Articles written by Sydney Brown
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Mill Creek representatives support budget proposal
Funding for health care, education and efforts to curb houselessness are promised in a $58 billion state budget proposal from the Washington Senate Democrats unveiled March 25.... — Updated 4/5/2021
Bill kickstarts effort for state universal healthcare
Universal health care for every state resident who wants it could come to Washington by 2026. A bill under consideration now in the state Legislature establishes a healthcare commis... — Updated 4/2/2021
Sweeping childcare reform moving in Legislature
Early childhood care and education in the state would see sweeping reform through the expansion of affordable child health and learning services, if a bill in the state Legislature... — Updated 4/2/2021
Eviction protections approved by Senate
As the end of an emergency eviction moratorium looms over thousands of Washington renters, a bill requiring landlords to have just cause for evicting a tenant passed the House of Representatives in a 54-44 vote March 7.... — Updated 3/10/2021
Juneteenth steps toward state holiday status
Rep. Kirsten Harris-Talley, D-Seattle, often sees her grandmother’s features when she looks in the mirror. She thinks of how her grandmother, a woman of color, experienced systemic racism and fought for a better life despite... — Updated 3/3/2021
Police accountability bills push through Legislature
Outrage over deaths of citizens in police custody sparked efforts by lawmakers to address racial equity, hiring and training, and the use of force within law enforcement. Now, nearing the halfway point in the 2021 legislative... — Updated 2/25/2021
Revised capital gains tax advances
A capital gains excise tax moved one step closer to approval Feb. 17 despite opposition from Republican lawmakers who call the law an unnecessary income tax and warn it will result... — Updated 2/24/2021
Mill Creek rep's bill addresses the cost of school lunches
As a single mother who survived on food stamps, an added $20 monthly cost for her four children's lunch was more than Rep. Melanie Morgan, D-Tacoma, could afford at that time.... — Updated 2/19/2021 Full story
Free attorneys, extended ban on evictions considered
An extension of an eviction moratorium for another two years and free attorneys for tenants who face eviction are proposed in a new bill that landlords say would decimate their industry. “It’s our goal to balance the needs of... — Updated 2/19/2021
Tax credits, free lunches, land leases, immigrant help get House approval
As a single mother who survived on food stamps, an added $20 monthly cost for her four children’s lunch was more than Rep. Melanie Morgan, D-Tacoma, could afford at that time. Eliminating copays on her children’s lunch would... — Updated 2/17/2021
Mandated homeless shelters draw criticism
Homeless shelters would be located in many cities and counties and supplied with mental health, employment and police resources if a bill under consideration in the state Legislature is adopted. Sen. Phil Fortunato, R-Auburn,... — Updated 2/11/2021 Full story
Mandatory boater education for paddleboarders sinks in Legislature
A bill that would have required kayakers and paddleboarders to take a boater education course to operate human-powered water vessels was effectively killed in the state Legislature... — Updated 2/11/2021
Bill would ban open-carry weapons at peaceful state capitol protests
A proposed ban on open-carry weapons during public demonstrations sparked a heated debate on whether the bill unreasonably restricts the Second Amendment to secure the protections of the First. The Senate Law & Justice Committee... — Updated 2/10/2021
Bill would establish office to investigate police use of force
Fred Thomas believes if an independent team had investigated his son’s death, the outcome would have been much different. In May 2013, 30-year-old Leonard Thomas was shot by Lakewood police sniper Brian Markert after a four-hour... — Updated 1/29/2021
Bill would establish office to investigate police use of force
Fred Thomas believes if an independent team had investigated his son’s death, the outcome would have been much different. In May 2013, 30-year-old Leonard Thomas was shot by Lakewood police sniper Brian Markert after a four-hour... — Updated 1/27/2021
Unlawful calls to police get scrutiny
A person who unlawfully summons the police on someone could face a civil action lawsuit under a proposed law that is gaining traction in the Legislature. Senate Bill 5135 would allow an individual to pursue civil action against a... — Updated 1/23/2021
Senate bill would skip first phase of recovery plan
Dozens of business owners - from restaurant owners to bowling alley managers - told state officials that continued COVID-19 restrictions place small businesses at risk of permanent... — Updated 1/22/2021 Full story
