Washington House Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Washington House Democrats Told To Limit Their Bill Introductions In 2021 Session Due To COVID

By Austin Jenkins December 1, 2020

Because of disruptions wrought by the coronavirus pandemic, majority Democrats in the Washington House have been asked to restrain themselves and introduce no more than seven bills each during the 2021 legislative session -- and then only bills that “are urgently needed.”Read More

Rep. Laurie Jinkins Selected As First Woman House Speaker In Washington History

By Austin Jenkins July 31, 2019

In this April 11, 2019 photo, Rep. Laurie Jinkins, D-Tacoma, listens to debate on the House floor at the Capitol in Olympia. Jinkins became the first woman elected House Speaker in Washington history on July 31, 2019. CREDIT: TED S. WARREN/AP

Washington House Democrats have selected Rep. Laurie Jinkins to serve as the state's first woman speaker of the House. The historic vote today in SeaTac ushers in a new era in Washington politics following a 20-year reign by Frank Chopp of Seattle, who was the state's longest serving speaker of the House.Read More

Washington Lawmakers Are Done This Year. Here’s What They Passed — And Didn’t — In 2019

By Austin Jenkins April 29, 2019

A first-in-the-nation law to allow human composting was among the bills that passed the 2019 Washington Legislature. CREDIT: MOLT STUDIOS

Washington lawmakers just wrapped up an action-packed, 105-day session with passage of the first state budget to exceed $50 billion and a bundle of tax hikes to fund it.Read More