Washington
Judge blocks parts of WA’s new parental rights law • Washington State Standard
Most of the parental “bill of rights” the Legislature approved earlier this year can remain in effect, for now, but pieces related to when parents can access medical and mental health records can’t go forward, a judge ruled Friday.
King County Superior Court Judge Michael Scott granted a request to temporarily block parts of the law that give parents access to all medical and mental health counseling records for their children and require school districts to turn over the records within 10 days – a shorter time than allowed under federal law.
Most of the law, created by the Republican-backed Initiative 2081, will remain in place. It allows a range of school materials, such as textbooks and curricula, to be easily available for review by parents. Parents are also given notice and allowed to opt their child out of assignments and other activities involving questions about a child’s sexual experiences or their family’s religious beliefs.
The state Legislature approved the measure earlier this year and it took effect on June 6.
The lawsuit, spearheaded by the ACLU of Washington and other legal groups, argues that students, parents and school districts will be harmed by the initiative and that it was drafted in a way that violates the state Constitution. That’s despite the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction’s assurance that much of what was in the initiative was already state law.
In a ruling from the bench, Scott said he is sensitive to the impacts of the initiative on schools throughout the state but that was not the question before the court.
“It’s not this court’s position to determine whether that’s good policy or not,” Scott said.
In his decision to grant the partial preliminary injunction, Scott raised concerns over the sweeping language in the initiative calling for schools to turn over all medical and mental health records and to do so within 10 days. The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act requires schools to turn over records as soon as possible, or within 45 days of the request.
A written order detailing Scott’s ruling will be available next week. The injunction means that the blocked parts of the law will remain on hold while court proceedings continue.
The initiative was written by Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, and was one of six initiatives backed by conservative hedge fund manager Brian Heywood. It passed unanimously through the Washington Senate and 82-15 through the House, with only Democrats opposed.
Pete Serrano, who’s representing Walsh, the Heywood-sponsored group Let’s Go Washington and others in this case, said he was “extremely grateful” most of the law is intact.
“There’s a lot of opportunity for parents to remain present in their child’s education,” said Serrano, who is also a Republican candidate for attorney general.
In a statement following Friday’s ruling, ACLU attorney Adrien Leavitt said he was pleased that parts of the initiative would not go into effect until there is a final decision.
“But this is not the end,” Leavitt said in a statement. “We will keep fighting this case in hopes of a final judgment that shows this harmful law violates the State Constitution and should not be implemented or enforced.”
When the initiative passed the Legislature, Democrats who supported it emphasized that the legislation did not change any protections for marginalized groups.
Sen. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, told the Standard that some Democratic lawmakers were uncomfortable with the initiative, but passing it allows the Legislature to amend the statute next session should issues arise.
Had the Legislature declined to take action, sending the initiative to the ballot, lawmakers would have to wait two years before they could amend it if it won voter approval.
But the ACLU of Washington, Legal Voice and QLaw, the three organizations leading the lawsuit, argue the initiative “misled state lawmakers and the public.”
“It violates the State Constitution because it fails to disclose how it revises and affects existing laws,” the groups’ lawsuit says. “This causes confusion about the legal duties of schools, their staff and contractors, and school-based healthcare providers, as well as the rights of students.”
The lawsuit also contends that the initiative would strip important privacy protections for medical and mental health records for LGBTQ+ students, youth of color and students from other marginalized backgrounds.
When the initiative passed, LGBTQ+ advocacy groups voiced concerns about the potentially chilling effect it could have on LGBTQ+ youth. “Many students simply aren’t going to seek out those services,” Leavitt said Friday.
Julia Marks, litigation attorney for Legal Voice, said Friday’s ruling would help protect these students by keeping their medical and mental health records confidential.
“Survivors of sexual assault, LGBTQ+ youth, youth who need reproductive and sexual health care, and other vulnerable students rely on trusted adults at school who can confidentially help them navigate challenges,” Marks said in a statement.
The initiative came as the socially conservative “parental rights” movement, which aims to restrict schools’ abilities to teach about gender, sexuality and race without parental consent, has gained influence across the United States. LGBTQ+ students and advocates across the country say the movement is less about parental rights and more about targeting and silencing LGBTQ+ youth.
Among the plaintiffs in the lawsuit are South Whidbey School District, equity-focused nonprofit organizations and a parent of two students in Seattle Public Schools.
The Washington Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 11, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 11 drawing
24-30-37-56-64, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash Pop numbers from May 11 drawing
09
Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 11 drawing
7-6-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Match 4 numbers from May 11 drawing
07-12-18-19
Check Match 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Hit 5 numbers from May 11 drawing
07-09-11-32-42
Check Hit 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Keno numbers from May 11 drawing
05-07-15-27-30-32-35-36-40-43-45-47-49-58-59-62-64-65-72-76
Check Keno payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto numbers from May 11 drawing
01-18-28-34-37-48
Check Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from May 11 drawing
09-13-34-42-59, Powerball: 01
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Washington Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Washington Lottery’s regional offices.
