Legislature completes day eight of session
STAFF REPORT | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 10 months AGO
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OLYMPIA - On Monday, the legislature convened for day eight of the 2023-24 legislative session.
Committees in both the House and Senate met to discuss various bills. Below is a list of the committees that met for each branch of the legislature and the topics of the bills they discussed.
Committee Hearings for the House on Monday:
Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry: Bills regarding hazing, negligent driving, unlawful branding of another person and an aggravating circumstance for mutilation or dismemberment of a human body.
Education: Hearing on a bill to establish regional apprenticeship programs.
House Environment & Energy: Bills concerning underground oil tanks, improving climate resiliency, reducing light pollution and labeling regulations for wipes.
Housing: Bills regarding tenant screening and licensed child care in common interest communities, sale/lease of mobile home communities; possible votes on previously heard bills.
Regulated Substances & Gaming: Hearing on a bill regarding limits on sale and possession of cannabis products.
Transportation: Bill regarding the capital vessel replacement account.
Appropriations: Bills concerning state pensions and retiree issues; plus a state pension overview.
Committee Hearings for the Senate on Monday:
Law & Justice: Bills regarding assisted outpatient treatment, lowering alcohol concentration for DUIs, extending felony DUI lookback to 15 years, removing Revised Code of Washington language and addressing consumer gender discrimination.
Labor & Commerce: Bills regarding paid family and medical leave, construction worker sick leave, expanding the farm internship program and requiring antidiscrimination clauses in public contracting.
Human Services: Bills to create the Washington Future Fund and raise the residential personal needs allowance; plus an overview of the WA Dept of Social & Health Services.
Early Learning & K-12 Ed: Bills regarding professional learning communities, trust revenue for small districts, adopting the interstate teacher mobility compact and noncompliance with state education laws.
Ag, Water, Nat Resources & Parks: Work session on cougar removals by local law enforcement, New Zealand style elk fencing pilot and encumbered lands proviso report.
Transportation: Work session on climate policies, plus presentations by state, regional and local transportation organizations.
ARTICLES BY STAFF REPORT
Connell woman killed in Booker Road crash
CONNELL — Charges are pending against a Kennewick man following a collision about 12 miles south of Othello that killed a Connell woman and injured three other people Tuesday evening. A Washington State Patrol press memo said intoxicating substances were a factor. Jessica Zarate, 37, Connell, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash near the intersection of SR 17 and South Booker Road, the WSP memo said. She was driving south on Booker Road approaching the intersection when her car was hit by a pickup driven by John Reiss, 62, Kennewick. Edgar Garcia Quirino, 28, Othello, was driving north on SR 17 and ran into Zarate's car, the WSP memo said. The crash occurred at about 6:40 p.m.
Wheeler Road closed because of traffic collision
UPDATE: The road was reopened as of noon, according to a GCSO media release. MOSES LAKE — Grant County Sheriff’s Office has announced there is a road closure between Road 3-NE and Road S-NE. There was a serious traffic collision. GCSO is asking for drivers to avoid the area and find alternative routes. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Doors opening: The Currents will provide homeownership for more local workers
About 104 homes are planned at the former Atlas sawmill site
Teachers, nurses, firefighters and other workers who keep Coeur d’Alene running will soon have more places to buy a home in the community where they work. About 104 homes are being planned to be built at Atlas Waterfront, on roughly 10 acres that are part of a swath of land that was once home to the Atlas sawmill and is being redeveloped. Ignite CDA, the city of Coeur d’Alene’s urban renewal agency, is leading this effort.