|
- - -
Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Karen Keiser led a press conference Tuesday to announce the state?s purchase of a supply of the abortion medication mifepristone, the first such purchase by a state to secure the right of choice. AG Ferguson discussed a multi-state lawsuit Washington is co-leading to loosen certain restrictions on mifepristone.
As two federal courts considered opposing cases to either ban or protect access to the abortion medication mifepristone, Washington state moved swiftly to purchase a three-year supply. Inslee directed the state Department of Corrections, using its existing pharmacy license, to purchase the medication.
Sen. Karen Keiser and Rep. Jessica Bateman are sponsoring legislation that would permit the DOC to distribute the supply to pharmacists statewide.
Medical abortions account for nearly 60% of abortions in Washington state. Mifepristone is a FDA-approved abortion medication with a safe record over 20 years of use. The state?s purchase will ensure access to the medication by patients receiving care in Washington state.
?This Texas lawsuit is a clear and present danger to patients and providers all across the country. Washington will not sit by idly and risk the devastating consequences of inaction,? Inslee said. ?Washington is a pro-choice state and no Texas judge will order us otherwise.?
The purchase is only one element of the state?s strong pro-choice legislative agenda. HB 1155 would protect the medical data of abortion seekers. HB 1340 would protect abortion providers against retaliation by medical licensing boards. HB 1469 would shield providers giving, or patients receiving, reproductive health care or gender-affirming care. SB 5242 would eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for abortion seekers using private insurance. Additionally, Attorney General Bob Ferguson is helping lead a multi-state lawsuit to protect access to mifepristone nationwide.
?We cannot allow an extremist judge in Texas to deny Washingtonians access to this safe, effective medication,? said Keiser.
?Abortion is health care,? said Bateman. ?These decisions should not be made by a judge in Texas, but by patients here in Washington.?
On Friday, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas partially granted a motion essentially revoking the FDA's approval of the drug. Also Friday, Judge Thomas Rice from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington partially granted a motion in a competing case co-led by AG Bob Ferguson to affirm the FDA's conclusion that mifepristone?is safe and effective, and that its distribution should continue in the states participating in the suit.
The rulings are contradictory: the former invalidates the FDA's approval of the drug, and the latter affirms the FDA's approval of the drug.
Despite the Texas court's order, mifepristone will remain available for Washington women thanks to the state's initiative to purchase the multi-year supply.
Roses adorn memorial cones inscribed with the names of WSDOT employees killed in roadside accidents. Each year, WSDOT holds a memorial to honor the 60 workers killed since 1950. The passage of a new law permitting speed cameras in work zones is intended to prevent similar accidents. (Photo courtesy of the WSDOT Memorial Foundation)
Last year, six highway workers lost their lives in preventable accidents; 35 others were injured. On Tuesday, Gov. Jay Inslee signed SB 5272 to permit the use of traffic cameras in work zones to cite speeding drivers. Research by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that mobile speed cameras reduce injury collisions as much as 51%.
For highway workers, the measure is a welcome relief.
The governor signed the bill at the annual Worker Memorial hosted by the state Department of Transportation (WSDOT). WSDOT employee Adam Gonzales considers himself lucky: he has survived three accidents in his tenure at WSDOT. Most recently, he was parked on the shoulder to shield fellow workers when he was struck by a speeding car.
?My head, shoulder, and hip bashed into the steering wheel. I suffered a concussion,? said Gonzales. ?I?m fortunate enough to be alive. And if I hadn?t been there, my crew would likely have been killed by that reckless driver.?
On Thursday, Inslee signed a bill permitting tow trucks to activate rear-shining blue lights at the scene of an emergency or accident, and another bill requiring drivers who strike a pedestrian or cyclist to re-test for their driver license. The governor and Legislature committed to improve roadway safety this session, and these recent bills will help save lives.
 Family members of 261 recent organ donors received the governor?s Gift of Life Award during a ceremony Thursday. Erin Calata, wife of the late Pierce County Sheriff?s Deputy Dom Calata, showed Gov. Jay Inslee pictures on her phone, and Troy and Kandi Neff remembered their son Blade?s donation with custom T-shirts.
