," Merkel said. He added that his mother is from Honduras and said he doesn't believe racism is driving immigration policy. He said would have preferred an ordinance that allowed for more enforcement. Haley pushed back on Yaeger's characterization of the resolution's timing and purpose, saying she did not think it had "anything to do with politics," and was simply an update to the resolution to correct the sections invalidated by the Keep Washington Working Act. "It has to do with making our resolution that was passed in 2016 comply with both the federal law, which has changed, and the state law, which has also changed since then," Haley said. "This particular resolution allows us to comply with both. It doesn't give a directive to our police to do anything."
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrats in WA Legislature shift approach to parental and students' rights bills
The Washington state Capitol on March 27, 2025. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard) A tense debate over the rights of public school students and their parents took another twist in the Washington Legislature on Thursday. Democrats on a Senate committee stripped a House bill of provisions dealing with parental rights, while leaving parts covering students' rights. A Senate-approved bill on parental rights is still pending in the House, setting up a situation where the two related sets of issues are on track to be handled with separate pieces of legislation. The Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee passed the amended version of House Bill 1296 on a party-line vote. Sen. Claire Wilson, D-Auburn, put forward the amendment that removed the language about parental rights, and said it was part of a strategy to keep the bills moving forward to address some of the issues involved before the session ends on April 27. 'It's keeping all doors open and all windows open so we can make sure something ends on the other side,' Wilson said. Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver, sponsor of the House bill, said that she would have rather not seen this language removed from the bill, but that the end goal is still the same: to have policies covering students' rights and parental rights. 'There's nothing in my mind that doesn't allow for students' rights to exist concurrently with parental rights, I don't see any conflict there,' Stonier said. Examples of students' rights included in HB 1296 include the right to learn in a safe, supportive learning environment, free from harassment, intimidation, or bullying; to receive copies of all school policies and procedures related to students; and to access academic courses and instructional materials with historically and scientifically accurate information. Wilson's rewrite also added language from another bill she sponsored, Senate Bill 5179, which is about reporting complaints to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction when certain policies are not followed by schools. The parental and students' rights legislation now under discussion is tied to a citizen initiative lawmakers approved last year. That measure, Initiative 2081, called for public school materials, such as textbooks, curriculum and a child's medical records, to be easily available for review by parents. It also sought to clear the way for parents to opt their child out of assignments and other activities involving questions about the student's sexual experiences or their family's religious beliefs. Democrats said when Initiative 2081 was approved, they would likely need to clean up some of the language to align with other state and federal laws. But Republicans argue that Democrats are now trying to roll back rights granted to parents in the initiative. Mixed into the debate are arguments over gender and transgender issues in schools. 'This bill continues the war against parents' rights and puts girls at risk at schools,' said Sen. Jim McCune, R-Graham. Senate Bill 5181, the Senate bill on parental rights, is scheduled for a possible committee vote on March 31 in the House Education Committee. Stonier, sponsor of the House bill, is among the committee's members.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hospital price transparency bill in Washington Legislature gets reworked
(Photo by Getty Images) A bill in the Washington Legislature to make hospital pricing more transparent for consumers is still in play, but its scope has narrowed during the legislative process. 'I don't think this bill really, frankly, does anything anymore,' said Steve Fenberg, a patient rights advocate who supported the original bill. 'I think it's a shame.' Senate Bill 5493 intended to give the state's Department of Health the ability to enforce a 2021 federal rule that required hospitals to provide transparent pricing. The idea was to provide patients with clearer information about how much they would pay for care and to spur competition that could help drive down costs. 'We're on an unsustainable trajectory for health care costs, we are not bending the curve,' said Sen. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane, the bill's sponsor. 'We need to relieve burdens on patients and consumers from our broken system and do actual things that will drive costs down.' Advocates have raised concerns over the lack of compliance with the federal rule, while hospitals say it takes time to adjust to new requirements. 'The understanding of what compliance and transparency mean has sort of evolved over time,' since the 2021 federal rule, said Andrew Busz, a policy director with the Washington State Hospital Association. When the rule first took effect, hospitals were required to upload 'machine readable files,' which are large, not considered accessible or understandable to most consumers, and mainly used by researchers, insurers, and data aggregators, Busz explained. Over time, the rule required hospitals to upload 'shoppable services' — a consumer-friendly list of around 300 medical services, such as imaging, surgeries, and maternity care. At the federal level, hospitals that do not comply with these requirements are first issued a warning notice. If the noncompliance continues, it can lead to a corrective action plan or civil monetary penalties. In Washington, 20 hospitals out of the 114 in the state have been issued warning notices and no further action has been needed, according to a list provided by the hospital association. 'It's fairly common for state or federal agencies, when something rolls out that's new, to give organizations kind of time to be compliant, these are new requirements,' said Chelene Whiteaker, senior vice president for government affairs with the Washington State Hospital Association. States like Colorado have been taking action in recent years to enforce the federal requirements and the Washington bill is in that mold. Riccelli suggested Washington has been lagging behind other states in moving ahead with the new transparency measures. 'We see red states, blue states, and purple states, moving forward with price transparency a little more aggressively,' he said. When the bill was first introduced this year, it had three main components: requiring hospitals to comply with the federal regulations and to submit data to the state's Department of Health; giving the state enforcement authority, and calling for the state to develop an interactive price comparison tool — similar to one in Colorado. Hospitals that don't comply would have been subject to civil fines ranging up to $10,000 per violation. Proceeds from fines would have gone toward creating the tool for people to search and compare hospital prices. The version of the bill the Senate passed unanimously on March 11 did not include the enforcement provisions. 'I made some changes that I would rather not have made, but we did just to kind of keep something moving on in this session. I contemplated not moving it forward, but I do see value,' Riccelli said, adding that both Republicans and Democrats have struggled with getting behind transparency measures. Whiteaker said that the hospital association pushed for the changes so that the state bill complemented the federal regulations, rather than duplicating or distracting from them. The most recent version of the bill would require the state's hospitals to comply with the federal rules and submit price data to the state's Department of Health, which would track compliance. It sets a July 1, 2027 deadline for hospitals to publish the data and calls for annual updates after that. The complexity of health insurance and factoring in copays, deductibles, and whether a hospital accepts someone's insurance is often what makes health care difficult to navigate. 'The payment mechanisms and rate structures are actually determined by the carriers, not by the hospitals,' Busz said, adding that the type of insurance someone has typically has more of an effect on what a patient pays than the rates a hospital charges. Also, while price estimate tools exist on hospital websites now, it can be difficult for someone to predict what services they may need. 'There's no real perfect way to anticipate what the costs are going to be,' Busz said.