To claim by mail, complete a winner claim form and the information on the back of the ticket, making sure you have signed it, and mail it to:
Washington Lottery Headquarters
PO Box 43050
Olympia, WA 98504-3050
For in-person claims, visit a Washington Lottery regional office and bring a winning ticket, photo ID, Social Security card and a voided check (optional).
Olympia Headquarters
Everett Regional Office
Federal Way Office
Spokane Department of Imagination
Vancouver Office
Tri-Cities Regional Office
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Washington Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Washington Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 7:59 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 8 p.m. PT Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash Pop: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Pick 3: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Match 4: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Hit 5: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Daily Keno: 8 p.m. PT daily.
- Lotto: 8 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:30 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Washington editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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This story contains descriptions of fatal violence against a transgender person.
The Seattle Police Department are searching for a suspect after a 19-year-old University of Washington student was stabbed to death in an off-campus student apartment complex on May 10.
Seattle Police Department Detective Eric Muñoz told NBC News that the victim is “believed to be a 19-year-old transgender female” who was enrolled at the university. The victim has not yet been publicly identified by name. She was found in the housing complex laundry room shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday night.
The housing complex, Nordheim Court, is privately managed but affiliated with the university, located near an upscale shopping center in Seattle’s U-Village neighborhood. According to NBC News, residents received an official alert from UW to stay inside their homes and lock all windows and doors — an alert that was lifted around 1 a.m. with the acknowledgment that “a death investigation remains ongoing.”
According to SPD detective Eric Muñoz, police and the fire department attempted lifesaving measures but ultimately “pronounced the victim deceased at the scene.”
“Officers are actively searching for the suspect, believed to be a black male with a beard, 5’6-8” tall, wearing a vest with button up shirt, and blue jeans,” Muñoz wrote in a blotter report.
Muñoz noted that the victim would be identified by the medical examiner’s office in “the coming days.” The SPD did not immediately respond to Them’s request for comment.
This is the seventh known trans person to be violently killed in 2026. In mid-April, 39-year-old transmasculine farmer Luca RedBeard was fatally shot in rural New Mexico. Last week, police in Marion County, Florida opened a homicide investigation into the shooting death of a 29-year-old who went by multiple names and referred to “transitioning” on social media. In Kentucky, an investigation into the disappearance of 22-year-old trans college student Murry Foust remains ongoing.
Police are asking anyone with information about the University of Washington case to call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at 206-233-5000, emphasizing that anonymous tips are accepted.
This is a developing story.
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On a quiet stretch of Des Moines Memorial Drive in South Seattle, the Sea Mar Museum of Chicano/a/Latino/a Culture rises like a long‑overdue acknowledgment. Its brick exterior doesn’t shout; it invites. Inside, the rooms hum with the stories of families who crossed borders, harvested fields, organized classrooms, and built communities across Washington state—often without seeing their histories reflected anywhere on a museum wall.
For Rogelio Riojas, founder and CEO of Sea Mar Community Health Centers, the museum is a promise kept. “We wanted to make sure the contributions of Latinos in Washington state are recognized and preserved for future generations,” he told The Seattle Times when the museum opened in 2019. It was a simple statement, but one that captured decades of work—both visible and invisible—by the region’s Latino communities.
Walking through the galleries feels like stepping into a living archive. One of the most arresting sights is a pair of original farmworker cabins, transported from Eastern Washington. Their narrow wooden frames and sparse interiors speak volumes about the migrant families who once slept inside after long days in the fields. The cabins are not replicas or artistic interpretations; they are the real thing, weathered by sun, dust, and time. They anchor the museum’s narrative in the physical realities of labor that shaped the state’s agricultural economy.
Sea Mar describes the museum as “dedicated to sharing the history, struggles, and successes of the Latino community in Washington state,” a mission that plays out in photographs, letters, student newspapers, and oral histories contributed by community members themselves. These aren’t artifacts chosen from afar—they’re family treasures, personal archives, and memories entrusted to the museum so they can live beyond the kitchen tables and shoeboxes where they were once kept.
The story extends beyond the museum walls. Just steps away is the Sea Mar Community Center, a sweeping, light‑filled gathering space designed for celebrations, performances, workshops, and community events. With room for nearly 500 people, a full stage, a movie‑theater‑sized screen, and a catering kitchen, the center was built with one purpose: to give the community a place to see itself, gather, and grow. Sea Mar describes it as “a welcoming space for families, organizations, and community groups to gather, celebrate, and learn,” and on any given weekend, it lives up to that promise.
Together, the museum and community center form a cultural campus—part historical archive, part living room for the region’s Latino communities. Students come to learn about the Chicano activists who reshaped the University of Washington in the late 1960s. Families come to see their own histories reflected in the exhibits. Visitors come to understand a story that has long been present in Washington, even if it wasn’t always visible.
The Sea Mar Museum is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., offering free admission to anyone who walks through its doors. For many, it’s more than a museum—it’s a recognition, a gathering place, and a testament to the people who helped shape the Pacific Northwest.
Preserving Latino History and Community Life in Washington was first published on Washington Latino News (WALN) and republished with permission.
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