On Thursday, hundreds of family members of organ donors gathered at the Capitol to remember their loved ones and celebrate the generosity of their final act. Each year, Gov. Jay Inslee presents the Governor's Gift of Life Award to the families of deceased organ donors. This year, 261 donors were individually honored.
Pierce County Sheriff?s Deputy Dom Calata was killed serving a felony warrant in last March. His donations helped save four lives. Musician Greg Anderson ?never met a stranger? according to his mother Janet, and signing up to be an organ donor was just a sign of his typical generosity. Blade Neff was just 17 when he died last spring, and his parents Kandi and Troy had custom shirts made to honor his organ donation.
?I speak from experience about this ? my son Connor had a child not long ago, and a cornea transplant some time before that,? said Gov. Jay Inslee. ?He can see one of the cutest little grandkids in Washington state thanks to an organ donor. That?s what you gave to someone ? the gift of life. And that?s a generous gift.?
To become an organ donor, visit the state Department of Licensing website for instructions.
With only two weeks remaining of session and committee cutoffs all wrapped up, the House and Senate are now focused on floor action. As bills are brought up for floor votes, legislators hoping for last-minute changes or wanting to stir up some floor drama have the ability to offer floor amendments. Watchers of the Legislature know this is the prime time of session for heated floor debates and creative procedural maneuvers.
This is also when hundreds of bills start making their way to Gov. Jay Inslee?s desk. At this point in the session, when the governor?s office receives a bill, the governor has five days to take action. This week, Inslee signed a few dozen bills including an important highway safety bill to reduce fatalities in work zones and a bill that strengthens the state?s hate crime law. Here?s a quick sample of this week?s legislative news:
To preview which bills are on the floor calendars, you can look up the House Floor Activity Report or Senate Floor Activity Report. From these calendars you can find links to fiscal notes and proposed amendments. TVW is a reliable source for all the live action. The legislative session is scheduled to end April 23.
Washington state applies to become ?Hydrogen Hub?
The federal government is offering handsome grants in a competitive bidding process to establish ?hydrogen hubs? to process green hydrogen. Hydrogen promises to help decarbonize industry and transportation, and a local hydrogen industry will create huge economic benefits including tens of thousands of jobs. On Wednesday, the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation hosted Gov. Jay Inslee and partners of the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association to celebrate submittal of its application to become a hydrogen hub. Washington state is already building a strong clean energy economy, and a successful bid would attract even more investment and innovation to the region.
Big trucks shift gears to go electric
A new waiver granted by the federal Environmental Protection Agency will allow states to begin to transition medium- and heavy-duty trucks to zero-emissions powertrains. The waiver gives the state Department of Ecology?s Clean Trucks program the green light, requiring manufacturers to begin to register an increasing portion of zero-emissions trucks beginning with 2025 model year vehicles. Transportation is the largest source of emissions in Washington state, and decarbonizing big trucks will go a long way for air quality.
Spokane now home to hundreds of Ukrainian refugees
Gov. Jay Inslee visited Thrive International in Spokane on Wednesday, now home to more than 100 Ukrainian refugee families. The day prior, Inslee had joined a group of American governors on a call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy asserted that beyond victory, Ukrainians are intent on their nation's reconstruction. The Russian invasion has forced thousands of Ukrainians to become refugees, and few places have been as welcoming to those refugees as Washington state; more than 16,000 have settled here since the war began.
Commerce funds 24 projects increasing homeownership opportunities for hundreds
The state Department of Commerce has invested $24.2 million to create new homeownership opportunities statewide. The grants supported 21 new proposals and three existing projects. The projects will build new homes and establish down payment assistance programs to 242 low-income Washington families. The grant process incorporated recent recommendations from a report about historically discriminatory policies that have limited access to homeownership by Black, Indigenous and other people of color.
"No bags in the bin" - plastic bags contaminate recycling
The state Department of Ecology is reminding Washingtonians that garbage bags cannot be recycled, and bagging your recyclables will cause them to be landfilled. Recyclables should be left loose in the receptacle for pickup, but nearly 20% of customers improperly bag them.?
"Bagging your recyclables does more harm than good,? said Laura Watson, Ecology's director.
|
? 
? 
? 
??
