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Passing bills, bills, bills: Highlights from Week 5 in Washington state Legislature

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Passing bills, bills, bills: Highlights from Week 5 in Washington state Legislature


FILE – The House chambers are viewed with most members attending remotely on the first day of the legislative session, Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash.

Ted S. Warren / AP

The week started off with more cutoff deadlines looming — and more notable pieces of legislation were left behind Monday, before Washington state lawmakers in both the House and Senate chambers hit the floor for the rest of the week.

Policies on the move

In the House, lawmakers approved House Bill 1579, which would create a new prosecution office in the state with the authority to charge police for deadly use of force.

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Legislation that could change the way cities approach their general elections, House Bill 1932, passed after lengthy debate on the proposal. Right now, cities and towns elect local officials in odd-numbered years, but the bill would allow local governments to switch their general elections to even-numbered years, when voter turnout is higher.

House lawmakers were split on the idea. Critics worry voters in cities that might make the change will be more focused on national campaigns and become fatigued with lengthy ballots.

But supporters say the change could spur civic engagement, and prompt more voters to weigh in on local issues. Only about 36% of Washington voters across the state filled out their ballots for last year’s general election — compared to a much-higher turnout of 63% in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Senate sent a few notable measures across the rotunda too.

First cutoff deadline, rent bill complications: A quick look at week 4 in the Washington Legislature

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Senators signed off on Senate Bill 6009, which bans police from hog-tying people in their custody.

They also passed Senate Bill 6298, which would make members of the clergy mandatory reporters of child abuse or neglect. A similar version stalled out last year over disagreements on whether or not clergy should be required to report abuse they hear about in confession, and this year’s version attempts to strike a balance between concerns on either side.

The Senate also approved a bill that would create new safety rules for workers at strip clubs and other adult entertainment establishments, Senate Bill 6105. Interestingly, the chamber added language into the bill requiring the state’s Liquor and Cannabis Board to repeal its lewd conduct rules, in response to recent citations at gay bars in Seattle.

Lawmakers also spent a lot of time debating a controversial bill about regulating hospital mergers, Senate Bill 5241, before it passed 28 to 21. The bill would require the Attorney General’s office to oversee proposed mergers and ensure that they don’t limit peoples’ access to end-of-life, reproductive, or gender-affirming health care.

And Senate Bill 5444, which would ban the open carry of guns in some zoos, libraries and transit centers, also gained Senate approval along party lines.

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Nearly all the bills passed off the floor this week now go to the opposite chamber for further consideration, but the first bill of the session to make it through both sides of the Legislature also gained final approval. House Bill 1964 aims to improve enforcement of the state’s fuel tax, and passed both chambers with broad bipartisan support.

And even though Seattle’s NFL team won’t be playing during this weekend’s Super Bowl, the Senate spent a few minutes praising former Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll Friday morning.

The Senate passed a resolution formally congratulating Carroll for his accomplishments across his career in the NFL — including leading the Seahawks to the franchise’s first Super Bowl win in 2014. It was announced in January that Carroll would no longer be head coach after 14 years in the role. Carroll wasn’t in attendance, but Sen. Ann Rivers (R-La Center) wore a Seahawks jersey on the floor as she spoke on the resolution.

What fizzled

Republicans held a press conference Thursday condemning a proposal to raise the 1% cap on annual hikes to local property taxes. The following day, Democrats made clear that Senate Bill 5770 wouldn’t be moving forward this session. The bill would have allowed local governments to raise the amount of money they make from property taxes.

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The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jamie Pedersen (D-Seattle) told the Washington State Standard that the decision to leave the bill behind this year was in part due to “the voter mood” as several initiatives, mainly targeting taxation, are almost certain to go to ballots in November.

A proposal pitched in response to the frustration over fuel costs, Senate Bill 6052, seems to have stalled.

The measure was a priority for Gov. Jay Inslee — especially to help defend his signature Climate Commitment Act, as critics blame it for changing gas prices. The bill aimed to create more state oversight for gas companies and the way they set prices. But the bill didn’t get a hearing or a vote in the Senate Ways and Means Committee before Monday’s cutoff, with proponents of the bill attributing its demise to the policy’s complexity and financial cost.

