Laurel Demkovich

Farmers in Washington are supposed to be exempt from the new cap-and-trade program but, six months in, some say they are still getting hit with added fuel costs.

A number of proposals have already passed the Legislature and are awaiting final signature from Gov. Jay Inslee. A number of others could be on his desk soon. 

The proposal that passed the House 54-41 is different from what passed the state Senate earlier this year, which upped the penalty for possession to a gross misdemeanor, a charge with more jail time and a higher fine. 

Under the proposal, most cities across the state would be required to allow denser types of housing on their lots — an attempt to shift zoning laws away from decades of only allowing single-family homes.

The bill must receive a final approval from the Senate before going to Gov. Jay Inslee's desk for his signature. 

A bill that will require hospitals to adopt staffing standards, including staff-patient ratios, and follow them 80% of the time passed the state House of Representatives 92-6. Another bill that would allow Washington enter into a multistate nurse licensure compact and allow nurses to get licenses that would be accepted in multiple states passed 94-4.

Gov. Jay Inslee and Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday announced the purchase along with legislation that would allow the Department of Corrections to distribute the 30,000 doses to health providers. 

In 2021, the state set aside $4 million for the design of the bridge, which community members say will help right some of the historical damage done when Interstate 90 was built. That funding is still included in proposed House and Senate Democrat budget proposals released this week.