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The LGBTQ Pride Flag was raised over the Capitol on Thursday, June 1 in honor of Pride Month.
June is LGBTQ Pride Month, and Gov. Jay Inslee joined state employees and community leaders Thursday to raise the Pride flag over the Washington State Capitol. The flag raising has been a tradition since 2015, and the state?s steady march of progress for LGBTQ+ rights has been a tradition since 1998.
?I think the fact that you can be who you are and love who you will is one of the most beautiful things about the state of Washington,? says Inslee.
This year, more than 400 anti-LGBTQ bills were introduced across 47 states, including Washington. These laws proposed to ban books, stifle education, limit health care access, and even regulate dress for Americans. They sought to openly discriminate by gender identity or sexual preference.
No such bills passed here in Washington state.
Instead, the Legislature acted to nurture individual liberties. New laws prevent bullying, prohibit the sale of private health data, and protect providers and patients of gender-affirming care from out-of-state legal action.
?The LGBTQ community has been the target of hatred for generations,? says Manny Santiago, executive director of the state?s LGBTQ Commission. ?We know how to survive, and that?s by coming together as a community and as a family to find solidarity in each other.?
Read the full story on Gov. Jay Inslee?s Medium
Construction is picking up to deliver safer and more accessible transportation systems to Washington travelers ? even salmon. From paving to bridge repairs to creating better fish passage routes, crews will work all summer on and near state highways. That work may involve closures, delays or congestion.
The state Department of Transportation warns that for a few years, Washingtonians may feel some short-term pain for long-term gain. Projects are planned across the state that may require detours or shortcuts around major routes.
Many of these projects will overlap in locations and timing, and much weekend, holiday, and event-day work cannot be avoided. WSDOT encourages travelers to ?know before you go,? whether traveling across town or statewide:
- Check WSDOT's?mobile app, traffic cameras and email alerts.
- Browse traveler information for traffic, weather, ferry schedules and a revamped real-time travel map.
- Follow WSDOT?s region- and project-specific Twitter accounts, the agency Facebook page, and Instagram and TikTok accounts.
- Tune to 530 AM and 1610 AM for highway advisory radio alerts ? watch for other stations as indicated by signage in some areas.
- Allow extra time for travel to avoid rushing or distraction.
- Carry extra food and water as a precaution for emergencies or unexpected stops.
Safety for road workers and the traveling public is the top priority. WSDOT calls on drivers to look out for others every day on the roads. Momentary distraction, impaired driver, speeding, or recklessness can cause lasting harm to someone else.
For WSDOT workers like?Adam Gonzales who have nearly lost their lives, for WSDOT?s crews and contractors, and for fellow travelers ? do your part to slow the trend of serious crashes. Stay alert, slow down, secure loads and keep an eye out for people like Adam working for your safety.
Read more about summer construction here:
 A WSDOT photograph shows progress on a highway lid over a stretch of SR 520 in Seattle?s Montlake neighborhood. Bellevue and the Cascade Range appear in the distance.
Guns kill kids; firearms are the leading cause of death for American children and stole 3,600 young lives in 2021. Guns murder; 81% of murders in 2021 in the United States involved a gun. Guns are instruments of terror; at least 268 mass shootings have been committed across America this year to date.
Gun violence plagues America. Inaction is no solution. This year and last, Gov. Jay Inslee and state lawmakers leapt to action to pass common-sense gun laws to battle back against wanton death and violence.
Centerfire semiautomatic rifles, designed to efficiently kill and injure, are now banned from sale. Studies suggest the state?s new 10-day waiting period may reduce suicide and homicide by at least 10%. High-capacity magazines allowing homicidal attackers to expend endless lethal volleys are now banned from sale.
Friday, June 2 is National Gun Violence Awareness Day, and Inslee encouraged Washingtonians to continue to rally for action to prevent gun violence.
?We?re wearing orange, and we?re proud to wear orange today,? said Inslee. ?Let?s keep this ball rolling for a safer and healthier Washington state.?
 Washington state?s rate of firearm death is a mere fraction of the national average.
Liquor and Cannabis Board hires Will Lukela as director
After 38 years of state service, Rick Garza, director of the state Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) will retire. The board Thursday announced the hiring of Will Lukela as its new director to begin on July 10. Lukela is currently the deputy chief of licensing for the Colorado Department of Revenue?s Marijuana Enforcement Division. He brings 30 years of regulatory and leadership experience from a state which, much like Washington, has been at the forefront of cannabis legalization and the growth of its lawful enterprise.
Secured your load for safer roads
Highway debris causes more than 300 crashes every year, and more than 40% of roadside litter is attributable to unsecured loads. The state Department of Ecology encourages travelers to keep straps and tarps handy to secure loads, and to completely seal and secure loads so they aren?t jostled loose while traveling. The department also encourages drivers to call 911 to report unsecured loads, which can endanger others. Fines may reach up to $5,000 and some local jurisdictions have even stricter laws.
New EPA funds will help local governments address polluted land
The federal Environmental Protection Agency recently invested $315 million to address brownfields, or communities around old industrial sites with lingering contamination. Bremerton, the city of Grays Harbor, Hoquiam, Kelso, Spokane, and Tumwater received funding under the program to assess and clean up contamination.
Washington remembers Don Bonker
Former Congressman Don Bonker died this week. He served Washington state?s 3rd congressional district for seven terms between 1975 and 1988 and is well-known for his efforts to conserve public lands. He helped establish the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, now a haven for unique shorebirds like the Western Sandpiper and Red Knot. He also helped establish Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, where the natural environment continues repairing itself from the catastrophic eruption in 1980. A mile-long loop trail in the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge near Long Beach is named in his honor.
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