2023 Legislative Session

A bipartisan group of lawmakers say they are finding common ground in the effort to build new housing in Washington state.

Right now, Washington's attorney general does not have the power to launch investigations into police or sheriff’s departments. That primarily rests with the federal Department of Justice. That could change with a bill under consideration in Olympia.

Numerous Democrats in the Washington Legislature are backing a new proposal to make voting in elections compulsory. Citizens are required by law to cast ballots in about 25 counties, but in no other U.S. states. Republicans in Olympia described the idea as "un-American."

Washington state lawmakers in Olympia are debating a suite of possible new responses to surging traffic fatalities. Those include authorizing photo radar in highway work zones, prohibiting right turns at many red lights, and lowering the breathalyzer limit to convict for drunk driving. Some of these ideas have corollaries in Oregon, where the legislative machinery is getting revved up too.

Progressive legislators are hoping the time is right to hike taxes on the rich, especially after three pandemic years. In a coordinated effort, lawmakers in eight states are proposing new taxes on their resident billionaires and ultra-millionaires.

A bill under consideration in Washington state would make it the second state in the country to lower the legal limit for a driver’s blood alcohol content from 0.08% to 0.05%.

One Tri-Cities lawmaker wants to restrict nighttime airplane warning lights on new and old wind turbines.

A new state report prepared for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife recommends selective killing of seals and sea lions, to learn more about the impact they have on endangered salmon runs.

A new report from the Washington State Department of Ecology found formaldehyde, lead and arsenic in a study of products marketed to people of color. The findings are fueling renewed efforts to ban a list of hazardous chemicals from cosmetics and personal care items sold in Washington.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee emphasized housing construction and homelessness response during his 2023 State of the State address on Tuesday. The issue is a bipartisan priority for the state legislature, but approaches differ among the lawmakers who convened in Olympia this week.