Austin Jenkins
Stories
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Washington legislative staffers stage sick-out after unionization bill dies
In an act of labor solidarity, scores of Democratic staffers in the Washington Legislature staged a “sick-out” Wednesday after a bill that would have allowed them to unionize failed to advance before a key cutoff deadline.
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Government
Bill to criminalize lying about elections in WA appears dead
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s big push to make it a crime for elected officials and candidates for office to incite lawlessness by making false statements about elections appears to have died in the state Legislature.
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Wash. Gov. Inslee says state outdoor mask rule will end this February
As states from Oregon to New York announce plans to end mask mandates, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Wednesday announced that he’s lifting outdoor masking requirements and plans to announce next week a date when the mask mandate for public indoor spaces and schools will be lifted.
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Politics
As red states impose new restrictions on voting, blue Washington presses ahead with expansions
As the 2022 midterm elections loom, a partisan battle over access to the ballot box continues to be fought in Congress and in state legislatures across the country. Red states are passing new restrictions, while many blue states are making voting more accessible. That includes Washington.
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A torrent of support for curbing Inslee’s emergency powers as lawmakers take public testimony
Washington’s Covid-19 state of emergency is approaching its two-year anniversary. Under current law, the governor has broad emergency powers. But the Legislature is considering new restrictions on that authority.
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With his signature, Inslee pauses WA Cares program for 18 months
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday signed into law a bill that delays the start of a controversial long-term care benefit program known as WA Cares for 18 months. A second measured signed by Inslee will allow certain workers to opt out of the first-in-the-nation program.
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Washington State Patrol, criticized for lack of diversity, removes psychologist from hiring decision
The Washington State Patrol has permanently stripped its staff psychologist of his role conducting hiring evaluations. A Seattle Times and NW News Network investigation revealed that the psychological exam disproportionately rejected candidates of color.
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Showing or selling fake Covid-19 vaccine cards could become a crime in Washington
A proposal in the Washington Legislature would make it a crime to use or sell a fake Covid-19 vaccination card. The sponsor says he wants to deter people from even considering the ruse, but he also wants to send a signal to prosecutors to prioritize these cases as a matter of protecting public health.
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Washington House votes to delay long-term care tax for 18 months
Following widespread criticisms and voter pushback, Democrats in the Washington state House on Wednesday voted to delay the collection of a new payroll tax to fund a state-run, long-term care insurance program called WA Cares.
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Health
Inslee deploying 100 National Guard to help hospitals, orders pause on non-emergency procedures
Following the lead of Oregon and other states, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday that he will deploy 100 members of the National Guard to assist hospitals struggling to respond to a spike in Covid-19 patients due to the highly-contagious omicron variant.