AI, guns, and initiatives: highlights from Week 2 of Washington state’s 2024 legislative session

Another bill that would have expanded on lawmakers’ 2023 effort to provide more kids with free school meals also didn’t make it. This year’s bill, House Bill 2058, would have required any public school to offer kids free lunch and breakfast — but it also didn’t get a vote.

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Lawmakers also didn’t take action on a solitary confinement reform bill, and advocates say with the lapse of House Bill 1087, the Legislature missed a critical moment to make some meaningful changes before a massive shift in leadership in the state next year.

Also of note, Rep. Spencer Hutchins (R-Gig Harbor) announced he won’t seek reelection later this year. Every member of the House of Representatives is up for reelection this fall, as well as about half of state Senators. Hutchins said in a statement announcing his decision that the demands of being a lawmaker have “taken a heavy toll” on his family and livelihood.

Lawmakers will spend more time on the floor at the beginning of next week — most bills have to make it out of their chamber of origin by Tuesday, Feb. 13, in order to keep moving forward this session. Next week lawmakers will also get a new look at the state’s revenue forecast and begin releasing their plans for changes to the state’s current two-year budget.



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19-Year-Old Transgender University of Washington Student Fatally Stabbed

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19-Year-Old Transgender University of Washington Student Fatally Stabbed


Sign up for The Agenda, Them’s news and politics newsletter, delivered Thursdays.

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.

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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.

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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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How the Sea Mar Museum Is Preserving Latino History in Washington

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How the Sea Mar Museum Is Preserving Latino History in Washington


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.

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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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Mother’s Day Bunch at Lady Madison | Washington DC

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Mother’s Day Bunch at Lady Madison | Washington DC


Celebrate Mother’s Day with à la carte brunch at Lady Madison featuring seafood, entrées, desserts, and premium beverage options.

Celebrate Mother’s Day in sophisticated style at Lady Madison, located inside Le Méridien Washington, DC, The Madison. Join us on Sunday, May 10, 2026, from 12:00–3:00 PM for an elevated à la carte brunch experience in downtown Washington, DC.

Enjoy a refined selection of chef-driven brunch classics, fresh seafood, seasonal salads, and elegant entrées. Highlights include a Build Your Own Omelette, Crab Benedict with lime hollandaise, Chilled Seafood Trio, and signature mains such as Roasted Rack of Lamb, Cedar Plank Sea Bass, and Marinated New York Strip Loin.

End on a sweet note with classic desserts including Crème Brûlée Cheesecake, Fruit Tart, Strawberry Shortcake, and Passion Fruit Cake.

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Enhance your experience with beverage offerings, including bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Marys for $30 with house selections. Piper-Heidsieck Champagne is also available by the glass for $16 or by the bottle for $49.

Reserve on OpenTable:
https://www.opentable.com/booking/experiences-availability?rid=1426987&restref=1426987&experienceId=695240&utm_source=external&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=shared

À La Carte Menu

Les Œufs & Brunch
Egg White Frittata — $24
spinach, tomato, mushrooms, green onion
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit

Build Your Own Omelette — $24
ham, smoked salmon, vegetables, cheeses (choose up to 3)
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit

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Crab Benedict — $24
lime hollandaise, salsa cruda
Served with pommes de terre rissolées or seasonal fruit

Brioche French Toast — $17
berry compote, whipped butter, maple syrup

Les Froids & Salades
Chilled Seafood Trio — $28
Jonah crab claws, shrimp, cocktail sauce

Spring Berry Salad — $17
brie, berries, champagne vinaigrette

Golden & Crimson Beet Salad — $18
red wine vinaigrette
Add protein: shrimp, salmon, skirt steak +18 | chicken +16

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Les Plats Principaux
Roasted Rack of Lamb — $42
mint sauce, huckleberry reduction, sweet potato purée, asparagus

Cedar Plank Sea Bass — $49
saffron rice, spring vegetables

New York Strip Loin — $42
mushroom sauce, truffle croquette potatoes, haricots verts

Les Desserts — $14
Crème Brûlée Cheesecake
Fruit Tart
Strawberry Shortcake
Passion Fruit Cake

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