Stephanie Harris was working as a prostitute for two years before she met the man who would become her pimp. He wouldn't let her eat or go home until she met her quota for the day. Sometimes, she was left on Aurora Avenue in Seattle for 16 to 18 hours at a time. “After I left my pimp, I really did attempt to clean up my act,” Harris told lawmakers at a hearing of the House Public Safety Committee on Tuesday.
Continue reading Sex trafficking survivors push for bill they say would help victims start over …
The Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee voted to advance an education funding bill Thursday that has a different deadline than a version approved by the House. Continue reading Senate committee passes education funding bill with different deadline than House version
When Kathryn Mahan was five-years-old, she knew she was different than other boys. She eventually joined the Army to leave town because she said she was treated like a “freak.”
“It was awful,” she said. “I just wanted to follow the rules and be a good kid, but they taught me to hide by ridiculing me and lecturing me.” 
The House passed a bill off the floor Wednesday that requires certain schools to provide students with breakfast after the beginning of the school day. 
On Tuesday's edition of "Legislative Review," we cover a bill that aims to educate gun owners about how to prevent suicide in homes with firearms. The suicide awareness campaign targets places such as gun ranges, gun stores and hunting safety classes. 
The House passed a bill off the floor Monday that requires next year's Legislature to solve the state's overreliance on local levies. 
Several tribal members asked lawmakers Monday to pass a bill that would allow dental health aides to treat patients on tribal land. The measure is opposed by some dentists who say the aides don't have sufficient education and training. 
Hundreds of people turned out Thursday to testify on a series of gun-related bills at the House Judiciary Committee, including one that would allow local jurisdictions to ban guns in public places. 
Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson is pressing for legislation that would raise the legal age to purchase tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21. “Let’s be blunt,” Ferguson said at a press conference Wednesday. “Cigarettes are too easy to get if you are a teenager. This legislation will save lives.” 